Teacups Falls
Burke County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Burke County, North Carolina
- Access status
- Partial guide: exact waterfall and total distance not confirmed; creek wade and scrambles
- The walk
- Distance not confirmed
- Ground & access
- Creek wade, steep switchbacks and scramble paths. American Whitewater calls this upper section of Steels Creek beautiful and dangerous.
Teacups Falls is on upper Steels Creek in Pisgah National Forest near Jonas Ridge. Start at the Steels Creek trailhead on FSR 228 off NC 181. Take Steels Creek Trail, wade across the creek, then follow the Mountains-to-Sea Trail eastbound upstream past the side path to Steels Creek Falls and a campsite, and climb switchbacks up a ridge. A short way farther, scramble down to the upper section of Teacups Falls. A brier-covered path reaches the base. The route description dates from 2016.
Plan your visit
Steels Creek trailhead at the end of FSR 228, Steels Creek Trail and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail upstream past Steels Creek Falls to Teacups Falls
The route description gives partial segments (about half a mile to the first crossing, about half a mile to the Steels Creek Falls side path, then under half a mile and a switchback climb) but no total distance.
Creek wade, steep switchbacks and scramble paths. American Whitewater calls this upper section of Steels Creek beautiful and dangerous.
Where to start
Trailhead parking at the end of FSR 228 (Steels Creek) off NC 181. Capacity and current road condition not confirmed.
Timing & water
FSR 228 and this part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail are not on the Forest Service storm-damage closure list. Check current conditions before going. Avoid the creek wade in high water.
Before you go
No fee is mentioned in the reviewed sources.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Beverly Hillbilly FallsNational forest trail then a creek walk; exact location not confirmed by a sourceBurke County, NC0.1 miS
- Steels Creek FallsNational forest trail; creek crossing and steep scramble to the viewBurke County, NC0.4 miS
- Gingercake Creek FallsBurke County, NC0.8 miW
- Rip Breeches FallsBurke County, NC0.8 miN
- Orange Rock FallsBurke County, NC0.9 miS
- Buck Creek FallsBurke County, NC0.9 miS
- Mossy Chute FallsBurke County, NC1.0 miS
- Zig Zag FallsBurke County, NC1.2 miNW
- Newt FallsPartial: forest road closed to cars; parking at the closure not confirmed; difficult descentBurke County, NC1.5 miN