Waterfalls of Flat Laurel Creek
Haywood County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Haywood County, North Carolina
- Access status
- Partial: trail to the cascades documented; which cascade this listing marks is not confirmed
- The walk
- About 0.75 miles to Wildcat Falls, then a little over a mile more
- Ground & access
- Old road and trail, then short steep scrambles to the creek over exposed bedrock that is very slippery when wet. Seeing more cascades requires rock hopping.
This listing covers the cascades on Flat Laurel Creek; which cascade it marks is not confirmed. From the pull-off, follow the old road across Bubbling Spring Branch on Flat Laurel Creek Trail. Pass Wildcat Falls at the concrete bridge and continue a little over a mile to a big turn to the right. A short side path on the right leads down through rhododendron to a flat spot between two cascades, or continue to a wash on the left and scramble down to the creek.
Plan your visit
NC 215 pull-off north of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Flat Laurel Creek Trail (#346) past Wildcat Falls to the big right turn above Flat Laurel Creek
Waterfall Hero gives just under three-quarters of a mile to Wildcat Falls; Rich Stevenson gives a little over a mile more to the turn above the cascades. From Black Balsam Road the same area is a little over 1.75 miles.
Old road and trail, then short steep scrambles to the creek over exposed bedrock that is very slippery when wet. Seeing more cascades requires rock hopping.
Where to start
Small pull-off with a primitive campsite on the right side of NC 215, about 0.8 miles north of the Blue Ridge Parkway, or the gravel area 0.4 miles north of the Parkway on the left with a road walk. The other access is the end of Black Balsam Road (FR 816) at Parkway milepost 420.
Timing & water
The Blue Ridge Parkway closes in winter, which blocks the Black Balsam approach. The route description dates from 2017. No closure is stated by the sources.
Before you go
Pisgah Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest. No fee is stated by the sources.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Little Sam FallsHaywood County, NC0.7 miSW
- Wildcat FallsForest trail to a bridge at the falls197 ft (60 m) · Haywood County, NC0.8 miSW
- Middle Wildcat FallsHaywood County, NC0.9 miSW
- Lower Wildcat FallsNational forest; steep off-trail descent and river crossing39 ft (12 m) · Haywood County, NC0.9 miSW
- Sunburst FallsRoadside view from an NC 215 pullout in Pisgah National ForestHaywood County, NC1.0 miN
- Sam Branch FallsPartial guide: no trail; roadside shoulder parking; creek walk for experienced hikers only66 ft (20 m) · Haywood County, NC1.0 miN
- Bubbling Spring Branch CascadesShort roadside scramble documented by two firsthand sourcesHaywood County, NC1.0 miSW
- Lower Sam Branch FallsNational forest; short scramble path across a landslideHaywood County, NC1.1 miN
- Wash Hollow FallsShort path with a creek crossing from a highway pull-off49 ft (15 m) · Haywood County, NC1.2 miN