We couldn't find parking near the trailhead, had to park about 1.5 miles away. The trail is along a creek in the beginning section, it was very pleasant walking along the creek, hearing the water flow and many small water falls. We passed some bridges, a couple of them are narrow with railing on one side, it was very interesting to walk on those bridges, then we arrived the arch. We continued to the cave. The fall colors were beautiful there. We took a break there, then head back.

This is a beautiful trail! All ages could enjoy this, but it does involve an elevation change of 1200 feet, so take your time and be ready to climb. Get there early. We arrived around 9:30 am and had to park almost a mile away from the trail head. Take snacks and drinks to enjoy when you reach the bluff.

Best trail in the park!! We read all of the reviews and went early. At 7:15 on a Friday the first lot was full so we were in the overflow right next to it. Chilly start but the trail climbs gradually after the first mile so we warmed up quickly. We had heard from a local that there was a momma bear with three cubs in the park this year and we saw her on the trail. She and the cubs crossed about 30 feet in front of us, which was a little close so we backed down trail a little bit to give her some space. Ate our snack at the cave/overhang and then hiked back. I forgot to time it but my guess is just over two hours total. Very doable even though it is rated moderate.

This is probably the most popular trail so get there early, we got there at 7am and got one of the last parking spots, it was on a Tuesday. It’s basically straight up hill. The arch way in the cave was neat. We stopped at the cave, if you continue up the mountain you will get to the lodge. Would highly recommend, my son was tired and couldn’t go any further. I went to the top another day from the rainbow falls trail, it’s an extra 2 miles than this one so I would recommend this one. As more people get there becomes a pain coming down as most walkways are only big enough for one person at a time so do it early as possible. Don’t forget your parking pass. I read somewhere people were getting towed. People park crazy as well, took me a while to get out of my spot because a truck parked right behind me (not a real spot After your down here, head to Clingmans Dome, it’s pretty close by.

Our family of 4 (including 2 kids age 6 and 10) made the about 5 mile route hike out the bluff/cave and back. Once you pass arch rock there hike gets noticeably tougher but our kids are troopers on hikes and the bluff/cave was worth the sweat to get there! By far our favorite hike in the Smokies and we did most of the popular ones (all the waterfallls). Note/ lots of stairs and steep areas

Anyone in fair shape can hike to Arch Rock, just under 1.5 miles out with a gradual climb of about 500 feet. Arch Rock was what we chose to hike today, after seeing the crowds out so early in August. We consider Arch Rock a good morning hike. You can be out and back before noon. Alum Cave itself is a day hike. The trail gets steeper near Alum Cave, which is not a cave, but a beautiful outcropping. Mount LeConte is a more strenuous day hike. We did it once in one day, and would only recommend if you are on the trailhead early, and in good shape. Bring lots of water, you will need it. Containers can be refilled at Mount LeConte if you hike all the way up. Do NOT drink from the creek, unless you want to regret it later. All that said, the Arch Rock hike (3 miles round trip) was lovely. The stroll along the river was a great way to get a bit of exercise. We highly recommend this trail. We have hiked it numerous times over the years. Never gets old. 🙂

We snagged the last parking spot at 9.15 , but when we were hiking we did not see a lot of people on the trail unlike Laurel Falls. I did a lot of reading on this hike. Most articles made it sound harder than it was. Easy hike to Arch Rock and slightly harder to the cave/ bluffs. I am sorry I didn't start out earlier because I would have went the distance to Mt Leconte. No animal sitings.

This was a 6.4 mile round trip hike from where we had to park. Parking was a HUGE issue, and we were there on a Monday at noon. It was a nice hike for us, we aren’t experienced hikers and rarely get to any areas with any elevation. The views are great. Our only regret is not packing a lunch and sitting near the cave for lunch