Upper Bear Creek Falls
Swain County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Swain County, North Carolina
- Access status
- Partial: long park trail, then a steep off-trail descent to the falls
- The walk
- About 5.1 miles (NCWaterfalls.com hike distance)
- Ground & access
- Long trail walk with climbs, then a steep bushwhack through rhododendron with no trail. The creek crossing at the top can be a wade in high water. Small cliffs on the left bank (facing downstream).
Walk Lakeshore Trail through the 0.2-mile tunnel and on to a T-junction at Forney Creek. Turn right on Forney Creek Trail, then left on Bear Creek Trail across Forney Creek and Bear Creek on auto bridges. Continue past the left switchback at Welch Branch. Leave the trail at a small ravine just past a sharp right turn (GPS 35.47136, -83.57748), 0.4 miles beyond the Bear Creek Falls leaving point. Follow the ravine down to the creek near the top of the falls, cross, and work downstream to see the drops. Return up the same ravine.
Plan your visit
End of Lakeview Drive (the Road to Nowhere), Lakeshore Trail through the tunnel, Forney Creek Trail, Bear Creek Trail, then a ravine down to the top of the falls
NCWaterfalls.com lists the hike distance as about 5.1 miles and does not say if this is one way or return. The last part is off trail.
Long trail walk with climbs, then a steep bushwhack through rhododendron with no trail. The creek crossing at the top can be a wade in high water. Small cliffs on the left bank (facing downstream).
Where to start
Parking area on the right at the end of Lakeview Drive, 8.7 miles from US 19 in Bryson City (Everett Street, then Fontana Road). Trailhead GPS 35.4589, -83.53753.
Timing & water
No closure is stated by the source. NCWaterfalls.com notes that much of its information was gathered before Hurricane Helene.
Before you go
Great Smoky Mountains National Park. No fee for the hike is stated by the source.
Visitor informationMore waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Bear Creek FallsPartial guide: the final 0.2-mile descent has no trailSwain County, NC0.2 miE
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- Tom Branch FallsEasy national park trail; parking tag required49 ft (15 m) · Swain County, NC8.3 miE