Accessibility – Kayak
Height – 45′
Distance – 4.5 (out and back)
Beauty – 7
Photo rating – 6
Solitude – 4
GPS Info: LAT 35.34309 LONG -83.56991
Last Updated – 01-09-2023
Last Visited – 05-16-2020
Home Alphabetical Listing Numerical Listing Location Listing Nantahala Gorge
There are several ways to see Bird Falls, but the only way to really see it is by kayaking to it. You can’t see much from the railroad tracks, and you aren’t supposed to be walking on them anyway. We put our kayaks in at 35.37576, -83.66307. This is at the Almond Boat Park. It’s a kayaking trip, so when you leave the dock, head to your left toward the NC28 bridge over the lake. Any current from the Nantahala River entering the lake is minimal and will help you on the way back to the car. Heading up the lake, Bird Falls will be on the left as the lake bends around a sharp curve. Two creeks enter the creek at this bend; you want the one farther upstream. You can see the falls from the lake, or you can hike closer. The falls are in Nantahala Forest, but above it, the land is private, which is why it is necessary to kayak.
