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| Warden Falls |
| The trail to Warden Falls in Panthertown Valley is flat and easy...execpt for a short, steep scramble at the end. |
| Difficulty (1-5): Distance (round trip): Elevation change: Round trip time: |
2
3 miles
100 ft
1.5 hours
3 miles
100 ft
1.5 hours
| From the Panthertown Valley parking area, take the trail at the back right corner, to the right of the map kiosk. Follow this path until it crosses a creek and intersects with an old access road. Turn left. Follow this for about 5 minutes, past an information sign, until you come to a cylindrical rain- collection station with a solar panel. Leave the access road and enter the woods, then bear right immediately on a downhill path. Soon enough you will rejoin the logging road farther down the slope of the mountain.Turn right, and soon you’ll cross a wood-plank bridge over Greenland Creek, This will be about 20 minutes from the parking lot. At the far edge of the bridge is a trail to the left which leads to Schoolhouse Falls. We’re going to Warden Falls, though, so continue along the road bed (fairly straight and flat...a rail line once ran along here when the valley was logged last century). In 10 minutes you’ll come to Panthertown Creek and a second wooden bridge. Just across the bridge is an intersection; turn right. |
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| Copyright 2011 by Tony Austin |
Directions to trailhead: From the main entrance to Lake Toxaway Estates, continue east on US 64
about a mile to NC 281. Turn left and go a mile to Cold Mountain Road, opposite the fire station. Stay on
this road about 5 miles until it ends. At the signs for Canaan Land, turn left onto a gravel road and go .2
mi to a dirt road on the right. Follow this to a narrow parking area just before a gate. The trailhead is at
the back right near the map kiosk.
about a mile to NC 281. Turn left and go a mile to Cold Mountain Road, opposite the fire station. Stay on
this road about 5 miles until it ends. At the signs for Canaan Land, turn left onto a gravel road and go .2
mi to a dirt road on the right. Follow this to a narrow parking area just before a gate. The trailhead is at
the back right near the map kiosk.
| 2008 |
| This path twists through a pine forest. You’ll pass a nice, flat camping area. You’ll cross a small creek. The path will take a definite turn to the left, then begin to rise. At a spot where there’s a large flat rock in the middle of the path, look for an obvious trail to the right. Now you’re in a rhododendron forest as the path descends to the river. Stay left, going down hill. If you stay too far to the right you will come out half way up the falls. (Do not try to get to the base of the falls from here, but backtrack and keep left). Immediately after you have to duck under a large tree across the path, turn left and follow the trail downhill. You’ll come to a large muddy spot...stay high and to the right to keep your boots dry...and then a smaller muddy spot right as the path emerges at the base of the falls. To get a good view of the falls, walk out on the rocks to the middle. The wet rocks are slippery so only walk on the dry rocks. For an even better view, cross over to the rock ledge opposite the falls. Return the way you came. There are plenty of hand holds to get you up that steep, muddy part and the rest is a stroll in the woods. |
| 2011 |