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Waterfalls, Hikes & More

Things To Do Near Reliance, TN

More Than a Fishing Trip

Cherokee National Forest doesn't stop at the edge of camp - it wraps all the way around us. Everything below is within about an hour's drive, most of it a lot closer, and none of it requires you to pack up and leave the river behind. Ask at the shop before you head out; road and gate conditions shift with the season, and whoever's behind the counter
(JT, or possibly Sasquatch) can tell you
what's running well that day.

A Friendly Heads-Up

Cell service gets spotty to nonexistent once you're off the main roads out here — Coker Creek, Turtletown, and most of the Cherohala Skyway are dead zones for most carriers. Before you head out, pull up your route on AllTrails (links are below and go straight to the individual trails) and hit "download map" while you've still got signal in the parking lot (or if you're one of those - at home ;). It saves the trail, the turns, and your spot on it, so you're not stuck squinting at a loading wheel two miles in. Takes ten seconds, and it's saved more than a few folks an accidental extra mile or two.

Cell Coverage Map

All Trails App

Three waterfalls, one trail. Park at the Clemmer Trailhead on Highway 30 heading into Reliance, and follow Clemmer Trail #302 into Scenic Spur #78 - about 3/4 mile of easy walking before two creek crossings and a climb to the falls. The third and largest drop has a swimming hole at the base and a flat rock made for drying off afterward.

Dogs on leash welcome & Kid-friendly

1.7 miles

Drive From RFT

Hike Round Trip Moderate

15 mins

Trail Info

Rainbow Falls (Rock Creek Falls)

Falls less than an hour from RFT

The easy one. A wide, well-graded gravel trail from near McCamy Lake at the Chilhowee Recreation Area leads about 1.5 miles each way to a 65-foot cascade. There's a small day-use parking fee at the lake. Good pick for a first hike with kids, or anyone who wants the payoff without the effort.

Dogs on leash welcome & Kid-friendly, Day Pass

3.2 miles

Drive From RFT

Hike Round Trip Moderate

35 mins

Trail Info

Benton Falls

Two falls, one stop. Bald River Falls is one of the most accessible waterfalls in Tennessee - a 90-foot drop you can see right from the road, with a short trail down to the base if you want to get closer. A quarter mile further up Tellico River Road (FR-210) is Baby Falls, a smaller 15-foot drop with parking, restrooms, and picnic tables. Good spot for lunch if you're already out that way. Grab a sandwich from our Deli!

Dogs on leash welcome & Kid-friendly

.3 miles

Drive From RFT

Walk Round Trip Moderate

30 mins

Trail Info

Bald River Falls & Baby Falls

A bigger commitment: 5.1 miles round trip, moderate to rough, with a rutted access road and cascades and swimming holes scattered the whole way, not just at the end. Less polished than Rainbow or Benton - which is exactly the appeal for the people who love it.

Dogs on leash welcome & Kid-friendly

5.1 miles

Drive From RFT

Hike Round Trip Moderate to Rough

Coker creek falls 5.1 round trip hike moderate to rough with swimming holes scatted along the way

45 mins

Trail Info

Coker Creek Falls

Near Delano, a 2.6-mile out-and-back, dog-friendly trail, with the first two-thirds an easy walk and the last third requiring some scrambling. The falls themselves shift with the season - sometimes a full curtain, sometimes twin cascades.

Dogs on leash welcome & Kid-friendly

2.6 miles

Drive From RFT

Hike Round Trip Moderate

35 mins

Trail Info

Gee Creek Falls

Near Farner, to reach the trailhead, it is advisable to have a 4WD vehicle due to the rocky road conditions. It is recommended to use an offline map to get oriented since the trail is not well marked, and there may be poor cell reception in the area with multiple falls along the route. Trail can be slippery and hard to follow — bring boots and download a map before you lose signal.

Dogs on leash welcome & Horses

5.2 miles

Drive From RFT

Hike Round Trip Moderate to Challenging

50 mins

Trail Info

Turtletown Falls

More Info About the Trail

The trailhead sits right where Childers Creek meets the Hiwassee River - cross the bridge into Reliance, turn onto Childers Creek Road, and you're basically there. It's the actual route John Muir walked in 1867 on his "thousand-mile walk to the Gulf," hugging the river gorge the whole way. About 3 miles in gets you to Big Bend, a picnic and restroom stop that makes a solid turnaround point for a roughly 6-mile round trip; keep going, and the full trail runs 9.7 miles one-way past Towee Creek and the Apalachia Powerhouse toward Coker Creek Falls. Spring brings wildflowers the whole way — bloodroot, trillium, fire pink.

Hikes in Our Backyard and Nearby

Down the road from RFT

John Muir National Recreation Trail

Link to All Trails

The Benton MacKaye Trail runs nearly 300 miles from Springer Mountain, GA to the Smokies - and right here, it hits its lowest point on the route, crossing the Hiwassee River. Hikers roll into town thinking about food and resupply.

Since Reliance hasn't had a post office since 2011, Reliance Fly & Tackle has become the go-to mail drop for thru-hikers - send your box here, grab it, restock, and get back on trail.

Just in for the day? Ask in the shop about nearby stretches.

Right through town - no car needed

Benton MacKaye Trail

Link to Resupply Info

Link to All Trails

Less of a hike, more of a drive worth taking on its own. The Skyway climbs over 4,500 feet between Tellico Plains and Robbinsville, NC, with pull-offs the whole way. Indian Boundary Recreation Area sits just off it, with a lake loop trail, and a swimming area. Starting from the Indian Boundary Campground, the trail quickly leads hikers through a mix of dense hardwood forests, featuring towering oaks, maples, and hemlocks. As you follow the trail, the forest gradually opens up to reveal views of Indian Boundary Lake, a beautiful spring-fed lake nestled in the mountains. Dogs are NOT allowed on the beach.