Waterfall Hero Hikes: Middle Prong Falls (Pisgah)

Middle Prong Falls is a 40-foot waterfall on Middle Prong of West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located just outside Middle Prong Wilderness.

Hike Length: 4.4 miles
Estimated Time: 2 to 3 hours
Difficulty: Difficult
Location: 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. The last part of the hike is off trail and very steep. Don't go close to the top of the waterfall.
Trailhead GPS: 35.37057,-82.93944
Waterfall GPS: 35.35150,-82.94374

Directions:

Head south on NC-215 from Canton for about 13 miles, passing Lake Logan. Just past Sunburst Campground, turn right into Forest Road 97. If coming from the Blue Ridge Parkway, go north on NC-215 for about 8.5 miles to FR-97 on the left. Go about a quarter-mile to where the road is gated and park, just after the ford. If this gate is open, you could drive over half the way.

Map:

Hike Description:

Hike (or drive) down FR-97 for about a mile and a half to the second switchback (or park here if you could drive). Follow FR-97H, which follows Middle Prong upstream. In under a quarter-mile, the trail will cross over the middle of Little Beartrap Falls and Waterfall on Berry Branch. About a half-mile past the two waterfalls, look for a spot where there are two big mounds of dirt on the left with a gap between. Get off FR-97H and go through the gap. You should be able to hear Middle Prong Falls from here, but the spot is not very obvious. It's initially flat and then gets extremely steep. Rhododendrons provide something to hold on to going down. You'll come out near the top of the waterfall, but there's no way down from here.

This area is dangerous as its near the top of a waterfall, but if the rocks are dry, it's reasonable to go out for a look. I saw a rainbow here in the spray on one visit.

Just before the open rocks at the top of the waterfall a faint path follows the cliffs downstream. It's real overgrown but eventually comes to a spot close enough to creek level to get down. Middle Prong Falls is really beautiful and worth the challenging hike.