John Neal Falls (Pisgah)

John Neal Falls is a 50-foot waterfall on a tributary of Parker Creek in Transylvania County, North Carolina.  The waterfall is located in the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest.

Hike Length: 3.8 miles
Estimated Time: 2 to 3 hours
Difficulty: Difficult
Location: Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest
Trail Users: Hiking
Dogs: Must be on a leash
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Low
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfalls are very slippery.  There are numerous creek crossings to reach the waterfall but most can be rock-hopped except in high water.
Trailhead GPS: 35.21293,-82.93822
Waterfall GPS: 35.20432,-82.92335

Directions:

From Brevard, head west on US-64 and turn right on NC-215. Go 8.7 miles and turn left on Tanasee Gap Road. Drive 4.6 miles on Tanasee Gap Road to a pull-off on the left at the gated Forest Road 9999.

Map:

Hike Description:

Hike the FR-9999 for about 0.7 miles and turn left just before the road crosses Parker Creek on an old logging road following the creek downstream. Follow this road for a total of about a mile, crossing the creek a total of 6 times. After the fifth crossing, you should be on river-right side of Parker Creek. Shortly there will be an island in the creek where the tributary flows in. Cross before the island and follow the tributary a short ways to the waterfall.

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26-Aug-2017: Headwaters State Forest