Waterfall Hero Hikes: High Falls (Thompson)

High Falls is a 50-foot waterfall on Thompson River in in Transylvania County. The waterfall is located in the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest.

Hike Length: 2.6 miles
Estimated Time: 2 to 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Thompson River (Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Low
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfalls are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 35.07795,-82.99367
Waterfall GPS: 35.07030,-82.99432

Directions:

To visit the falls, head west on US-64 from Brevard towards Lake Toxaway. In Lake Toxaway, go left to stay on US-64/NC-281 and go about 2.5 miles, then turn left onto NC-281 south. Drive 3.7 miles, passing Gorges State Park on the left, and turn left onto Brewer Road and park along the side of the road.

Map:

Hike Description:

Right at the turn for Brewer Road, start hiking up the gated logging road. At 0.9 miles from the start, you will see a path that splits to the right. This is the trail to High Falls. After this side trail, the main trail switchbacks down and leads to a ford over Thompson River. If you reach the ford, you've too far. Follow the side trail, which curves around a ridge and follows Thompson River upstream. In about a half-mile from the turn, there is a side trail on the left as the trail starts to curve right. You should be able to hear High Falls from here. Take the side trail to the left that leads steeply down to the river at the base of High Falls. You can't really see the waterfall from here, so you'll have to wade across the river for a good view of the falls.