Clear Creek Lake Waterfall (South Mountains)

There is a small cascading waterfall on a tributary of Clear Creek just upstream of the lake in Burke County, North Carolina.  The waterfall is located in South Mountains State Park.

Hike Length: 
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: 35.64317,-81.75295
Waterfall GPS: 35.63745,-81.74817

Directions:

From I-40 in Morganton, take exit 103 and go west on US-64.  In 5.3 miles, turn left on Jenkins Road and go 0.7 miles to Clark Loop.  Turn right and go 0.3 miles, then turn right on Branstrom Orchard Road.  The Clear Creek Access to South Mountains State Park will be on the left in 0.3 miles.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the trailhead, pick up the red-blazed Lake View Trail around the lake.  It's a loop so you can either way, but this description goes clockwise.  Go straight from the parking area and up the dam.

At the dam, bear right on Lake View Trail and begin circling around the lake.  There are two creek crossings that can be difficult in high water.  The trail crosses the tributary just below the small waterfall.

The trail continues around the lake and crosses Clear Creek below the dam on a footbridge back near the start.

Blog Entries:

27-Feb-2021: Big Bear Falls

External Links:

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