Upper Middle Prong Falls

Upper Middle Prong Falls is the upper part of Middle Prong Falls, a 40-foot waterfall on Middle Prong of the West Fork Pigeon River just outside Middle Prong Wilderness. Waterfall Hero describes one route to the waterfall as a whole; it reaches the top first. From NC 215 just past Sunburst Campground, turn onto FR 97 and park at the gate about a quarter mile in, just after the ford. Walk FR 97 about 1.5 miles to the second switchback and follow FR 97H upstream. In under a quarter mile it crosses Little Beartrap Falls. About half a mile farther, leave the road through a gap between two large dirt mounds on the left; the spot is not obvious. The ground is flat at first, then extremely steep, and you come out near the top of the waterfall. Just before the open rocks at the top, a faint overgrown path follows the cliffs downstream to a place where you can reach creek level. The sources describe Middle Prong Falls as one waterfall and do not describe the upper drop separately.