6-2-16  I learned about this nice 35' waterfall from the latest edition of Kevin Adams' North Carolina Waterfalls guide book. It turns out it's less than 15 miles from my home in Hendersonville! The waterfall is just a stone's throw from the parking area, but it requires a scramble down a steep bank to see it. The scramble isn't particularly dangerous, but you probably wouldn't want to bring small children down here. A small part of the waterfall is below where I'm standing for the above picture, but the entire area is rather closed in and it's not a place where a group of people would want to hang out. You could combine this waterfall with Emily Falls which is not too far down Big Hungry Rd for a nice 1/2 day outing.

Directions:  From I-26 southeast of Hendersonville, take exit 53 at Upward Rd and head away from Hendersonville - east. The road here is 2 lanes heading your way, but the right lane will end. Drive 1.6 miles and turn right on Big Hungry Rd. In half a mile, the road forks and it looks like you should stay to the right, but stay on Big Hungry Rd which bears to the left. In another 1/4 mile you'll bear right to stay on Big Hungry Rd. From here drive another 1/2 mile to the Edgewood subdivision and turn right on Gallimore Rd. When I was here, there wasn't a street sign. There is a sign for the Edgewood subdivision and Terrapin Trail is the street on the left. Drive 0.6 miles to the end of the road and park on the left. Straight ahead is a private driveway and there's a gated parking area on the right for boaters that pay a fee. This is a very popular area for hardcore kayakers that run the nearby Green River.

From the parking area, take the trail (old road) on the left that has the 2 orange gate posts and 2 orange stripes on a tree. When I was here, the road had been recently seeded and new grass was coming up. Right away you'll hear the tributary of Hungry River that Case Falls is on to your right and there's a smaller cascade in view. Keep going a short distance to where the trail bears to the left, climb over the erosion control cloth, and head down the bank towards the sound of the waterfall. There's no trail at this point in time, but that might change now that Kevin's book is out. You want to come out at the base of the waterfall. If you hit the creek too early and come out near the top, don't climb down the waterfall! Head back into the woods and continue down from there. This waterfall has a lot of character and makes a nice photo subject with the right light and water flow. People space is limited and you might want to do this alone or with just one other person. Below are a couple more shots and a short video of the waterfall.

back to Polk County waterfalls page

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