Upper Creek Falls

Last Saturday, August 8, I went to Upper Creek Falls with Mary and Orin. Unlike my other recent treks, this swimming hole was not new to me. In fact, this place was the inception for my love of swimming holes, and probably the one I have visited the most. I first discovered it back in 2000 when I was an unappreciative 14-year-old on a family vacation. My family was staying in a cabin off the Blue Ridge Parkway outside of Boone, and we were hiking to various waterfalls and overlooks. I have always loved a good waterfall, but the trip had been sorely lacking in swimming opportunities (which I did not hesitate to whine about all week). My mom had a book about waterfalls on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and there was one called Upper Creek Falls that apparently boasted several swimming holes and natural water slides, so we went there on the last day of the trip. The place was basically a natural water park. We didn’t hike the entire 1.5 mile loop trail that time, but we went to the most popular swimming hole, just upstream from the main waterfall, which has a natural rock slide and a rope swing. As a kid, I always loved swimming, waterfalls, and playing in creeks, but this was the first time I had experienced all three rolled up into one concise package of awesomeness, and thus my love of swimming holes was born. Here is my young self experiencing Upper Creek Falls for the first time:



After I was old enough to drive, I went back to UCF at least once every summer from 2003-2009 (except 2005), usually with Miranda, but I have dragged most of my friends up there at one time or another. I stopped going after 2009 when I moved to Mississippi for grad school. This past visit was my first in six years. My brother and his girlfriend had gone up there a year or two ago and said it had deteriorated; there was trash everywhere and some of the area had burned. They must have cleaned it up since then, because I didn’t notice anything like that. I met Mary and Orin in the parking lot, and we decided to take the lower portion of the loop first. This was an unexpected treat, as I don’t usually get to take the lower section of the trail. I would estimate I have been to UCF about ten times prior to this, but this was only my third time on the lower section. This part of the trail is more strenuous, so most people only want to do the relatively easy upper section to the main swimming hole, and then backtrack to the parking lot.

( Click here for the full trip report with photos and videos )

In conclusion, it was great to get back to one of my all-time favorite swimming holes. After exploring most of the other Wilson Creek area swimming holes, I still maintain that Upper Creek Falls is the best of the lot. Harper Creek Falls pulls a close second, and the swimming hole there is probably better than any one swimming hole at Upper Creek Falls. Additionally, in terms of coolness, the kettles at Steels Creek Falls trump pretty much all other creek-related natural features in the area. However, when it comes down to it, the points of interest on Harper Creek and Steels Creek are limited to a few isolated sections of those creeks, whereas Upper Creek is a seemingly endless expanse of awesomeness, which I think bumps it up a notch above the rest. But really, you can’t go wrong with any of the Wilson Creek area swimming holes. They are all worthwhile.

Reconnecting with the awesomeness of Upper Creek really makes me want to explore Ravens Cliff Gorge (I think that’s what it’s called) further downstream. It looks pretty enticing from Google Earth:



Someone posted some 80’s pictures of what I believe to be that area, but that was all I could find (other than a kayaking video of the creek at high flow in winter). I know there’s a trail that goes by it from a couple hundred feet above, but it doesn’t go into the gorge, so I’m not exactly sure how to get down there without dying. More on that in a future entry, if I survive.