Rufus Morgan Trail and Falls

My best friend and I stayed in NC for the week and this was our first introduction to the trails up there. What started as some confusion, ended with an amazing waterfall.nnUpon arriving, we quickly realized parking is minimal but relatively easy to get in an out of. There’s space for 3-4 cars pending people’s parking jobs.nnWe followed what we thought was the trail based on the blue markers but were quickly turned around by fallen trees. After some further looking around, we figured out that if you go through the gate (to left of parking if looking at mountain) that says “no motorized vehicles” and head up, you’re on the right path!nnThe hike is relatively easy and mostly shaded but definitely recommend bringing water and maybe some snacks. I want to say it took about 45 min or so, maybe an hour, to get to the top once we sorted out the right trail. The waterfall is gorgeous and if you wanted, you could probably stand in/under it. No swimming area as it continues to decline down the mountain. The trail circles back down to the original spot we started at. It was a little messy getting down around the fallen tree requiring a smidge of off trail maneuvering but it takes you right back to where the cars are.nnDefinitely a good place to check out if you’re in the area.

If you don't enjoy a casual stroll in the woods while listening to a babbling brook share the forest's secrets, than this hike probably isn't for you. You probably wouldn't enjoy pausing to admire the green moss carpeting the fallen trees either. A half mile hike will bring you face to face with a natural waterfall but if that isn't your thing, than don't bother stopping to listen to the cascading water as it dances down the boulders. But, if you have about 1 1/2 hours to pause and take all this in, go for it. It is so worth it.

If you're any handy capped I would not suggest this, found the place, very small parking, trail is natural as far as nature go's, lots of roots and slippery. Sure in drier weather would be fine. Trail IS narrow for it's in nature. Didn't get to walk it for people with me wasn't able. I wasn't going to go up and leave them there. When you get to the sign on the gravel road in the mountains your there.

Rufus Morgan Falls is a 60-foot waterfall in Nantahala National Forest. The hike to the falls is an easy to intermediate one-mile round trip and is great place to see wildflowers in the late spring. Go west on US-64 from Franklin for about 4 miles, turn right on Old Murphy Rd and then left on Wayah Rd. Go 6.4 miles and turn left on Forest Road 388. Drive 2 miles to the trailhead on right. Note that Forest Road 388 is gated in the winter, so if you want to visit the falls then, you'll have to hike an additional 2 miles each way on the road. The blue-blazed Rufus Morgan Trail (#29) leads from the trailhead up into the cove formed by Left Prong Rough Fork. Where the trail crosses the creek, there is a split, where left makes a loop going back to the parking lot and right heads up to the waterfall. The waterfall cascades down a steep rock face and there are some rocks at the base to sit and enjoy the falls or have a picnic. The falls are fairly well-known so you may have company depending on when you visit, but it's off the beaten path enough that there's never going to be a crowd. The waterfall is named for A. Rufus Morgan, an Episcopal priest who lived in the area and was dedicated to conservation of the Nantahala and Smokey Mountains. Morgan climbed Mount LeConte more than 100 times up into his 90s and maintained significant portions of the Appalachian Trail. Besides the waterfall and trail, a shelter on the AT near Nantahala Outdoor Center is also named for him.

This is a great little loop hike that's perfect for bringing non-hiking guests as well as kids and dogs; only about a mile with a very nice waterfall.