Newt Falls
Burke County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Burke County, North Carolina
- Access status
- Partial: forest road closed to cars; parking at the closure not confirmed; difficult descent
- The walk
- About 0.4 miles return from the old pull-off; add about 0.9 miles each way if the road is closed to cars
- Ground & access
- Short trail section, then a very difficult, steep descent beside the falls with slippery rocks.
From the pull-off, go south on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail for just over 0.1 miles to where it crosses Steels Creek above the top of Newt Falls. Find the best way down for a view, staying as close as possible to the creek, to a rocky spot where you can step into the creek at the base of the upper part of the falls. The falls continue below. Waterfall Hero calls the climb down very difficult.
Plan your visit
Forest Road 496 off NC 181, Mountains-to-Sea Trail south to the Steels Creek crossing above Newt Falls, then a difficult descent
Waterfall Hero lists 0.4 miles from the pull-off 0.9 miles up FR 496. With FR 496 closed to motor vehicles, the road walk from NC 181 adds about 0.9 miles each way.
Short trail section, then a very difficult, steep descent beside the falls with slippery rocks.
Where to start
Waterfall Hero used an obvious pull-off on the left 0.9 miles up gravel FR 496, which leaves NC 181 about 21 miles north of Morganton (6.2 miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway). The Forest Service now lists New Gingercake Road (FSRD 496), which has the same road number, as closed to motorized vehicles; where to park near NC 181 is not confirmed.
Timing & water
The Forest Service storm-damage page lists New Gingercake Road (FSRD 496) in Burke County as closed to motorized vehicles but open on foot, bike and horseback.
Before you go
Grandfather Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest; no fee is stated by the sources.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Upper Steels Creek FallsPartial: forest road closed to vehicles; walk-in parking not describedBurke County, NC0.1 miW
- Zig Zag FallsBurke County, NC0.4 miS
- Rip Breeches FallsBurke County, NC0.7 miSE
- Upper Creek FallsRoute and parking documented; secondary route details attributed98 ft (30 m) · Burke County, NC1.1 miN
- Gingercake Creek FallsBurke County, NC1.4 miS
- Teacups FallsPartial guide: exact waterfall and total distance not confirmed; creek wade and scramblesBurke County, NC1.5 miS
- Beverly Hillbilly FallsNational forest trail then a creek walk; exact location not confirmed by a sourceBurke County, NC1.6 miS
- Steels Creek FallsNational forest trail; creek crossing and steep scramble to the viewBurke County, NC1.9 miS
- Burnthouse Branch FallsPartial guide: the access trail is on the Forest Service Helene closure listBurke County, NC1.9 miE