Setrock Creek Falls is a waterfall in the Pisgah National Forest, in North Carolina.

Geology

The falls is located at the base of

Mount Mitchell Mount Mitchell (''Attakulla'' in Cherokee) is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in mainland North America east of the Mississippi River. It is located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North Carolina in the B ...

, the tallest mountain in the United States east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, on Setrock Creek, a small

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the South Toe River, which itself is a tributary of the Nolichucky River. The creek falls over multiple steep to near-vertical sections of rock under a solid canopy of trees. It has low water flow which can slow to a mere trickle in dry weather. The water clings to the rocks on its way down and ends in a nice pool at the bottom.

Height

There are some disputes as to the height of the falls. Kevin Adams' book, North Carolina Waterfalls, lists the height as "about 55 ft (17 m) high", whereas the North Carolina Waterfalls website lists the height as .

Visiting the Falls

From the intersection of NC 80 and the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and National Scenic Byway, All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for through 29 counties in Virginia and ...

, go 2.2 miles north on NC 80 and turn left on South Toe River Road. Passing the access to Roaring Fork Falls, go 2.19 miles to the fork, go right, and go 0.61 miles further to the Black Mountain Campground. From the hiker parking area, enter the campground and take the drive furthest to the left, on Briar Bottom Road. Just over 200 yards from the parking area, the drive crosses a small creek. Take the trail on the left, pass the start of the Mount Mitchell Trail, cross Little Mountain Creek, take the right-hand path 200 yards to the falls.

Nearby falls

* Roaring Fork Falls * Mitchell Falls * Douglas Falls * Walker Falls *

Crabtree Falls Crabtree Falls is one of the tallest sets of waterfalls in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It is located in the George Washington National Forest in Nelson County, Virginia, off of Virginia State Route 56. The name of the fall ...

References

External links