1145 – Whitewater Branch Falls

Accessibility – Moderate

Height: 200′

Distance – 1.2 miles (out and back)

Beauty – 3

Photo rating – 2

Solitude – 8

GPS Info: LAT 35.59702 LONG -83.27078

Last Visited – 04/09/2026

Last updated – 04/10/2026


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I’m not including this one to encourage visitation, but for the sake of documentation. The big issue with Whitewater Branch Falls is the view. From the railroad grade, it’s across the Raven Fork Gorge, high on the near-vertical face of the Ace Enloe Ridge that towers over the Gorge. The creek is low flow, and it will be fully hidden in the summer. The GPS is an estimate based on where I think the falls sit on the mountainside.

A long-range view of Whitewater Branch Falls isn’t something you’re going to drive and hike out to see, but if you happen to be exploring the Raven Fork Gorge, and you access it from the railroad grade on the east side of the Gorge, you walk right past a view of it, unless the leaves are out, in which case, you won’t see it or hear it as it dribbles quietly down to Raven Fork.

Where to park: There is a logging grade on the east side of the Raven Fork Gorge. I parked at a large turnaround about 0.1 miles from Fountain Branch. Getting to that point in a 4×4 Jeep Gladiator with a 4-inch lift wasn’t a problem.

The hike: From where the road ends at the turnaround, continue on the railroad grade for 0.6 miles to a long-range view of the falls.