Abrams Falls is a 70-foot plunge waterfall on Abrams Creek in Washington County, Virginia, about 6.6 miles northwest of Bristol. It is not the Abrams Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains. After years on private land, the falls now belong to Washington County, which manages them as part of its park system.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database cites a lidar measurement of about 70 feet for the single plunge of Abrams Creek. The county gives 75 feet; earlier surveys listed 80 feet. Smaller cascades of 15 to 20 feet lie below the main drop, within a semicircular amphitheater of 70- to 80-foot cliffs, and a steep gorge about 500 feet deep runs downstream for more than half a mile. The area is a fragile ecosystem with rare plants and animals.
Getting there
Access is from the end of Abrams Falls Road, under an agreement between the county and the neighboring Tindall family. The route is undeveloped and not maintained. Hikers must get permission first, which can be done by cell phone following the instructions on the sign at the road's end. Parking there is on VDOT land with no restrictions. A liability waiver is required for visitors. A planned trail link from the Mendota Trail isn't possible for now because access across the private land in between couldn't be secured.
When to go
October brings fall color around the amphitheater.
On site
The county's waiver warns of falls, weather and rough terrain, up to the risk of death. Very slippery rocks surround the base, mist can be felt 50 feet away, and uprooted trees point to flash flooding; accidents and deaths have occurred at the falls over the years. Stay off wet rock near the drop.
History and name
The falls are also known as Chief Benge Falls. County ownership ended a 16-year effort to bring the falls into public hands.
Nearby
Barger Hollow Falls is about 10.1 miles away, across the Tennessee line; Possum Holler Falls on Garrett Creek is about 11.1 miles and Cabin Creek Falls about 13.9 miles. The Mendota Trail, also a county property, is nearby.
Distances are straight-line.