The Little-Known Natural Wonder In Tennessee That Becomes Even More Enchanting In The Wintertime
By Chris Dodge|Published January 10, 2024
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Chris Dodge
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My name is Chris Dodge and I live right here in the great state of Tennessee. My family and I are full adventurers filled with passion to see the amazing things our state has to offer. We are avid hikers and have explored many different places in Tennessee and beyond but we are always thankful to be living in such a glorious state.
I’ve been lost in the woods in the dead of winter not once… but twice. It wasn’t a traumatic situation or anything — I handled the elements and got out in one piece, but there is always that nagging feeling while you are deep in the woods and you don’t know where you are. My latest adventure was on the way to Martin Creek Falls in Erwin, Tennessee, and I guess you could say it was more of a wrong turn, but this is my survival story. (Cue dramatic music…)
On a rare snowy day in East Tennessee, we took off to see Martin Creek Falls with our friends. The trail at first was wide and very easy to navigate, with only a slight incline.
We were excited to be in the woods which, on that day, looked like a magical winter wonderland. Even our new puppy was thrilled to be back on the trail. A light sputtering of snow gently falling made the whole forest absolutely beautiful.
We came up to our first crossroads and after a bit of discussion, we decided to take a left. We were following the leadership of our friend who had been on this trail before. However, things look a little bit different with a fresh coat of snow on the ground and unfortunately, it was indeed a wrong turn.
The fast-moving water and slippery rocks made it dangerous for our little girls so I stepped in as the hero. I carried each one of them through the water, sacrificing the lower half of my leg to the freezing cold water. Once across, however, we quickly learned that it was a dead end. So I turned around and carried them across once again.
I wish I had pulled out my AllTrails map so I didn’t make such a mistake.
I would have saved myself time, and would be a lot dryer and warmer. After reorienting ourselves using the map on my phone, we were back on the path which was very wide and easy to follow.
By this point, I was soaking wet, but we didn’t give up so we continued to the waterfall.
The trail thins out near the end and leads directly to the falls. There is a small spot that is slippery and steep -- you have to climb down to get to the base of Martin Creek Falls…
…But traversing down the ledge was all worth it when I stood in front of this phenomenal view of the waterfall.
Overall Martin Creek Falls in Erwin Tennessee was well worth the trip and a good lesson learned for always using my AllTrails map. Watch the whole hike with this Adventuring in the Moment video:
Another close-by and incredible adventure in the winter is a hike to Sill Branch Falls.
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