An easy 3-mile round-trip hike to a 60-foot waterfall at Big South Fork with a natural arch, seasonal flow, and no entrance fee.
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Based on this listing's approximate location — see the note on coordinates below.
NPS trail description notes water flow 'may be minimal during late summer and fall,' though the hike is described as worthwhile regardless.
Slave Falls is a 60-foot waterfall accessed via the Sawmill Trailhead at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area near Oneida, Tennessee. The approximately 1.5-mile one-way easy hike also passes Needle Arch, a natural sandstone arch formation. Water flow is most reliable in spring and early summer but may become minimal or absent by late summer and fall.
No entrance fee is required. The site is located in the Tennessee portion of Big South Fork, which spans multiple counties including Pickett. The easy trail distance and arch feature combine with the waterfall for a multi-faceted visit.
Spring and early summer; NPS notes water flow may be minimal in late summer and fall.
1.5–2 hours
Not wheelchair accessible.
You visit in late summer or fall; water flow may be minimal or absent.
No fee or permit requirement was published on the managing agency's site when we last checked — confirm current conditions before you go, since these change.
Via a 3-mile round-trip trail rated easy by the managing agency.
We track 13 waterfalls in Cumberland Plateau TN.
nps.gov
NPS Big South Fork Tennessee Trails page, checked Sept 2026; no closure noted for the Sawmill Trailhead/Slave Falls route. NPS describes the falls dropping 'some 60 feet to the pool below,' trail approximately 1.5 miles one way, rated easy. Also passes Needle Arch, a natural sandstone arch. County given as Pickett County per regional trail guides — Big South Fork's Tennessee side spans Scott, Fentress, Pickett and Morgan counties and the NPS trail page itself does not specify the county.
Checked September 2026.