Bald Springs Falls (Fires Creek)

Bald Springs Falls is a tall, cascading waterfall on Bald Springs Branch, a tributary of Fires Creek, in Clay County, North Carolina.  The waterfall is located in the Fires Creek Recreation Area in Nantahala National Forest.

Hike Length: 2.4 miles
Estimated Time: 2 to 4 hours
Difficulty: Very difficult
Location: Tusquitee Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes, but the trail is not dog friendly
Features: Waterfalls (1+)
Crowds: Low
Warnings: The view of the falls from the picnic area is not good.  There is no trail to the waterfall and the route is very steep and overgrown.
Trailhead GPS: 35.12538,-83.79408 

Waterfall GPS: 35.12730,-83.78136

Directions:

From Hayesville, go north on Tusquitee Street and cross Hiwasee River. Turn left on Fires Creek Road and drive 4.6 miles. Turn right on Fires Creek Wildlife Road and go just under 8 miles to a pull-off on the right. The road becomes gravel and changes to FR-340 as you enter the forest.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the pull-off, hike up FR-340 a short ways to a split, where FR-340C goes to the left. Stay on FR-340, which is gated at this point, and cross Long Branch on a bridge. It is about a mile to where the road makes a sharp turn to the left. Get off the road and bushwhack down to Fires Creek - Bald Springs Branch should flow in right across the creek. Wade the creek, which may be difficult in high water, and bushwhack up Bald Springs Branch on the river-left side. It's very steep and overgrown with rhododendron, but when you get up, you should pick up some semblance of an old logging grade. Lower Bald Springs Falls will be below you at creek level. Continue on the old logging grade for about 0.1 miles and then bushwhack down to creek level to the falls. You should be able to hear it from above. It's a really beautiful waterfall, but the area is so overgrown, it's hard to get a good picture.

Blog Entries:

28-May-2017: Murphy Area Waterfalls