Paradise Falls

A Hidden Gem of the Nantahala

A long, long way down

Background: 

Tucked away in one of the many ravines of creek gorges in the Nantahala National Forest lies a waterfall in upwards of 60 feet that is fed out of Wolf Lake in Jackson County North Carolina. I was originally shown this place by a friend of mine who attends school at Western Carolina University in Cullowee. My pictures from this hike are from a few different trips. 

You can easily find directions to this place online, but the technical nature of the short hike as well as the sheer fact that it is in the middle of nowhere, western North Carolina makes this place feel like a secret "paradise." My recommendations for someone looking to check out this spot is to wear some shoes with a decent amount of tread and of course bring your bathing suit. 

Hike Report: 

The hike starts out of a gravel parking lot near Wolf Lake on Wolf mountain, North Carolina. There are no signs for the trail. The hike starts out and sets the tone nicely with a solid 50 foot drop into the ravine. The trail is pretty washed out, with this area being near a temperate rain forest and receiving lots of rainfall (especially in the summer). 

Once you are done with the initial descent, the trail flattens out a bit and eventually you come to a creek crossing. This was pretty cool, the log can be used to cross, which is what I did (almost to my peril on the way back) however there is a way a bit down stream to more safely cross. But who needs safety sometimes right?

After a small climb, you start your final descent into the wolf creek gorge. This section was by far the funnest I've had on a hike in a while. Basically, you are descending probably close to 100 feet on a very steep hill with nothing to help you but an extension cord tied to a tree and roots of the trail. 

Getting to the bottom of the ravine without falling is definitely something to celebrate on this hike, and what better than a swimming hole and a beautiful waterfall! The water here is plenty deep for some cliff diving (hence the green color) and what is not pictured below is actually a mini slot canyon that forms a second fall into a dome like cove. This is seriously the coolest swimming hole I've ever seen, the water isn't even that cold because it is fed by Wolf Lake. There is a rope to climb up a wall on the right side of the falls and you can cliff jump off of. I hear kids even climb all the way to the top where the trees are to jump, crazy!

All in all this is one of the coolest hikes and coolest waterfalls and coolest swimming holes I've ever been to. And I've seen my fair share. Unfortunately, this place is over 3 hours from where I live currently, so it might be a very long time until I get back. For anyone who is looking for a little slice of "paradise" in the largest National Forest in North Carolina, look no further than this one in the land of the noonday sun.