The Sinks

The Sinks is about 12 miles west of Gatlinburg on Little River Road, and it's one of those rare Smokies waterfalls you can see without hiking a single step. We park in the tiny lot (maybe 15 cars max) and walk straight to the viewing platform they added recently. The whole thing exists because loggers in the early 1900s used way too much dynamite to clear a logjam and accidentally blasted this deep gorge where the Little Pigeon River now churns through.

The parking situation is honestly brutal on summer weekends. Get there before 10 AM or you'll be circling like a vulture waiting for someone to leave. We've seen people park along the road and walk in, which isn't ideal but happens when the lot's full by noon.

You can swim in the pools if you're comfortable with strong currents, but people have drowned here so don't mess around. The water looks deceptively calm from the platform, but those currents are no joke once you get in. If you do go in the water, use the stone steps behind the platform to get down safely instead of jumping off the high rocks like some people do.

Oh and bring water shoes — those rocks are slippery even when it hasn't rained. The best photos happen when the water's high after a storm, but that's also when it's most dangerous for swimming. We usually combine this with Metcalf Bottoms picnic area about a mile away since there's nowhere to hang out here besides the small viewing area.