Big Bear Falls (South Mountains)

Big Bear Falls is a small waterfall on Shinny Creek in Burke County, North Carolina.  The waterfall is located in South Mountains State Park.

Hike Length: 1.2 miles
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Location: South Mountains State Park
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 35.60246,-81.62914
Waterfall GPS: 35.60329,-81.63770

Directions:

From I-40 in Morganton, take exit 106 and go south on NC-18.  In 11 miles, turn right on Sugarloaf Road and go 4.3 miles.  Turn left on Old NC-18 and go 2.7 miles and turn right on Ward Gap Road. Go 1.4 miles and turn right on South Mountains Park Road to enter the park.  Follow for 3.4 miles to the parking area at the end.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the parking area, pick up High Shoals Falls Loop Trail that starts out following a gated road past the restrooms.  In 0.4 miles, turn right on Big Bear Trail just before the bridge over Shinny Creek.  The trail climbs up then descends down towards the river.  There are some cascades on the creek.

The trail ends at the base of Big Bear Falls.

It's possible to scramble up to the base of the upper drop, but would be quite difficult to go any higher.

Here's a video of the falls.

Blog Entries:

18-Aug-2024: South Mountains Hike

27-Feb-2021: Big Bear Falls

External Links:

NC State Parks website: https://www.ncparks.gov/south-mountains-state-park/home