Accessibility – Moderate+
Height: 16′
Distance – 0.5 miles (for all 3 falls)
Beauty – 5
Photo rating – 6
Solitude – 4
GPS Info: LAT 35.02145 LONG -83.05946
Last Visited – 03-28-2026
Last updated – 03-29-2026
Upper East Fork Chatooga Falls is basically a roadside waterfall on NC107 just south of Heedy Mountain Road, closer to the SC state line. The waterfall is the uppermost of three on this stretch of river, and I think the nicest.
Where to park: There is room to park at the gated Jack’s Branch Road on the northbound side of the road, or on the remnant of a road on the southbound side. The GPS for Jack’s Branch Road is: 35.02305, -83.06024. The usual rule applies. Don’t block the gate.
The hike: Start by walking south along NC107, which is toward South Carolina. There is a tall berm on the side of the road, so you won’t be able to see the water after you leave the parking area until it’s time to head down to the waterfall. Just about the time the berm ends, look for a spot to head on down. You can hear the waterfall, so you won’t need a point to leave the road. Pick the easiest spot and keep the sound of falling water to your left. You should end up close to the base, and you can easily cross in lower flow, which we had. Might be dicey in high water.
The Middle Waterfall is just downstream, and the easiest way to reach it is by the creek. When you get to the top of the falls, climb down on river left. We did this in low water, so I can’t speak to the challenge if the water is up, and that really goes for getting to the base of the Lower Waterfall. Click the links to see what’s next.
Middle East Fork Chatooga Falls
Lower East Fork Chatooga Falls
We had to move along the brink to find a point to head into the rhodo tangle bordering the creek, and while walking the edge wasn’t bad in low flow, doing so with the water up would be scary since the lower drop is a big one. We punched a hole in the rhodo wall near the brink on river right, and made our way around to the base, skirting the falls to reach a point where it was easy to climb down. There is a log in the pool that creates a collection point for crap, and it makes for an easy way to get out into the middle to take a picture. From the base of the lower waterfall, the easiest thing to do is climb back to NC107, which is easy enough since you can see the guardrail once you climb a few feet up from the river.
The lighting sucked at these waterfalls, but the upper drop was still super nice.
