Ten Foot Falls
Caldwell County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Caldwell County, North Carolina
- Access status
- Roadside view in the reopened Wilson Creek Gorge day use area
- The walk
- Roadside; under 0.1 miles
- Ground & access
- Roadside, with a short scramble down the bank. Rocks are slippery. Helene changed the creek course and new hazards may be present.
Ten Foot Falls is a small falls on Wilson Creek that can be seen from the road. You can scramble down the bank for a closer view. After rain, a small tributary just above has its own waterfall. For a better view of it, walk up the road a short way past big boulders and scramble back down to the creek at the top of Ten Foot Falls.
Plan your visit
Roadside pull-off on Brown Mountain Beach Road in the Wilson Creek Gorge, view from the road or scramble down the bank
Waterfall Hero lists the hike length as under 0.1 miles.
Roadside, with a short scramble down the bank. Rocks are slippery. Helene changed the creek course and new hazards may be present.
Where to start
Pull-off on the right 2.9 miles after the right turn that keeps you on Brown Mountain Beach Road (where it becomes gravel). Brown Mountain Beach Road leaves NC 181 about 12 miles north of Morganton. Park only in designated spaces or your vehicle may be towed. Trailhead coordinates: 35.93069, -81.74122.
Timing & water
The Wilson Creek Gorge day use area reopened in February 2026 after Hurricane Helene closures, according to a Forest Service announcement reposted by the Carolina Canoe Club. Crowds are high in warm weather.
Before you go
Wilson Creek area, Grandfather Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest. No fee is stated by the sources. Day use area rules: no alcohol, no open campfires or overnight camping, pack out all trash.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Boat BusterCaldwell County, NC0.3 miE
- Thunder HoleCaldwell County, NC0.3 miE
- Triple DropCaldwell County, NC0.6 miSE
- RazorbackCaldwell County, NC0.7 miSE
- 4x4 FallsBurke County, NC1.0 miS
- Phillips Branch FallsForest trail and steep scramble path; Wilson Creek day use area reopened 202643 ft (13 m) · Caldwell County, NC3.1 miNW
- Adako FallsCaldwell County, NC3.2 miE
- Destiny FallsCaldwell County, NC4.2 miN
- Harper Creek FallsPartial: Harper Creek Trail closed after Hurricane HeleneCaldwell County, NC4.2 miNW