There are multiple waterfalls accessible from the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and the State Fish Hatchery parking lot. Beautiful Grogan Creek Falls is 4 miles round trip from the center.
Pisgah Center is located on Forest Road 475. For a hiking day full of waterfalls, check out the other Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education waterfalls.
The trail starts behind the center and parking lot. To begin, walk beyond the authorized vehicles only sign to a gated road (Forest Road 475C). There is a trailhead sign which reads “Horse Cove Rd.” Go around the gate and cross the wooden bridge behind it.
First, take the Cat Gap Loop Trail which begins almost immediately on the right beyond the bridge. Cat Gap is marked with painted orange blazes.
Cat Gap Loop Trail
The beginning of the trail follows along green fencing to your right. You’ll cross a small creek.
At about 0.3 miles into the hike, you’ll go over a footbridge and then cross a gravel service road. Cat Gap immediately picks up again across the road. Note: On my second trip, the footbridge had been washed away during a tropical storm. We made our way across the creek using stepping stones instead.
You’ll reach the intersection of Cat Gap and Butter Gap Trail. Butter Gap has painted blue blazes. Cat Gap will turn left over a small bridge.
Butter Gap Trail
Next, take Butter Gap to the right. Walk into the woods and through a narrow meadow path. The trail follows Grogan Creek, which will be on your left. Continue through the forest area into a rhododendron forest. There the route will gradually climb up.
I went over or around more than 20 muddied areas in the winter that were nearly impassable. Some of them have thin tree trunks acting as bridges and there is one sturdier bridge along the trail.
Half a mile from Cat Gap you will pass a junction for Long Branch Trail which leads to the right. Continue on the Butter Gap Trail. From there, you will find Grogan Creek Falls less than half a mile later on your left.
Grogan Creek Falls
During the winter, the falls were slightly visible from the Butter Gap Trail. In the spring, it was harder to see through the trees. We had to listen for the sounds of rushing water instead.
Like the other two nearby waterfalls, the spur trail down to Grogan is unmarked and not easily distinguishable. It is a short, rough trail that is mostly large steps with roots and rocks, so you’ll have to scramble down it.
Grogan Creek is a 20-foot waterfall. Like Cedar Rock Falls, the trail drops you next to Grogan Creek and you view the waterfall at an angle from the path.
You can walk out to the rocks at the bottom of the falls for a better view. These rocks are relatively flat but slippery so take care. The creek is surrounded by Rhododendron trees, which can liven up photos in the right season.
On my second visit, a small azure butterfly landed on my shoe and stayed with me for over 20 minutes. Even as I climbed back up the spur trail and headed back to the trailhead, my little friend held on. It felt like a message from the universe.
For other waterfalls in the area, check out my list of Brevard waterfalls.