WaterfallNear Me

Rainforest Falls

Clay County, North Carolina

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height
Not recorded
Location
Clay County, North Carolina
Access status
National forest; bushwhack, creek walk and wade
The walk
About 1.3 miles each way from the FS 340C junction
Ground & access
Very difficult. No trail. Steep descent, a wade of Fires Creek, creek walking, rhododendron and deadfall at the base.
NC Waterfalls: Rain Forest Falls

From Hayesville, take Fires Creek Road and then Fires Creek Wildlife Road (SR 1344), which becomes gravel FS 340 at the Fires Creek Picnic Area. Drive to the junction of FS 340 and FS 340C. NC Waterfalls found FS 340 gated there in June 2025 because of Helene damage. Walk the gated road across Long Branch on a bridge for about 0.9 to 1 mile to where it makes a sharp left turn around a broad ridge. Leave the road and go down the ridge to where Bald Springs Branch flows into Fires Creek. Wade Fires Creek and work up Bald Springs Branch, climbing around Lower Bald Springs Falls and then Bald Springs Falls. Rain Forest Falls is the uppermost of the three. For the return, NC Waterfalls suggests climbing up to Bald Springs Trail #78, which meets FS 340 about 0.1 miles from the FS 340C junction.

Plan your visit

FS 340 in the Fires Creek area, gated road walk, then a bushwhack and creek walk up Bald Springs Branch past two lower falls

Waterfall Hero gives a hike length of 2.6 miles from the pull-off near the FS 340C junction. NC Waterfalls gives less than 0.5 miles from the road curve, but reported the road gated 0.9 miles before that curve in June 2025.

Very difficult. No trail. Steep descent, a wade of Fires Creek, creek walking, rhododendron and deadfall at the base.

Where to start

Pull-off on FS 340 near the FS 340C junction (Waterfall Hero trailhead coordinates 35.12538, -83.79408). If the road is open, NC Waterfalls parks on the outside of the curve at 35.127903, -83.783382.

Timing & water

FS 340 was gated at the FS 340C junction in June 2025 because of Helene damage, with no reopening estimate posted. Fires Creek may be difficult or impossible to wade in high water.

Before you go

No fee is mentioned in the sources read. Nantahala National Forest, Tusquitee Ranger District.

Visitor information
Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

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

Explore North Carolina

Waterfall location

Clay County, North Carolina.

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