Waterfall Hero Hikes: Raven Cliff Falls (Wilson Creek)

Raven Cliff Falls is a waterfall in multiple sections along Upper Creek in Burke County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located in the Wilson Creek area of Pisgah National Forest.

Hike Length: 3.2 miles
Estimated Time: 4 to 8 hours
Difficulty: Extremely difficult
Location: Wilson Creek (Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes, but the trail is not dog friendly
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Low
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery. Getting to the base of the falls requires creek-walking and getting above the base requires hanging onto a frayed cable.
Trailhead GPS: 35.93194,-81.80659
Waterfall GPS: 35.94769,-81.81991

Directions:

From Morganton, head north on NC-181 for 17 miles and turn right on FR-982, which is gravel and steep in places. Drive 1.3 miles and turn left on FR-197 (Raven Cliff Road) right after the bridge over Upper Creek. Follow FR-197 for 1.4 miles and park at the end near the campsites.

Map:

Hike Description:

Hike down the road past the jeep mounds, which is now Greentown Shortcut Trail (#268A). The first three-quarters of a mile is moderate along an old road bed. After this, the trail gets very steep and narrow. At 1.4 miles, the trail passes a small drainage and heads up. Leave the trail on a path that heads steeply down to the creek. The path is not obvious and little better than nothing. Once at creek level, creek-walk up Upper Creek. There are a few cascades on the creek that can be tricky to get up.

In about 0.2 miles along the creek, you'll reach the base of Raven Cliff Falls.

To get any higher, climb up the rocks on river right (left in the picture above). There's a nice view from up here of the falls tumbling below the cliffs.

From here, you'll need to use a cable to scale the cliff. On our visit, the cable had broken and was held together by fraying ropes so we decided not to chance it and go any further.

Here's a video of the falls.