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Waterfall

Laurel Falls

Tennessee

About

Laurel Falls is a waterfall in Tennessee's Pond Mountain Wilderness, within the Watauga Ranger District of Cherokee National Forest. It sits at about 2,150 feet, roughly 2 miles from the town of Hampton. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail also passes through the area. Fall is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Elizabethton show October highs around 70°F with lows near 44°F, and September and October bring the fewest wet days of the year. That station sits several hundred feet lower than the falls, so temperatures at the waterfall run a little cooler. The Appalachian Trail passes just 0.3 miles away, and the Hampton Blueline Trail and Coon Den Falls Trail are both within about 2 miles. For an overnight stay, Dennis Cove Campground is about 1.7 miles off.

Waterfall Facts

Elevation

2,148 ft

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

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Location

Laurel Falls

Tennessee

Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 69–85°F and lows of 42–64°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Elizabethton, TN weather station, 8.4 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.

  1. Jan46° high26° low1 days with snow
  2. Feb50° high28° low1 days with snow
  3. Mar59° high34° low
  4. Apr69° high42° low
  5. May77° high52° low
  6. Jun83° high60° low
  7. Jul85° high64° low
  8. Aug85° high62° low
  9. Sep80° high56° low
  10. Oct70° high44° low
  11. Nov59° high33° low
  12. Dec50° high29° low1 days with snow

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Hampton, Tennessee · 2.1 mi

Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; USFS EDW boundaries; NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Watauga Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Laurel Falls open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Cherokee National Forest. It doesn't name Laurel Falls, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Cherokee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Laurel Falls

Best months: April and August–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    46° / 26°

    12 wet · 1 snow

  2. Feb

    50° / 28°

    12 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    59° / 34°

    13 wet

  4. Apr

    69° / 42°

    12 wet

  5. May

    77° / 52°

    13 wet

  6. Jun

    83° / 60°

    13 wet

  7. Jul

    85° / 64°

    13 wet

  8. Aug

    85° / 62°

    12 wet

  9. Sep

    80° / 56°

    9 wet

  10. Oct

    70° / 44°

    9 wet

  11. Nov

    59° / 33°

    11 wet

  12. Dec

    50° / 29°

    13 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Elizabethton, TN, 8.4 mi away at 1,487 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.