Carter Falls

Height: 50 feet
Trail Type: Dirt
Hike Distance: 3/4 mile round trip
Difficulty: 6
Beauty: 6

Overview:

Finally! Many people have known about Carter Falls near Elkin for some time, but it was on private property and inaccessible. Recently, the Elkin Valley Trails Association worked with the state to buy the land and make a trail to Carter Falls as part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. In July 2018, it finally opened. However, there’s still a lot of work to be done, as the EVTA will be working to build a suspension bridge over the creek to give a really great view of the falls.

Directions:

From Interstate 77 in Elkin, take exit 83 – US 21 North. Go about 2.3 miles and turn left onto Poplar Springs Road. You’ll quickly come to a 4-way intersection. Go straight where the road becomes Brookfall Dairy Road. Drive a little over a mile and turn right onto Martin Byrd Road. Go all the way to where the road ends and you’ll see a gravel lot across the intersection.

Hike Description:

The trail is pretty level for most of the way. You slowly start to descend the ridge before coming out at the top of the falls and switchbacking to a wide, level trail that follows the creek. You’ll then have to descend – which at the moment is a pretty steep scramble – down the bank to get to the base.