Accessibility – Moderate+
Height – 45′
Distance – 8.0 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 7
Photo rating – 8
Solitude – 7
GPS Info: LAT 35.02984 LONG -82.77171
Last Updated – 12-23-2024
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Where to park: There was a time when the gate was further from the road and the large open parking area the top of the hill was where we parked, but then the gate was moved closer to the road, leaving room for one car to park by the gate. I think it’s easier to park on the southbound side of the road on the wide grassy shoulder than dealing with trying to park without blocking the gate. The GPS on the parking area is 35.02937, -82.79939.
The hike: Walk down the road and cross to pick up the gravel road that leads past the gate. The road is going to meander along, going up and down as it snakes along the contour. There isn’t a ton of elevation to the road, but there are countless old roads that intersect it. It’s pretty obvious which road to stay on. The ones that intersect have a different roadbed, and most connect at odd angles. At 1.8 miles from the gate, the road passes a faint road that leads to Mountain Cat Falls. The old road is easy to follow, and it will lead close to the falls before petering out in a rocky area. From the rocky area, there is some downfall to contend with to get to the base of the waterfall. The route to the falls is pretty obvious, but navigating the fallen trees near the falls takes some time.
