Lower Higgins Creek Falls: Near Rocky Fork in Unicoi County
Glorious tumbling water all the way to the falls.
The Hike. This is such a winner. When I first wrote this entry, Rocky Fork State Park was still a "dream" but the untamed, unplanned, and relatively un-traveled awesomeness of Rocky Fork is the real dream as far as I am concerned. This hike is not in, but adjacent to Rocky Fork and has all the same wildness. My first trip there, I had just returned from a weekend out of town when Steve proposed we hike Higgins Creek. I was intrigued because we have hiked some of the main sections of Rocky Fork in the past and I knew how incredibly beautiful it is. Plus, it is well under an hour's drive time from our side of Johnson City. The hike is a perfect kind-of-climbing hike along a glorious tumbling bunch of water. The only problem with hikes like these is that the kids constantly want to stop and play and it feels like we will never make it to the falls. But wow, the creek is truly gorgeous so bring a camera and enjoy. It is a little over a half-mile to the path that leads to the falls. It is kind of sketchy to get down to the bottom of the falls but we have all been able to get there, including our old poodle although we did have to give him a push a few times on the way back up.
Glorious tumbling water all the way to the falls.
The Hike. This is such a winner. When I first wrote this entry, Rocky Fork State Park was still a "dream" but the untamed, unplanned, and relatively un-traveled awesomeness of Rocky Fork is the real dream as far as I am concerned. This hike is not in, but adjacent to Rocky Fork and has all the same wildness. My first trip there, I had just returned from a weekend out of town when Steve proposed we hike Higgins Creek. I was intrigued because we have hiked some of the main sections of Rocky Fork in the past and I knew how incredibly beautiful it is. Plus, it is well under an hour's drive time from our side of Johnson City. The hike is a perfect kind-of-climbing hike along a glorious tumbling bunch of water. The only problem with hikes like these is that the kids constantly want to stop and play and it feels like we will never make it to the falls. But wow, the creek is truly gorgeous so bring a camera and enjoy. It is a little over a half-mile to the path that leads to the falls. It is kind of sketchy to get down to the bottom of the falls but we have all been able to get there, including our old poodle although we did have to give him a push a few times on the way back up.
Directions. Take I-26 to the Temple Hill Exit #43 just south of Erwin and turn right onto the Old Asheville Highway (19/23). After 3/4 mile, turn right onto Lower Higgins Creek Road and drive 1.5 miles on paved road (see photo 1 below) until you reach a sort-of dead end (see photo 2 below). This is a wide area where we used to park. You can hike in from here if you don't want to try your vehicle on a fairly rough stretch about a quarter mile long (see photo 3 below; there are a few parking spaces along this stretch). There is another wide area after that rough section (see photo 4 below). This seems to be where most people are parking lately. The trail leaves from that area and follows an old logging road along the creek to your right. Again, from the upper lot its about a half-mile uphill hike.
Tween and Teen Addendum. If you continue past the falls, the hike goes on another two miles or so, climbing to over 4,000 feet. At the summit there is a lake although I'm told it has a faulty drain and is sometimes empty (5/25/18) and sometimes full (7/15/19), so just be prepared for whatever! Tweens and teens will love the second half, beyond the falls, especially in spring when the water is running good. There are at least a dozen creek crossings and on a good warm day it's fun to put on some water shoes and wade across them. There are some great pools of water for seeing who is the bravest and toughest cold water swimmer (Answer: mom).