John Neal Falls
Transylvania County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Transylvania County, North Carolina
- Access status
- Forest road and unofficial logging road with six creek crossings
- The walk
- About 3.8 miles return
- Ground & access
- Gated forest road, then an unofficial old logging road with numerous creek crossings that can be rock-hopped except in high water. Rocks are very slippery.
John Neal Falls is a 50-foot waterfall on a tributary of Parker Creek in Transylvania County. Walk the gated FR 9999 for about 0.7 miles and turn left just before the road crosses Parker Creek onto an old logging road that follows the creek downstream. Follow it about a mile, crossing the creek six times in all. After the fifth crossing you should be on the right bank (facing downstream); where an island splits the creek at the tributary mouth, cross before the island and follow the tributary a short way to the falls.
Plan your visit
Tanasee Gap Road pull-off at gated Forest Road 9999, then an old logging road down Parker Creek to John Neal Falls
Waterfall Hero lists 3.8 miles for the hike: about 0.7 miles on FR 9999, then about a mile on an old logging road along Parker Creek, then a short way up the tributary.
Gated forest road, then an unofficial old logging road with numerous creek crossings that can be rock-hopped except in high water. Rocks are very slippery.
Where to start
Pull-off on the left of Tanasee Gap Road at the gated Forest Road 9999, 4.6 miles from NC 215. Do not block the gate.
Timing & water
Creek crossings may not be passable in high water. The route description dates from 2017; conditions after Tropical Storm Helene (2024) were not verified.
Before you go
No fee is mentioned in the reviewed source.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Mossy Cave FallsTransylvania County, NC0.2 miW
- Bernie's FallsDocumented unmarked route on national forest land; route finding neededTransylvania County, NC0.6 miSW
- Double Branch FallsPartial guide: off trail approach with no path; most recent account is from 2017Transylvania County, NC0.8 miNW
- Dove FallsTransylvania County, NC1.6 miSW
- Lamance Creek FallsTransylvania County, NC1.6 miE
- Upper Mill ShoalsTransylvania County, NC1.8 miW
- Parker Creek FallsJackson County, NC1.8 miNW
- Mill ShoalsTransylvania County, NC1.9 miSW
- Tucker Creek FallsNational forest; steep bank and creek walkTransylvania County, NC2.2 miNE