Waterfall Hero Hikes: Middle Bald River Falls (Cherokee)

Middle Bald River Falls is a tiered waterfall on Bald River in Monroe County, Tennessee. The waterfall is located in the Bald River Gorge Wilderness in Cherokee National Forest.

Hike Length: 1.4 miles
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Bald River Gorge Wilderness (Tellico Ranger District of Cherokee National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (2)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 35.32451,-84.17724
Waterfall GPS: 35.31869,-84.17450

Directions:

From Tellico Plains, head east on Cherohala Skyway for 8.2 miles and turn right on Turkey Creek Road. Bear left and follow Turkey Creek Road for 0.8 miles to the end at Tellico River Road (FR-210). Make a sharp left on follow FR-210 for 2.2 miles to a parking area on the right just after crossing Bald River on a bridge below the waterfall.

Map:

Hike Description:

The parking is right after the bridge at Bald River Falls. It is definitely worth a quick walk to see this spectacular waterfall.

After enjoying the waterfall, head to the west end of the parking area to pick up Bald River Trail (#88) that heads steeply up via switchbacks to the top of Bald River Falls. There is a nice cascade up here that isn't visible from the base.

Continue on Bald River Trail as it enters Bald River Gorge Wilderness. There are some nice cascades and small drops on the river up here.

At under half a mile, the trail climbs up to a knife ridge where the river makes a horseshoe curve. Just past here, Middle Bald River Falls is visible from the trail. A path to the right leads to an outcrop with a good view.