This is Little Creek Falls, on the Deeplow Gap trail below Deeplow Gap and above the intersection with the Cooper Creek trail. We did this hike on a beautiful early May weekend, walking from the trailhead for the Thomas Divide trail on Hwy. 441, down to Deeplow Gap, and then over to the Mingus Creek trail to exit at Mingus Mills. That's a walk of about 13.8 miles, with a few thousand feet of climbing. It's a terrific walk, but be prepared for the steep climb up the Deeplow Gap trail to the intersection with the Mingus Creek trail. It comes late in the hike, and on a hot summer's day, it would be a rough climb. Actually, I wouldn't recommend this one as a summer or late spring hike, since the lower section of the Deeplow Gap trail would be pretty grown up at that time of year. However, the wildflowers and little streams that you cross in early spring make the hike an excellent choice. It could be done in reverse, of course, but that would involve a long, steep climb out of the Collins Creek valley to the top of Thomas Divide.

The Mingus Creek trail winds up the mountain from Mingus Mills near Oconaluftee to a point on Thomas Divide near Newton Bald. The part between the Mill and the intersection with the Deeplow Gap trail is rocky and wet. In many places, it seems that you're walking for quite a ways right down the rocky stream bed. After spending so much time on the beautiful and sometimes spectacular Thomas Divide and Deeplow Gap trails, it's a bit of a letdown. The little brown trail guide (I highly recommend picking up this excellent guide) mentions that the Mingus Creek trail is not maintained on its lower section, but that's dated info. It's now part of the Mountains to the Sea trail that leads from Clingmans Dome to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Thomas Divide is superb, especially in early spring when you have great views towards the main range of the Smokies, along with a clear path, free of weeds and poison oak.