Max Patch to Wolf Creek Falls

 

Here again is Wolf Creek Falls, a 30' waterfall just over the border into Tennessee near Hot Springs, NC. I wrote a couple weeks ago about the very difficult hike up Wolf Creek from the Hot Springs side (post here). Not exactly the ideal or recommended route. The more direct approach is to drive there after visiting Max Patch, since they are so close together.  With all the slow-traveling, gravel roads, it's easy to make a day of it visiting these two destinations. And after all, Max Patch shouldn't be hurried - it's a place to wander and wonder - to breathe the air and let the mountains extract the worries. 

After you have your Sound-of-Music-Moment at Max patch, it's a mere 9.5 miles up to Wolf Creek Falls. And while that's a short distance, it's not without its difficulties.  First, the road can be rough in places. Not terrible, but I'd still recommend a high clearance SUV or truck to be safe. I was surprised how long it took to get there from Max Patch -- about 40 minutes.  I took my time on this narrow, gravel road -- never knowing who might come flying around the corner in the other direction.  The second possible issue, depending on the time of year and amount of recent rainfall, you may encounter some difficulty with the creek crossing once you arrive at the falls. Neither issue is insurmountable by any means, but just wanted to let you know about them.

Directions from Max Patch parking area: Turn right onto Max Patch road and drive 4.7 miles. On your way, you'll pass by Max Patch pond (photo right) and further down a parking area for AT access, both on your right. At 4.7 miles, turn right after a sign pointing the way to Rattlesnake Gap, and continue up this road for 1.7 miles till you get to Rattlesnake Gap.  Once there, continue to the right again and drive an additional 3.1 miles to a wide area immediately before the road crosses a creek. Park here. The dirt road to the left will lead you to the falls (while it looks at first glance to be drivable, it isn't). It's probably a fourth of mile walk to the falls. There's a short path that leads to the top of the falls. It's a neat perspective, but you can't really see much from there (Be careful and don't attempt to step out on the rocks or stand on the edge of the falls!).  The better and much safer views are found by taking the short, narrow trail to the right that leads down to the base of the falls. Enjoy!

Wolf Creek Falls

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.
--Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher 

It's not that we were lost. It's just that we weren't entirely sure where we were going. But the good news is that Understanding did arrive, it was just a bit late. My friend Lee and I set out to find Wolf Creek Falls outside of Hot Springs, NC and discovered that there's an easy way to get there, and a hard way.  We, of course, chose the hard way.  A revisionist history may insist that it was our love of adventure and our desire to explore the unknown that drove our choice. But mostly it was ignorance.  :)

Wolf Creek Falls (30 feet high) is located just inside the Tennessee border in Cocke County.  As we later learned, it can be driven to from the Max Patch/NC side of things (Directions here). But that's if you want to drive there. Jeesh, what fun is that? If you want an adventure, enter from the TN side, and wander up an old logging road filled with muddy bogs, stinging nettles, poison ivy, swarming gnats and dozens and dozens of downed trees. And did I mention the four creek crossings? Let me tell you, it all adds up to an enjoyable walk in the woods.

It actually would not be so bad of a hike if the recent high winds (tornado?) had not knocked down dozens of large trees in the area, many blocking the trail completely. Fortunately this only impacted the first third of the trail. But the muddy bogs were encountered throughout the hike. The good news is that along the way we saw lots of beautiful, mossy creek scenes and wild flowers.  Obviously I recommend you visit Max Patch (a scenic bald southwest of Hot Springs, NC) and then head north to Wolf Creek Falls -- driving there.  But if you do, just go knowing that Lee and I appreciate this waterfall more than most visitors ever will.  I'll give the full directions from the Wolf Creek Trailhead just to have them out there in case any adventurous soul wants to appreciate this waterfall on as many levels as we do.

Directions from Max Patch, NC: Click here.

Directions from downtown Hot Springs, NC: (map here). Turn right onto Rt 25/70 (heading west) and drive 6.4 miles (entering TN), turn left onto Wolf Creek Rd. and travel 0.1 mi and then take the first right and drive 0.6 miles to the large, gravel parking lot for the Wolf Creek trailhead. You will want and need a high clearance vehicle for this last stretch of road. Large, deep bogs will make you think you're making a Subaru Outback commercial.  From the parking lot, start your adventure by continuing up the road on foot; you'll quickly come to two creek crossings.  If there's little or no water in the creek, and making these crossings is easy, I'd turn back, the falls won't be worth the effort.  You'll soon come to the area impacted by the high winds. Take your time, watch for poison ivy, and you'll be able to find your way over and around these obstacles.  About 1.5 miles (approx) of fairly level hiking, you'll cross the creek again, and begin a slight climb. After a mile or so, you'll cross again for the fourth time and the trail will get even steeper and will no longer parallel the creek. After this steep climb, you'll reach the top and then start a decent that will soon meet a road, turn right and you immediately come to a campsite.  The top of the falls are located to the left (very dangerous), a short winding path to the right leads to the base of the falls and the view you see above. Total mileage roundtrip is approx. 6-7 miles.