There are three waterfalls at deep Creek and you can access them all with a fairly easy hike. The…read moremost difficult part is in the beginning when you go from the parking lot towards Juney Whank Falls. It's steep, probably a five out of 10 in difficulty but once you get past that, it's mostly easy terrain. If you've ever gone tubing on deep creek, Tom Branch Falls are the one you pass by while in the water. There are a couple benches there where you can sit and relax and look at the falls.

Beautiful place to enjoy the views and get some exercise. We were amazed at all the butterflies…read moreflying around, gorgeous!

Nice place to hike just outside of Sylva. There are places for about 20 or so vehicles to park in…read morethe marked area at the end of the road. The first part is quite steep and rocky. There's a massive split boulder about a half-mile in. There are multiple 3+ mile hikes to tops of local mountains.

A must see when in Macon County. Beautiful twisty drive up and when skies are clear you can see…read moreforever. Short walk to the fire tower.

The fire tower provides a breathtaking 360 degree view, well worth the moderate hike required to…read moreget to the top. The view reminded me of Pike's Peak more than anywhere else, though obviously the elevation is quite a bit lower. Lots of nice peaks in all directions, and the tower provides a perfect vantage point. Access the trail via Otter Creek Road / Tellico Road, which is gravel near the trailhead. There is parking at the trailhead for at least six vehicles, maybe more. There are actually two trails to the top, the Appalachian Trail, (to the left) and a rocky jeep trail on the right that heads directly up the mountain. I strongly recommend you take the AT to the left. The AT route is about 1.5 miles up, and while being in good shape certainly helps, this 42 year old with a slight (moderate) beer belly was able to make continuous progress, arriving at the top in about 45 minutes with a bit of huffing and puffing. I doubt I would ever have gotten to the top on the jeep trail, which is relentlessly steep and very strenuous. Even the aerobically challenged can come back down the jeep trail, assuming they are blessed with good knees and a willingness to descend on loose gravel. I came back down the jeep trail, which probably shaved 15 minutes off the return trip. That said, if I were doing it again I would go both ways on the AT. As it turns out, descending a steep and rocky trail isn't that much fun either. A very nice hike indeed, with amazing scenery at the top. I didn't see any natural water sources, snakes, nor bears, though the last two are possibilities. I would not recommend doing this hike without some water at hand, even on a cool day. The AT is narrow at places, but well marked. You really can't miss the trail, unless you take the jeep path at the trailhead by mistake, which is easily done. Roundtrip hike took me about two hours, with ample time at the top for gawking and picture taking. Recommended!

A very nice stop along the parkway with a good southeastern view…read more The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 470-mile-long roadway that meanders through the mountains and connects the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. The parkway boasts about 170 official stops along the path. This site is one of these many stops. This is between the Waterrock Knob stop and Fork Ridge overlook. This particular stop shares a fair amount of similarities with the Fork Ridge Overlook. It has the same southwestern view. It is a pull-off on the same side of the road. It has a broad view with very little obstruction. It does not have any restrooms or picnic tables or trails but has a wonderful view of several mountain ranges and valleys that run off to the south of the location. This stop also shares the same view as the one that can be seen from Waterrock Knob at a higher elevation so if you went there, you may want to skip this stop. If you have not been to that Waterrock Knob, then you may want to stop there next. Overall, it is a nice stop with a southwestern view. Enjoy.

Amazing OLD-growth forest! One of the few remaining primary growth forests left on Eastern half of…read morethe USA. The hike is an easy ~ 2 mile figure-8 through the incredible 3,840-Acre woods. The unpaved, well maintained trail was damp but not muddy. There is a big stream throughout the trail. Although mostly shaded, recommend a hat, sunglasses, hiking boots or trail runners, shell, snack and water. The oldest trees are estimated 450 years old poplars. Unlike the West Coast Hoh RF and the Redwoods, you can see the top of the trees. In June 2025, JKMF was lush green after recent rain storms, felt much like temperate rain forests in the mid 60s Fahrenheit during our early morning hike. There were also remains of some controlled fires. There are about 20 paved parking spots and was full by 10am on Saturday. It has restrooms adjacent to the parking lot. The modern of the two restrooms was under construction and was closed. There is a port-a potty if you get desperate. Best to make pit stops before your arrival. Leave No Trace :)

Beautiful old growth forest with easy to moderate trail. Updated parking lot that has a few picnic…read moretables probably 20 parking spots. There is a typical vault toilet and then a normal plumbed bathroom area as well. The normal bathroom opens early April. Our 5 year old could easily do the trail (we avoided the difficult trail), but one of the two grandparents with us couldn't. We went on a dry day and as long as you pick up your feet for roots and navigate a few obstacles it's not very difficult. Would be slippery and more difficult if wet.

