Accessibility – Moderate+

Height – 15′

Distance – 0.6 Miles (out and back)

Beauty – 6

Photo rating – 7

Solitude – 8

GPS Info: LAT 35.25518 LONG -82.94049

Last Updated – 09-15-2018

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Tanasee Creek Falls is a 15 foot high waterfall very close to Pinhook Falls and it is located just downstream from where Pinhook Creek merges into Tanasee Creek. The hike to the falls isn’t hard but there is a tricky creek crossing above the falls to get to the base. What the falls lacks in height it makes up for with other elements that make this a nice stop. if you add it to Pinhoook Falls and Gage Creek Falls, you can have a great day of exploring without seeing a lot of other hikers.

To get to the trailhead from NC215 make a left onto Charleys Creek Road. This is 13.5 miles from the intersection with US64 and 3.2 miles South of where NC215 meets the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow Charleys Creek Road 1.9 miles to parking area on the left just before the road crosses Tanasee Creek Road. The parking area is next to a large open field and an access to the creek. A line of boulders to keep you from driving into the field marks the direction you want to head to start.

The 0.3 mile hike to the falls starts by heading through the field keeping the creek on your right. Ignore the obvious creek access close to the parking area. The trail enters the woods but continues to mirror the creek. At times the trail is right on the edge of the creek and at other times it is follows it through the woods. As you’re making your way downstream you’ll come to a place where someone heaved a truckload of trash over the guardrail. There are some windows on the bank and right next to the creek there is a transfer case from a 4 wheel drive truck. Ridiculous. Once past the dump the trail will go into the woods for a time. I hiked much of it in the creek but the trail isn’t awful. As you get closer to the falls the trail comes back to the creek, forcing you to climb down to a crossing of the creek just below where Pinhook Creek enters on river left.

The way across is close to the top of the falls so you need to use caution. Once on the far side the trail enters the woods and heads downstream. It’s easy to follow but the path that heads to the base is easy to miss. If is a mix of bushwhack and trail as you make your way to the rocks below the falls. From where you arrive on river right, you can cross to any number of vantages. The rocks are slippery but navigable. The falls is nice and the further you move downstream the more elements you can incorporate. I really like the way the creek wraps around the rocks below the falls, adding to the foreground.