Yellow Patch Falls
Jackson County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Jackson County, North Carolina
- Access status
- Partial guide: the last part is an off-trail descent near cliffs
- The walk
- About 1 mile return, with an off-trail descent
- Ground & access
- Forest road, then off-trail travel through rhododendron with cliffs nearby. Waterfall Hero rates it extremely difficult. Reaching the base of the upper section means climbing down beside it, which is very hard in high water.
Yellow Patch Falls is a three-section waterfall on Yellow Patch Branch in Nantahala National Forest. From the turnaround at the end of FS 4663, go past the gate and left on FS 4665. At 0.3 miles the road crosses Yellow Patch Branch. The falls is just downstream, but there is no trail. Do not head straight down toward the sound of the water before the crossing, because of cliffs. Sources describe an old logging grade below the crossing that leads to the top of the upper section.
Plan your visit
End of FS 4663 off NC 215, gated FS 4665 to the Yellow Patch Branch crossing, then off trail down to Yellow Patch Falls
Waterfall Hero gives a 1.0-mile hike. The road part is about 0.3 miles each way; the descent along the creek has no trail.
Forest road, then off-trail travel through rhododendron with cliffs nearby. Waterfall Hero rates it extremely difficult. Reaching the base of the upper section means climbing down beside it, which is very hard in high water.
Where to start
Wide turnaround at the end of FS 4663, before the gate, about 6 miles from NC 215. FS 4663 leaves NC 215 about 2.5 to 2.7 miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Timing & water
The legacy NCWaterfalls page says FS 4663 is closed during the winter months. Do not attempt in high water.
Before you go
No fee is mentioned.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Wolf Mountain FallsPartial: forest road, then a steep off-trail descentJackson County, NC0.2 miNW
- Upper Wolf Mountain FallsJackson County, NC0.3 miNW
- Gage Creek FallsShort old-road walk documented by one firsthand source with GPSJackson County, NC0.8 miW
- Upper Dill FallsShort steep path from the end of a seasonal forest roadJackson County, NC1.1 miSE
- Dill FallsShort old-road walk from a seasonal forest road; three firsthand sources agreeJackson County, NC1.2 miSE
- Herrin Knob FallsNational forest; short road walk then off-trail bushwhackJackson County, NC1.3 miE
- Charley Creek FallsJackson County, NC1.5 miSW
- Rocky Knob FallsJackson County, NC1.8 miSW
- Balsam FallsPublished route on national forest land; unofficial final pathJackson County, NC1.9 miS