Buck Creek Falls

Macon County, North Carolina

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height: Not recorded
Location: Macon County, North Carolina
Access status: Partial guide: no trail, steep bushwhack from a gated forest road
The walk: About 1 mile return (Waterfall Hero hike length); steep bushwhack with no trail
Ground & access: Gated forest roads, then a steep off-trail descent through briars and a steep scramble path. Difficult.

Waterfall Hero: Buck Creek Falls (Cullasaja)

Buck Creek Falls is a roughly 100-foot cascade on Buck Creek in Nantahala National Forest between Highlands and Franklin. From the pull-off in a sharp curve of Buck Creek Road, hike down gated FR 4571, make a sharp right at about 0.1 mile and a sharp left onto an overgrown road at 0.3 mile, then bushwhack steeply down to the creek at the top of the falls (flagging tape was present on one visit). A steep but obvious path continues down the right bank (facing downstream) to a partial view. The legacy NC Waterfalls page describes the same approach under the name Upper Buck Creek Falls. There is no trail and the base view was blocked by high water on the Waterfall Hero visit.

Plan your visit

Buck Creek Road pull-off down gated FR 4571 and a steep bushwhack to Buck Creek Falls

Waterfall Hero lists 1.0 mile for the whole visit: about 0.4 mile on gated roads then a bushwhack of under 0.1 mile to the top of the falls and a steep path down the right bank (facing downstream).

Gated forest roads, then a steep off-trail descent through briars and a steep scramble path. Difficult.

Where to start

Waterfall Hero: from Highlands take US 64 east about 2.5 miles, left on Buck Creek Road 5.6 miles to a pull-off on the left in a sharp right-hand turn. Trailhead GPS 35.13417, -83.22357. The legacy page warns the curve is blind; turn around and pull off safely.

Timing & water

Water level affects whether the base can be reached; the view may be blocked in high water.

Before you go

Nantahala National Forest. No fee or reservation is reported.

Visitor information

Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore North Carolina

Waterfall location

Macon County, North Carolina.

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