Discover Cosby: Forest, Waterfall, and Scenic Overlooks

Cosby offers several ways to experience nature and the landscape: Cosby Creek flows through a large cove shaded by deciduous forest; the Cosby Nature Trail follows the creek in a loop, and a hike leads to Hen Wallow Falls. The Foothills Parkway East complements the trails with a scenic drive featuring four overlooks. When planning, it is worth considering trail lengths, starting points, and seasonal visiting hours separately.

Forest, Picnics, and Day Planning

The area around Cosby has Cosby Creek, picnic facilities, a campground, and access to several hiking trails. The Cosby Picnic Area is open seasonally from mid-April through the end of October, from sunrise to sunset. Nearby, visitors can hike, ride horses, and fish; a permit is required for fishing. If you plan to visit the picnic area, take the season and daily opening hours into account; if you plan to fish, make sure to obtain a permit beforehand.

Hiking Trails and Waterfall

The Cosby Nature Trail is a short loop along Cosby Creek through gentle woodland. It is 1.3 miles long, and parking is available at the Cosby Picnic Area. Compared with the hike to Hen Wallow Falls, the Nature Trail is the shorter route.

Hen Wallow Falls is 90 feet high. The hike starts at the Gabes Mountain Trailhead at the Cosby Picnic Area and covers a total of 4.3 miles round trip. Along the way, the trail passes through deciduous forest with hemlocks and rhododendrons. The two types of trail differ: the Nature Trail is a loop, while the hike to the falls is an out-and-back route.

The hike to Mt. Cammerer also has a clearly named starting point: it begins at the Low Gap Trailhead near the Cosby Campground. Hikers reach the Appalachian Trail after three miles on the Low Gap Trail. The named starting points are distinct: Gabes Mountain Trailhead at the picnic area for the hike to Hen Wallow Falls, and Low Gap Trailhead near the campground for the trip to Mt. Cammerer.

Driving the Foothills Parkway East

The Foothills Parkway East offers a different kind of outing from the hiking trails. The route runs from Cosby, Tennessee, over Green Mountain, gaining 1,000 feet in elevation along its 5.6-mile length. The section starting in Cosby has four overlooks. For this scenic drive, the elevation gain and overlooks are useful reference points alongside the route length.

The distances can be considered by type of outing: 1.3 and 4.3 miles refer to hikes, while 5.6 miles refers to the parkway section. The 1,000-foot climb also applies to the road route. This makes it easy to compare the hiking trails with each other and consider the scenic drive as a separate option.

Discover more destinations: Newport, Del Rio, Parrottsville

For the broader travel overview: Cocke.