Upper Sols Creek Falls
Jackson County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Jackson County, North Carolina
- Access status
- Partial guide: unofficial path, and land ownership along the first part of the path is not confirmed
- The walk
- About 0.8 miles return
- Ground & access
- Unofficial, unmarked path with creek crossings and a short walk in the creek bed. Expect wet feet. Scrambling up beside the falls is not recommended for most visitors.
Upper Sols Creek Falls is a 65-foot waterfall on Sols Creek in Nantahala National Forest, upstream of the privately owned Sols Creek Falls. The trail report starts on the east side of the creek, north of NC 281, and says to start on that side because the west side is private property at first. A faint path leads down to the creek and crosses it twice; later the path follows the creek bed for about 150 feet. After cascades at about 0.35 miles, scramble around the bend to the base.
Plan your visit
NC 281 culvert over Sols Creek, unofficial creekside path upstream on the east side to Upper Sols Creek Falls
Hiking the Appalachians gives 0.8 miles round trip: 0.35 miles to a set of cascades and 0.4 miles to the falls from NC 281.
Unofficial, unmarked path with creek crossings and a short walk in the creek bed. Expect wet feet. Scrambling up beside the falls is not recommended for most visitors.
Where to start
Pull-off on the left side of NC 281, between the guardrail and the road just past the culvert over Sols Creek, 8.7 miles south of the NC 107 and NC 281 junction southeast of Cullowhee. Do not block private drives.
Timing & water
Creek crossings depend on water level. The route description dates from 2017. Another, older route down a private drive was posted with no trespassing signs, so do not use the drive.
Before you go
Hiking the Appalachians lists no fees.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Gladie Creek FallsJackson County, NC1.1 miNW
- Roy Taylor FallsPartial guide: no maintained trail; final approach is a short bushwhack described by one sourceJackson County, NC1.2 miN
- Sols Creek FallsPartial guide: falls on private land; legal view only by boat from Bear Creek LakeJackson County, NC2.0 miSW
- Charley Bridge FallsRoadside falls with a very steep scramble to the base, one firsthand accountJackson County, NC2.0 miE
- Rocky Knob FallsJackson County, NC2.1 miNE
- Charley Creek FallsJackson County, NC2.5 miNE
- Patricia FallsDifficult unofficial creek paths from a Forest Service recreation areaJackson County, NC2.8 miE
- Lauren FallsDifficult unofficial creek paths from a Forest Service recreation areaJackson County, NC2.8 miE
- Paradise FallsNational forest; steep unofficial paths and dam-controlled flowJackson County, NC2.8 miS