Ice, snow and a 45-foot waterfall
Between Christmas and New Year’s 2022 we went back to the Horse Creek area of the Cherokee National Forest near Greeneville, Tennessee, this time to Pete’s Branch Falls. The Forest Service lists it as a 45-foot waterfall, reached by a trail with several creek crossings, about 1.5 miles each way from the trailhead.
It was bitterly cold. Snow dusted the forest road along Horse Creek, and the seeps on the rock walls had frozen into curtains of icicles.
🥾 The falls
Pete’s Branch Falls was partly frozen, with ice building up around the edges of the water as it fell down the dark rock.
We were back at Horse Creek in March 2023; see Horse Creek and Sampson Mountain Wilderness.
🥾 Trail facts
- Falls: 45 feet (recreation.gov listing; best in wet spring and fall)
- Distance: about 1.5 miles each way from the trailhead, with several creek crossings; Forest Road 94 also has creek crossings
- Horse Creek Recreation Area: open; day use free, camping $10 a night (May 2026)
- Managed by: USDA Forest Service, Unaka Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest
Trail facts checked October 2026. Sources: Recreation.gov: Horse Creek, USFS: Horse Creek Recreation Area. Trails and roads change, so check with the managing agency before you go.
