High Falls and Reid Branch Falls, Thompson River, Lake Toxaway

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
2/22/2023	3.7 miles	2 hours 13 minutes	555'	2.2 mph	100.8

Parking: 

• See book

Map:

• Gai Gps

Directions:

• See North Carolina Waterfalls by Kevin Adams

Carolina Mountain Club Challenges

• 100 Waterfalls Challenge, High Falls (Thompson River)

After White Owl Falls, we headed just a few feet down the road to High Falls. Glen walked and I drove. I parked along the side of a road. The trail starts on the same side. This one was mostly a walk along a woods road. Relaxing. Then a steep climb down to the base of High Falls on a herd path. This one is also marked by tape. Well, you can't see the waterfall from the base. We followed the herd path higher up and got to a view on the side of the falls. The view was only okay from there. Plus, this waterfall looked too dangerous for dog swimming. We weren't excited by it. Krumm gave it 2 paws down. On the way back, I took the wrong herd path. Again. A harder herd path. So, it's useful to check Gaia frequently. Gaia shows the easier route. 

There is another 100 Favorites waterfall along part of this trail (Big Falls), but it's a 7-mile hike, and I'm trying to limit my mileage for a while. But normally you'd want to combine Big Falls with this hike. 

On the way back from High Falls, we stopped at Reid Branch Falls. Again, it's on a steep herd path down to the falls. This waterfall isn't on the 100 Waterfalls Challenge, but I liked it more than High Falls. Why? Because you can fully see it. It has a nice pool for swimming at the bottom, but for some reason, Krummholz wasn't comfortable swimming there. I think it might have been due to a big drop off. So, 1 paw down rating from Krumm. He did wade though. You can see a rainbow at this waterfall when the sun is shining. And it's got a nice log to sit on, making it a relaxing place to take a break. I let Krumm have a little rare off leash hiking time on the way back. We saw no people hiking today (love weekday hikes!) and hopefully too early for bears to be very active.

Trailhead

Checking out the bottom of High Falls - the falls is around the corner, can't see it from here.

This was as close as I felt comfortable getting to the falls from the side view.

Poor view of the pool at the bottom - didn't look safe for dog swimming.

Messy herd path to the falls, flagged with tape.

Reid Branch Falls, with rainbow

Edge of the drop off

I can't help but thinking - this is what the 4 feet in a box trick is training for, lol.

I can just pull out sticks from up here....

Back to balancing on this rock

Little garter snake? we saw on our way back. Krumm walked right over him without noticing.