Waterfall Hero Hikes: Mount Hardy Falls (Middle Prong)

Mount Hardy Falls is a 100-foot waterfall on a tributary of West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located in Middle Prong Wilderness.

Hike Length: 2.9 miles
Estimated Time: 2 to 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Middle Prong Wilderness (Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Moderate
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfalls are very slippery.

Trailhead GPS: 35.30342,-82.90864
Waterfall GPS: 35.30401,-82.91984

Directions:

From Brevard, head west on US-64 for about nine miles and turn right on NC-215 north. Drive about 17.5 miles on NC-215 N to a large pull-off on the left side of the road. The pull-off is just under a half-mile north of the parkway. If coming from the Blue Ridge Parkway, take NC-215 N and go 0.4 miles to the pull-off on the left.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the pull-off, continue down NC-215 a short ways and you should see the Mountains-to-Sea Trail duck into the woods on the left. You'll cross a creek almost immediately as you enter Middle Prong Wilderness and then cross a larger creek (which is Bubbling Spring Branch). Once across, follow the MST to the right as it parallels NC-215 on a ridge above the road. The trail then turns away from the road and heads through an open field. Hike through the field and bear left to head back into the woods to an easy creek crossing at the headwaters of West Fork Pigeon River. This point is 1 mile from the start. Look for the tributary coming in from the right. Get off the MST and bushwhack upstream along this tributary to the base of the waterfall about 0.1 miles upstream.

For a more distant view, but one that I thought was better, backtrack to the MST and continue westbound for another 0.3 miles. After going through a right-hand switchback, look for an opening to the right to view the waterfall. It needs high water to look its best.