CHARLIE FALLS and JULIE FALLS are located along the same trail inside Chinquapin, a mountain…read morecommunity with a wide array of available lots to build your dream home... or even a second home if you've got disposable income like that!!! ~ THE SCENE There is not a lot of information available about either waterfall other than their names, but I hope to discover a source of knowledge that would help me with a few curiosities. One curiosity would be each of the crossings leading to the waterfalls have named bridges, such as Grandma's Bridge, Caroline's Bridge and Abby Bridge. Who are they named after and why? Another curiosity would be an answer as to why there is an outhouse and storm shelter in the middle of the woods? No less pressing is the question of an old nearby shack with a sign over the door proclaiming it to be the Ritz Carlton! LOL Clearly those whom have occupied this space prior have a sense of humor, so it would have been lovely to present the full backstory. But alas my good yelp family, all I can offer are photos and approximate geographic coordinates. We accessed the trail from inside the gated community after making an appointment to see one of the available lots. The easiest access point was a trail between lots 96 & 97. However, as we walked the trail, there did seem to be other adjoining public trails to navigate to the falls, but I couldn't tell you exactly how. ~ TWO WATERFALLS (on two separate creeks) The first waterfall you will reach is JULIE FALLS. A gorgeous cascading fall that plunges into a small pool at its base and tightly surrounded by trees. We could not see the full height, but my guess would be around 30 to 35 feet tall. It was impressive even with average water flow, but I bet it would be spectacular after heavy rainfall. Further along the same trail, as you cross another bridge or two you will reach CHARLIE FALLS, which is a waterfall you might picture in a bedtime story. The trail opens up to a wider, more open area where the sunlight dancing on the green leaves of the trees seem to have a magical effect. Charlie falls is visibly approximately 25 to 30 feet tall, but I suspect there is more to this waterfall than we could see from the base. The surrounding boulders are blanketed in moss, making it an ideal setting for Hansel & Gretel's cabin. One of the boulders will immediately catch your eye, as it literally has the shape of a dinosaur fossil head. I promise, you will know it when you see it. CHARLIE FALLS is, imho, the more attractive of the two and very enchanting. It's the type of waterfall you don't want to leave straightaway. It makes you want to linger, although there is not much more to see as the trail ends here. NOTE: There are SIX waterfalls total within the subdivision boundaries! ~ FINAL THOUGHTS If you find yourself interested in coming here, the geographic coordinates to JULIE FALLS are 35.183073, -83.065735. Julie Falls is located on Mill Creek, just before it connects with Robinson Creek. CHARLIE FALLS is located on Robinson Creek and the coordinates are 35.181791, -83.066106. I suspect there might be a trail leading from Great Falls Drive where it crosses Robinson Creek, but I am not for certain: 35.188666, -83.061975. From this coordinate it would be about a half mile creek walk upstream to Julie Falls OR you could always call the Chinquapin Outpost for better directions. I also suspect there are several more waterfalls downstream on Robinson Creek as Google Earth images seem to show large whitewater sections of the river at the following coordinates: 35.189796, -83.058901 (appears to be on private property) 35.196138, -83.055175 (near the crossing of Trimble Ridge Rd) 35.200339, -83.053114 (also near Trimble Ridge Rd) All appear to be on private property, but the second seems to be close enough to the bridge to view. ENJOY!!! 2020 / 43

A very nice stop along the parkway with a fair and unique view…read moreThe Blue Ridge Parkway is a 470-mile-long roadway that meanders through the mountains and connects the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. The parkway boasts about 170 official stops along the path. This site is one of these many stops. It is in between the Wesner Bald and the Yellow Face overlooks. The pull-out is on the southern side of the road and gives you a southwestern view. The view is different from many of the other views for the fact that you are looking across a field and into a valley. The paved area does not have restrooms but the area directly in front of the stop is a field with the trees set back and down the hill allowing a nice view with the exception of 2 large trees. The elevation at this stop is 5280 feet and is close to a trailhead for the Mountains to Sea trail. This is a trail that stretched from the North Carolina outer banks to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That is a distance of 1150 miles that is, obviously, outside the national park boundaries. This is a nice pull-off for the park with a fair and unique view.

ONION FALLS is not a destination waterfall. Why you ask? Because it is primarily a spillway for the…read moreLake Glenville Dam in North Carolina and its orientation and property restrictions make it difficult to view. In fact, it is waterfalls like this that have given rise to my desire for a drone. Apparently this is not the original Onion Falls. When the river was impounded in the 1940's, the first waterfall was covered over by the dam according to some sources. Still, mapmakers used the same name for the new waterfall location. The name is inspired by the look of the water as it cascades over the round rock surface and gives the appearance of the skin of a white onion. Based on topography maps, the crest of Onion Falls lies just beyond the dam floodgates at around 3,485 feet and falls like a giant waterslide to its base around 3,245 feet, making the total overall height around 240 feet. *** PRO TIP - There is a small parking area near the dam power house, but signs restrict anyone from following the service road down to the base of the falls. The signs warn of police arrest if caught trespassing, so I took heed despite my overwhelming temptation to risk it! THEE BEST VIEW will be just beyond the dam where a small pull-off across from the lake leads to a trail that allows for a distant view of the falls. You will see a metered power box and two metal poles to mark the beginning of the short trail. It also appears possible to bushwhack to the falls by following the river upstream from the High Falls trail, but not sure that is advisable considering the trespass warnings. *** [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Total Hiking Distance: 200 feet Difficulty: Super Easy Creek Crossings: NO Elevation Gain: maybe 10 feet Waterfall Height: around 240 feet overall Waterfall source: West Fork Tuckasegee River WATERFALL ATTRACTIVENESS - 7 out of 10 TRAIL ATTRACTIVENESS - 5 out of 10 Access to top of falls: NO Access to base of falls: NO (heavily restricted) Pool of water @ base of Falls: NO Sitting areas @ base: N/A RESTROOM FACILITIES: NO PARKING: YES (space for about 5 cars) *** [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] While the falls flow is heavily restricted by the dam, the gates have scheduled releases at least 4 times a year making this waterfall a BEAST!!! I highly recommend looking up the "bypass" release dates and planning a trip accordingly for the best and most spectacular look of the falls. On those dates, use Onion Falls as a bonus waterfall as you hike to nearby High Falls downstream. Both High Falls and Onion Falls go from attractive to flat out stunning during the dam release. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND visiting on those dates! Also be sure to check out the The Pines Recreation Area to make it a full day of hiking, waterfall chasing and beach fun and on the opposite side of the lake is Hurricane Falls for a little more waterfall exploration! 2021 / 84