Details
2 main jumps and a great swimming area. Ok place for children if you keep a close eye on them.
Starting on I 40
Take exit 103 for US-64 toward Morganton/Rutherfordton
Right at Burkemont Ave/US-64
Left at W Fleming Dr/US-64/US-70
Left at N Green St/NC-181
Right at Brown Mountain Beach Rd/NC-1405
Left at Brown Mountain Beach Rd/NC-1328
Continue on about 5 miles
You will go over a small one lane bridge and the parking lot is on the left
The trail is Harpers Creek trail FS 260
The trail is about 1 mile. Usually takes 30 – 45 min. The first 1/8th mile is steep and the rest is mostly flat with a few small obstacles. Once you get to the falls, you can go down a steep bank to the lower pool of water or you can down climb to the smaller pool under the falls. Their is a thick rope to assist you climbing down.
Once at the water fall you swim past the white water to the corner of the pool where there is a large rock you can stand on. This is the dangerous part. Near the rock is a small rope you can use to climb the right side of the water fall (about 30-40 feet). Once at the top cross over the creek and you can jump from the left side of the falls. Left side if you are looking at the falls from below. Its about a 20 -25 foot drop.
The Extreemly Dangerous jump is about 35-40 feet.. You have to freeclimb up and to the left from the top of the waterfall. If you fall there is nothing but rock below. You must climb above the jump and then downclimb (friction climb) on your butt to where a small pine tree is growing out of the rock. The pine tree is at the point that is made by rock that broke away from the cliff. There is a small crack that runs just left(if looking from below) of the point. This is where you want to jump from. Sit a few feet above the crack. As soon as you stand up you are commited to jumping. Take about two big steps as you are starting to fall and get a good jump. You have to clear about 10 to 15 feet of rock below. Take extreem caution!
One other thing to be cautions about is diving in to the white water. If you go deep enough you can be pushed under a rock ledge about 15 feet under the water. I have heard stories of a guy who dove off the falls and died because he was traped under the ledge by the current.
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