Accessibility – Moderate
Height: 35′
Distance – 1.2 (out and back from the top)
Beauty – 8
Photo rating – 5
Solitude – 7
GPS Info: LAT 35.20261 LONG -83.15922
Last updated – 12-26-2024
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Parking: Parking for First Falls is located off of Pine Creek Road, two miles from NC107 North of Cashiers. There is a large parking lot that provides access to the trail that leads to High Falls from the top. Having been to High Falls numerous times, it’s fair to assume that very few who visit High Falls know anything about First Falls, which is upstream of the larger waterfall. The parking lot is here: 35.19853, -83.16001.
Before visiting First Falls, check the Duke Energy website to see a list of scheduled dam releases and to check lake levels. The release schedule for all Duke Energy dams can be found here. If the water level is above a certain threshold or excessive rainfall is expected, an unscheduled dam release can occur. You don’t want to be at First Falls when this happens.
https://lakes.duke-energy.com/index.html#/flow
The hike: The trail leaves from the upper corner of the parking lot, and it parallels Pine Creek Road for a time before turning to the left and heading downhill. The trail is obvious and there are some steps in places as you make your way toward the brink of High Falls. After 0.6 of a mile, I found a steep scramble path on the right that led down to the river just above the brink of High Falls. The spot I went down to the riverbed was at 35.20327, -83.15994. This point leaves you below First Falls, but walking up to the falls isn’t very hard at all. There is a large pool below the falls and some great vantages to take in the view. Moving around is pretty easy since the periodic dam releases keep the area from collecting too much clutter. First Falls is a great waterfall, but I’m always nervous coming to it due to a fear of an unannounced dam release.
