Yellow Patch Falls (Nantahala)

Yellow Patch Falls is a waterfall in three sections on Yellow Patch Branch in Jackson County, North Carolina.  The waterfall is located in the Nantahala Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest.

Hike Length: 1.0 miles
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Extremely difficult
Location: Nantahala Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes, but the trail is not dog friendly
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Low
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfalls are very slippery.  Reaching the waterfall requires climbing down the uppermost section, which may be very wet in high water.
Trailhead GPS: 35.29087,-82.95802
Waterfall GPS: 35.29329,-82.96017

Directions:

From Brevard, go west on US-64 for about 8 miles and turn right on NC-215 North. Go approximately 14.4 miles and turn left on Forest Road 4663. Alternately, if coming from the Blue Ridge Parkway, turn onto NC-215 South and go 2.7 miles to Forest Road 4663 on the right.  Drive 6 miles to the end of FR-4663.  At about 4.5 miles, the road makes a sharp right turn, where FR-4663C goes left/straight.  At the end of the road is a wide turnaround to park before the gate.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the parking area, continue past the gate and go left on FR-4665. At 0.3 miles, the road crosses Yellow Patch Branch just below some small cascades.

The waterfall is just downstream of here. Continue on the road a short ways and then bushwhack down towards the creek. There's cliffs around so you need to come out right at the top, follow the sound of the water.  At the top, climb down on river-right side, which can be very difficult in high water, to see the uppermost section.

From here, you can head downstream on river right side along the cliffs.  The middle section, a 15-foot cascade, is a short ways down.

The lowest section is a 25-foot drop and is not much further down.

Blog Entries:

28-Apr-2018: Tanassee Creek Waterfalls