Steels Creek - Part 2

Today, for what will probably be my final mountain swimming hole trek of the summer, I was able to rope Mary and Orin into going to Steels Creek with me. I had visited Steels Creek alone last summer, but I had not been able to hit all the highlights because I didn’t have enough time, and some sections of the creek were more treacherous than I felt comfortable doing by myself (although the same could be said for some of the sections I actually did do). The section of Steels Creek that parallels the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) has four major highlights: a large swimming hole where the creek cascades between two large rock slabs, the two-tiered Steels Creek Falls, "Screaming Right Hand Turn Falls" (aka Beverly Hillbilly Falls), and Teacups Falls. On my first visit, my main objectives were to find Teacups Falls and to swim in the large potholes in the middle of the upper tier of Steels Creek Falls. At that time, I had no information about Teacups Falls (I didn’t even know it had a name) or how close I could get to it via the trail, but I had seen it on Google Earth and it looked like it had a swimming hole at the base. Screaming Right Hand Turn (SRHT) Falls was not high on my to-do list for that visit, but I inadvertently stumbled upon the brink of it while bushwhacking in search of Teacups Falls. I didn’t try to get down to the base, though, because there was a topless sunbather down there, and I didn’t want to bother her. I also climbed on the upper tier of Steels Creek Falls and swam in the large swimming hole between the two tiers, but I had passed up the lower tier of Steels Creek Falls and the large downstream swimming hole in favor of finding Teacups Falls. So, my objectives for this visit were to see (and swim in) the big swimming hole, get to the base of the lower tier of Steels Creek Falls, and see SRHT Falls from the base. Also, if Mary and Orin were up for it after doing those things, I also wanted to go back to Teacups Falls and get into all the teacups to see how deep they were, because I was kicking myself for not doing that last summer when I was right there.

I had been staying at my parents’ house in Virginia for Labor Day weekend, which cut the drive to Steels Creek down to 1.5 hours (as opposed to 3.5 hours coming from Raleigh). Mary and Orin were still coming from Raleigh, so I met up with them at a gas station along NC-181 in Jonas Ridge. It was 66 degrees and overcast at the gas station (the forecast had said 73 and sunny), so we weren’t feeling too enthusiastic about getting into the water. However, Steels Creek is about 2200 feet lower in elevation than Jonas Ridge, so it was 75 degrees and mostly sunny when we got down to the parking area.

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

In summary, I am glad I was able to tie up the loose ends at Steels Creek, because the section from the big swimming hole to Steels Creek Falls is probably the most scenic stretch of the creek and includes the best swimming holes (not to mention that climbing up through the rock tunnel was pretty cool). I think the swimming hole between the upper and lower tiers of Steels Creek Falls is probably the best when aesthetics are taken into consideration, because it is fairly large in diameter and very deep, and it easily has the best scenery of the Steels Creek swimming holes. However, the big downstream swimming hole is cool (no pun intended), too, and more easily (and safely) accessible. If it had a little something extra, like a safe jump or a rope swing, it would easily be top-shelf material. I would say this completes my explorations of Steels Creek, but I will probably be back here at some point, because this is an area that warrants repeated visitation, especially since the seclusion and difficulty of access seem to deter the crowds that you find at Upper Creek and Harper Creek. Although there don’t seem to be anymore waterfalls or swimming holes on this section of Steels Creek (according the Google Earth and Kevin Adams’ North Carolina Waterfalls), there is a tributary to Steels Creek called Gingercake Creek that feeds in upstream of Teacups Falls. The topographic map indicates that it drops about 300 feet over a quarter mile, and Google Earth shows multiple obvious waterfalls in this area (one looks like it might even have a swimming hole). I can find no information whatsoever about this creek, so some future exploration might be warranted. I'm sort of scraping the bottom of the barrel for the Wilson Creek area, though, as I have now checked out all the known swimming holes there. Next year, I might have to migrate over to Linville Gorge, which is just over the mountain from Steels Creek, for new material, but that area so packed with swimming holes that I'll have my work cut out for me if I decide to start exploring there. I think today’s trek would probably make a good grand finale for this summer, though, since it will probably start to cool off soon at higher elevations. I might focus my efforts on finding some new swimming holes in the piedmont for the remainder of the season, since it usually stays warm down here for another month.