Waterfall Hero Hikes: Chinquapin Falls (Nantahala)

Chinquapin Falls is a tall waterfall on an unmarked tributary of East Fork Overflow Creek flowing off Chinquapin Mountain in Macon County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located in the Nantahala Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest near Highlands.

Hike Length: 0.2 miles
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Location: Nantahala Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes, but the path is not dog friendly.
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Low
Warnings: There is no trail whatsoever to the waterfall, just an extremely steep bushwhack. The rocks around the waterfalls are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 35.02308,-83.24104
Waterfall GPS: 35.02353,-83.24234

Directions:

To visit the falls, head south from Highlands on NC-28 for 6 miles and turn right on Blue Valley Road. This road changes to gravel and becomes FR-79 as it enters the forest. At 3.7 miles, turn right on FR-79C and go about a half-mile to a pull-off on the right.

Map:

Hike Description:

In high water, you can see the waterfall from the road through the trees. In low water, I'm sure this one wouldn't be worth it. From the road, bushwhack up along the unmarked tributary on river left side by the easiest path possible. As you get close to the waterfall, the rhododendron become really dense.

I went away from the river to avoid the rhododendron and then headed back towards the creek near the top of the waterfall. Unfortunately, a big tree fell across the waterfall and probably isn't going anywhere for a while. As such, this probably isn't worth the strenuous bushwhacking to visit.