Accessibility – Hard (due to elevation)
Height – 22′
Distance – 6.6 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 3 (but could be higher)
Photo rating – 6
Solitude – 5
GPS Info: LAT 35.61139 LONG -83.26126
Last Updated – 01-12-2023
Last Visited – 05-25-2019
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It was truly a shame that all that crap was lying over the side of the falls on my visit. I absolutely love the shape of this waterfall. Enloe Creek Falls is about 22′ feet, with so many ledges. It’s on my list to visit again, and hopefully it’s cleared up some, or I will have to clean it up a bit.
Where to park: The trailhead is on Straight Fork Road at these coordinates: 35.60889, -83.22287. There is a wide area to park. I don’t know if they still gate this road in winter.
The hike: From the parking area follow the road toward the Hyatt Ridge Trailhead. If you can’t figure out which direction to walk, this is not a hike you’re going to enjoy. The Hyatt Ridge Trail is a hundred feet or so down the road on the right hand side. The trail will immediately start climbing, and the entire time you are on the Hyatt Ridge Trail it will only go up. The trail is a roadbed with lots of loose rocks. The hike to the top of the ridge is 1.9 miles. At the top of the ridge, the trail splits. The Hyatt Ridge Trail goes to the right and ascends to Hyatt Bald and eventually and at backcountry campsite 44 – McGee Spring. Beyond the campsite, the ‘old’ decommissioned Hyatt Ridge Trail keeps going up to the Balsam Mountain Trail. Stay straight at the junction. This is the Enloe Creek Trail. The good news is you’re at the high point of the hike. The next mile is downhill and leaves you at a metal bridge over Raven Fork, and backcountry campsite 47. Cross the bridge on the Enloe Creek Trail. The trail will band into the Enloe Creek drainage about 0.25 of a mile from the bridge.
You can hear the falls from the trail, but you just climbed over that mountain so you’re going to want to take a closer look. The woods are open and easy to navigate except for the stinging nettle. I kid you not. I left the trail at this point 35.61157, -83.25998 and headed down to the creek. That may or may not be the best place. You’re going to have to pick a place to make the descent. Yu get an okay look from river left, but the better view is on river right. It was pretty deep the day I had to cross. If you wasn’t cussing on your way up to Hyatt Ridge the first time, you now get another chance to climb it during the return hike.
If you want to add something more to the hike, you can keep going on the Enloe Creek Trail for another 0.6 miles to Upper Enloe Creek Falls. I hiked past the upper falls while on a long day hike and I didn’t have time to climb down to check it out. It’s on my list.
