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With little or no markings, one will drive right past this trailhead and never give it another thought.
This site gives great details on finding it and navigating the trail.
One site descri es the trek as moderately steep (in places) on a well-groomed trail.
Both are mostly true.
Yes, most of the trail is clear and wide, but has some areas that are rough. Not terrible, but rough.
For experienced hikers, I am certain the trail is moderately steep, but for the inexperienced (or infrequent) hiker, the first half of the trail is steep, but has flat spots with benches for one to catch one's breath.
After reaching the point where one turns to go to the falls, the descent trail is narrower and has more snags and fallen trees across the trail. It didn't seem terribly steep, and one never feels unsafe --- even when encountering other hikers.
There is a section with a wooden walkway --- it is a bit rickety. Again, slow and steady, and you'll be fine.
My advice? Just be careful. Walk slowly and breathe through your nose. By breathing through your nose --- if you become short of breath --- you immediately know you should rest.
While the trail is 1.5 miles round trip, take some water to stay hydrated.
The falls are beautiful and very much worth the trek.
Lots of folks had dogs with them. Be careful. Older dogs or "low-rider" dogs should probably not make this trip. Remember--- what's easy for you may not be easy for your fur friend.
btw: returning to the apex from the falls --- the good news is that the trip back to the trailhead is all downhill!
Be careful. Be...
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Crab Orchard Falls is a great short.5-.75 mile one way hike the entire family can do and you're rewarded with a beautiful waterfall I at the end. There are now 2 trails to the falls.
The first dubbed the Old Trail which is to the left behind the Conference Center which is a slightly shorter one (.5 miles one way) which is all up hill on a gravel road most of the way with some benches to rest on along the way.
The second one also behind the Conference Center is dubbed the New Trail and is off to the right and is slightly longer (.75 miles one way). This trail is still up hill but the switch backs make the incline less steep and it also offers more scenery through the forest. We've done both and l'd opt for the New Trail any day. They did a great job putting it in. If it's wet though l'd go with the Old Trail as the New Trail would be much muddier and more slippery.
The 2 trails meet just before the trail down to the waterfall. About 100 yards after the trails meet, there is a trail heading down and off to the right which goes to the water falls. The trail continues another mile or so off to the left if you just want to hike more but the trail to the falls is to the right. It's a little steep and you have to watch the tree roots (again, it would be very slippery if wet) but they have built they have built stone steps at the very bottom.
The falls are viewable from many spots at this point and there is a path to the top but as with any waterfalls, rocks can be slippery (even if dry) so be careful. The short hike is well worth the view however and this would be a great place for a...
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Lovely, newish trail that is wide and moderate. Not terribly well marked, IMO, but easy enough if you know what you're doing. The parking is shared with a church, and All Trails initially directed me to the wrong location entirely, but once we found it there were signs making it easy.
The walk is not too long but moderately challenging as it does gain a good bit of elevation the whole way, and then drops down to the falls making for a somewhat strenuous climb back out, followed by a long downhill back to the parking lot.
We found the right hand path (behind the porta potty) to be the prettier and more varied way in, and the other half of the loop a better way out, but either way will get you to bench 4 where the trail down to the falls is.
Falls are lovely! Conditions clearly vary, and could be slippery and kinda dangerous or just easy and mellow (as it...
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