Mouse Creek Falls is a 25-foot cascade where Mouse Creek meets Big Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Haywood County, North Carolina.
The falls
The National Park Service's own place page gives a taller figure, 41 feet, but a lidar survey agrees with the more commonly cited height of 25 feet. The cascade marks the point where Mouse Creek runs into Big Creek.
Getting there
The falls sit on the Big Creek Trail, normally a 4-mile round trip from the Big Creek Trailhead that passes Midnight Hole about half a mile before the falls. Hurricane Helene damage has closed Big Creek Trail beyond Mouse Creek Falls, and parking currently sits near the ranger station, adding about three-quarters of a mile to the approach. The park charges no entrance fee, but vehicles parked more than 15 minutes need a tag: $5 for a day, $15 for a week, or $40 for a year.
When to go
The nearby Big Creek Picnic Area is normally open seasonally from mid-April through late October, sunrise to sunset.
On site
A log bench sits at the falls viewpoint, and seasonal restrooms are available at the picnic area. Pets and bicycles are not allowed on Big Creek Trail. The rocks are slippery, and deaths have occurred around the park's waterfalls and riverbanks; water recreation is not recommended in park rivers and waterfalls.
History and name
Big Creek Trail follows an old railroad grade left from the area's logging era.
Nearby
Midnight Hole Falls is about 0.9 mile away, Upper Mouse Creek Falls about 1.2 miles, and Gunter Fork Falls about 4.4 miles.
Distances are straight-line.