Chestnut Cove Branch Falls

A long slide over gently sloping rock. It tumbles a bit more at the top, but overall it's a fairly shallow slide. There is a nice pool at the bottom. This falls is actually on North Harper Creek - it's named for the other stream which flows into North Harper Creek at the bottom of the falls.

Statistics

  • Height: 30 ft
  • Elevation: 2460 ft
  • Stream: North Harper Creek
  • Landowner: Pisgah National Forest
  • GPS: 36.00305, -81.839443

Map


Driving Directions

From the Wilson Creek Visitor Center at 7805 Brown Mountain Beach Rd., go 3.1 miles North to NC route 90 (one of the last unpaved state roads) and turn left. Go 1 mile and turn left on F.R. 464. The trailhead is just over 4 miles up this road on the left and is well signed (sorry I don't have the exact mileage just yet). Park here. It's past the trailhead for Bard Falls (#266A), also on the left.

Trail Description

The parking area is the same as for North Harper Creek Falls, and taken by themselves, it's probably a more worthy destination than this one. But you might as well see both on the same hike. Take the North Harper Creek Falls trail (#239) downhill behind the sign, which follows an old logging road. It's mostly easy, but one spot has an old stick-built bridge which looks kind of sketchy - take care there.

The trail leaves the road and becomes more of a footpath, climbing and then descending. You'll reach an intersection with the North Harper Creek Trail (#266), which goes straight and left. Go left. This is a steep downhill for a short distance to the creek. The main trail turns left here, and it's a short distance to Chestnut Cove Branch falls, on the right.

(An unmarked path goes right at the bottom of the aforementioned steep downhill. To get to North Harper Creek falls, take that, rock-hop North Harper Creek, and go right (upstream) about 100 ft. to the base of North Harper Creek Falls.)