Wilkie Trail and Cannon Creek Falls, Dupont

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
12/27/2025	4.2 miles	2 hours 18 minutes	372'	2.0 mph	380

Parking: 

• Rich Mountain Road, space for around 5 cars on the side of the road

Map:

• Gaia GPS app
• Pisgah Map Co. Dupont

Directions:

• Take the Wilkie Trail (called Cannon Creek Trail on the paper map) until it comes to a T intersection. There is a post there, but the trail to the right is unmaintained. Turn left/straight to stay on the Wilkie Trail (called Buckhorn Creek Trail on the paper map). Hike to the major intersection with Rock Quarry Road. Turn around and return the same way. On the way back, take an unmarked (there are 3 stones at the intersection) trail to the left to Cannon Creek Falls. Return to the Wilkie Trail back to the parking lot.

I have a cold and should be home resting, but it was 68 degrees and sunny today. Too nice a day to miss. Everyone else had the same idea. Driving past the arboretum, the road was packed with people trying to get in. I heard the parking lot actually filled up. Continuing on to Dupont, we passed multiple full parking lots - the Visitor Center & Corn Mill Shoals, where cars were parking along the street. We, however had chosen an off the beaten path hike. We drove up Rich Mountain Road, which is paved from the south end. The parking area has just room for 5 cars along the road. We only saw 2 people on our hike! Peace and quiet compared to the rest of Dupont! We both enjoyed the hike. It had a couple of minor stream crossings. I liked the rock outcrops we saw, which remind me of Harriman State Park in NY. And then a small and intimate spot to enjoy a waterfall (the water isn't deep enough for Krumm to swim). We drove home going north on Rich Mountain Road. At some point it becomes unpaved for around 2 miles. It's narrow, but the road condition is good and it's a pretty drive.

Trailhead

Tiny stream

Pretty rock outcrop 

This is the unmaintained trail we skipped. The sign post is still there, but the sign is gone.
It's easy to miss if you aren't looking for it.
On the Pisgah map, this is the west end of the Buckhorn Creek Road.

Our turnaround point. 

These rocks show the turnoff point for the waterfall. 
It's very close to the trailhead.

This is all there is at the base of the falls. Its maybe 5' wide and not deep enough to swim.