High Falls Trail
At A Glance
0.7 mi one-way
Difficulty Rating: 1.91 
Steepness: Climbs Steeply
Tread Condition: Some Obstacles
Lowest Elevation: 2875 ft
Highest Elevation: 3510 ft
Climb Total: 650 ft
Blaze Color: None
Hikes That Use This Trail: Tuckasegee High Falls
Description
From the parking area away from the lake, the trail begins as a gated road leading down below part of the dam. It winds downhill on a graveled path to a hairpin turn near a drainage basin, then turns right at a sign. From there the trail becomes much steeper and descends sets of log steps toward the river, which it begins following downstream. The trail will cross a couple of unique, small bridges and then descend steeply on rock steps. Only short stretches are actual dirt trail. You'll see how much work was required to build this trail - hundreds of massive logs and stones (sourced from on-site) were put into place to keep hikers safely on the path. The trail passes by an upper waterfall, called First Falls, and then under a neat overhanging cliff as you go past the brink of High Falls. The trail then descends on rock steps through switchbacks beside the upper part of High Falls to reach the put-in at its base.
Note: Though this trail is 0.7 mi in length, there's no connections, so there's no option but to hike it out-and-back for a total distance of 1.4 mi. This trail constitutes the Tuckasegee High Falls Hike. For more details, see the hike page.
Directions
From the I-40 and I-26 interchange in Asheville, NC, take I-40 west about 18 miles to Exit 27 for the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, US 74/19/23 toward Waynesville. Follow the expressway for about 21 miles to Exit 85 for Sylva/Cullowhee. Follow Business 23 for about 1.8 miles into town and turn left on NC 107. Go just over 20 miles on 107 (past Western Carolina University) and turn right onto Pine Creek Road. It's 2 miles on this crooked road to The Pines Recreation Area, just across the dam, where there is parking on both sides of the road for the trail.
This trail is located in the Pines Recreation Area area. For a list of all the trails in that area, see the Pines Recreation Area trails list page.
All Photos from the Trail
GPS Map
Map Information
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