Red Fork Falls
Cool weather, crisp air, and it was peak weekend for leaves. Perfect for a hike in the mountains. Red Fork Falls is one of my favorite quick hikes, and Nathan had never been before. What better way to kick off his birthday weekend than to do what we love: hiking.
The weather was perfect — around 60 degrees, slightly overcast, and with rays of sunshine peeking through occasionally. The drive down Route 107 was breathtaking. The leaves were so vibrant; shades of deep reds, burnt oranges, and golden yellows. It looked like a photograph in a magazine, only better.
Once we turned off of the main road onto Red Fork Road, I felt as if I had escaped reality and had entered a serene scene from a movie. As we traveled the winding road up the mountain, the leaves we had seen from afar on Route 107 became surreal- the magazine-like photo became real life.
After driving a few miles up the one-way, paved road, it was time to park the car, which was a 5-speed Jetta. Getting there before the crowds arrived helped with parking. Luckily, it hadn’t rained much the past week. If there had been significant rainfall, we may have needed a four-wheel drive vehicle to get in and out of the parking area.
We proceeded to put on our hiking boots, to get our camera gear ready, and to leash Ryder (my 7.1 pound dachshund). While Ryder made the trek, I would not want to take other dogs on this hike. Ryder was easy to pick up and carry on the climb down to the bottom of the falls.
The trail started out going downhill, which led to the first of two streams we had to cross. The first stream on the trail was one of my favorite parts of the hike. It felt so open. Above, the canopy is a beautiful array of colors and textures. I enjoyed stopping and taking it all in.
The meadow-like area would make the perfect camping spot. A few years ago during college, I camped here with about ten to fifteen of my friends. The ground is level and an ideal spot to pitch a few tents. Thinking about it now, we probably should have done a little more research regarding rules for camping in the Cherokee National Forest.
The second stream to ford was not much further down the trail. There were plenty of rocks that created a path across the stream. The trail continued following along the bubbling stream. As we walked along the trail, we were surrounded by rhododendrons, a colorful path of fallen leaves, and the remnants of trees that had been overgrown with moss. The stream also had several mini falls. The mini falls helped to generate a foreshadow of what was to come, but they weren’t enough to fully visualize what was at the end of the stream.
And then… BAM. We were overlooking the 60' waterfall. But, this was not the end. Oh, no. The most fun part of the hike was descending alongside the waterfall to the bottom. Luckily we were prepared for the steep decline, slippery rocks, and muddy path.
The end result was totally worth the climb. The smell of mountain air, the crunching of the leaves beneath my feet, and the relaxing sounds of a rushing waterfall. I felt at peace, and sharing that moment with someone I deeply care about intensified those feelings.
What goes down, must come back up — or something like that. This is the part of the trail where I needed a helping hand and H2O. Ryder had no trouble making it back up though. He was like a mountain goat bouncing up the trail. He practically drug Nathan to the top. I was jealous- I needed someone to drag me.
After the 1.5 mile hike, I couldn’t let the adventure end there. We hopped in the car and continued up Red Fork Road. The road became a narrow, gravel path up the mountain. Although my car reached the top of the mountain, I wish we had a vehicle that was either 4-wheel drive or didn’t sit as low to the ground. There were a few parts on the road that had some dips which made me a little nervous that I would bottom out. Also, with it being a one-lane road, I was more cautious going around curves. There wasn’t a lot of room on the sides to allow vehicles to pass each other easily. Especially if we were passing a larger vehicle. Thankfully, my vehicle was not harmed in the making of this adventure.
The view up the winding, gravel road was stunning, but not nearly as stunning as the overlook that awaited us at the top of the mountain. After a few moments of admiring the beauty that was before us, it was time for our arduous adventure to end. It was the perfect day to admire nature, escape from reality, and appreciate the beauty that is within our area.
We are always on the lookout for new adventures. Do you have some where we should check out? Let us know: Tweet: #checkoutwithinahundred @withinahundred. We are also on the look out for contributing writers. If you want to write about your own adventure, let us know. You can tweet @withinahundred.
