A dam on the West Fork of the Tuckasegee River forms Lake Glenville, previously called Thorpe Reservoir. The dam was built in 1941 to generate hydroelectric power. From the northern banks of the lake, High Falls, also known as Cullowhee Falls, cascades 150 feet over the cliffs of Tuckasegee Gorge.
The Hike
The trail to High Falls is a strenuous quarter-mile hike. It drops over 600 feet in elevation along extended sections of stairs and stone steps – some hikers have counted more than 600 stone steps!
The hike starts at the Pines Recreation Area Trailhead along the shoreline. After the first 0.15 miles on a gravel path, the trail takes a right turn into the forest. There are several staircases made from stone and repurposed wood.
After a couple of staircases, there is a spur trail to the right. This is not the High Falls Trail, continue straight.
Two sturdy wooden bridges cross ravines. The hike follows the river downstream, descending stone stairs.
At around the half mile mark, there is an overhanging cliff wall. It is stunning and would make for a good resting point.
From the rock wall, the steepest section of the hike kicks in – descending one continuous set of stone steps on switchbacks to the banks. Partway down visitors can catch a side glimpse of the waterfall through the trees.
The hike ends at the base of High Falls at 0.7 miles.
After spending time soaking up the spray and splendor, it’s time to make that long climb back up to the trailhead.
High Falls
High Falls has two main sections, an upper drop which splits into lower cascades as they bound over the edge of a massive cliff step.
Scattered boulders offer spots to rest or have a picnic snack. On low flow days, visitors can carefully maneuver their way to the other dimpled bank to get a different perspective of the waterfall and gorge.
I had the area all to myself at midday for around 20 minutes, which made the effort worth it. However, four groups were hiking down on my way back up.
Flow varies widely depending on the day and time of year. It can be a trickle in dry seasons, a normal flow (as it was during my visit), or a rush of whitewater on dam release days. See more on that below.
Note: There is also a High Falls in DuPont State Forest.
Release Schedule
Usually, most of the water is diverted into Duke Energy’s powerhouse. Duke has agreed to let some water over the falls several days per year, primarily for whitewater kayaking down river. Water releases may also happen during periods of heavy rain or when the lake is lowered for maintenance. Be careful while exploring the area, even on non-release days, and expect the possibility of rapidly rising water levels.
For information on planned release days, check out Duke’s scheduled releases page (select Nantahala/Tuckasegee Area and then view West Fork dates) or the American Whitewater’s Tuckasegee River page.