09/23/06
New falls on upper Whitewater River

I have not yet explored Whitewater River upstream of Whitewater Falls, but Bernie, Rich, and their friend Harry have explored portions of it. They’ve also discovered some small waterfalls on a couple of the side streams in the area. One that Harry told me about is on Waddle Branch, just upstream from where it enters Whitewater River. Also, I found a photo of a very nice falls on Whitewater River in the book North Carolina Rivers & Creeks, by Leland Davis. This book is written for paddlers, but us hikers and waterfall lovers will find lots of useful info in it. As I understand it, there are only makeshift paths along the river and some areas requiring intense scrambling. Truly, this is an area worth some serious exploring, but I would discourage anyone who is not accustomed to seat-of-the-pants off-trail hiking.

08/11/05
Lower Whitewater Falls

Bernie Boyer informs me that the entrance gate to Duke Energy’s Bad Creek facility no longer is manned (page 331). He says you can just pull up to the gate and it will open. To reach the trailhead for Lower Whitewater Falls, Bernie says to drive 2.2 miles and take the first left. Go down the hill and park in the lot designated for Foothills Trail and Whitewater River. There is a kiosk with trail info in the northeast corner of the lot. Thanks Bernie.