Waterfall Hero Hikes: Upper Creek Falls (Wilson Creek)

Upper Creek Falls is a 50-foot waterfall on Upper Creek in Burke County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located in the Wilson Creek area of Pisgah National Forest.

Hike Length: 1 mile
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Wilson Creek (Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery. The trail crosses Upper Creek above the waterfall, which can be difficult in high water.
Trailhead GPS: 35.95988,-81.86091
Waterfall GPS: 35.96057,-81.86336

Directions:

From Morganton, head north on NC-181 for about 22 miles and turn right into the Upper Falls Trailhead parking. The trailhead is 5 miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway on NC-181.

Map:

Hike Description:

Upper Creek Falls (#268B) is a loop so you can go either way, but the quickest way is to go west from the parking. The yellow-blazed trail is initially flat paralleling NC-181 then descends steeply to Upper Creek at the top of the waterfall at about 0.3 miles. There is a nice cascade just upstream.

Cross the creek here, which will be a wade if the water is up. The trail leads away from the creek then swings back towards the creek near the base. You can climb around on the rocks to view from different perspectives.

The easiest way back is to return the way you came. To make a loop, continue on the trail down to another creek crossing that is more difficult. There are some cascades and a swimhole here. Once across the trail heads back up to the parking area via many switchbacks. Here's a video of the falls.