Juneywhank Falls, Great Smoky Mountains (NC)
Posted by: 
PFF
N 35° 27.978 W 083° 26.112
17S E 279030 N 3927481
Lovely thirty-foot cascade in the Great Smokie Mountains near Bryson City, NC.
Waymark Code: WM1MDY
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 06/01/2007
Views: 105
Reaching the falls requires a walk of one-quarter mile with an elevation change of approximately 200 feet. The path is wide and well marked. A bridge crosses the stream at the falls, making a good observation point.
To reach from downtown Bryson City, go north on Everette Street. Cross the railroad tracks and go 100 yards. Bear right onto Toot Hollow Road. (The road sign was missing at the time of my visit, but there is a small directional sign for the Folkestone Inn.)
Go about 2 miles to a "tee" intersection, and turn left onto West Deep Creek Road. Continue north into the National Park, until you come to a barricade. There is a large parking area on the left. Go up the hill on a switchback trail and turn right onto a horse trail. In about 0.15 mile, a side trail leads right. Go 200 feet along the trail to the falls. This is a loop trail which terminates near Toms Branch Falls. Or, you can retrace your original route.
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"The exact origin of the name Juneywhank has not been preserved. Some say that it's Cherokee for "place where the bear passes." It is more likely that the waterfall was named after Junaluska Whank, nick-named 'Juney', who lived in the area. Junaluska Whank was named for Chief Junaluska."
----Kevin Adams, "North Carolina Waterfalls"; Joseph F. Blair Publishing, Winston-Salem, NC. Copyright 1994.
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While in the park, check out Toms Branch Falls and Indian Creek Falls.
A few miles away, and also worth seeing:
"The Road to Nowhere". A road construction project abandoned in the 1940's. Follow Everette Street northward from downtown Bryson City. After several miles, it becomes a three-mile paved parkway, looping through beautiful mountain scenery. At a barricade, pull into a parking area on the right and continue on foot 0.2 mile to a dinstinctly spooky, several-hundred-foot long tunnel. (Flashlight recommended.) Just beyond the tunnel, the road becomes a horse trail.
Type: Cascade
Parking Coordinates: N 35° 27.858 W 083° 26.082
Watercourse: Juney Whank Branch
Waterfall Height: 80
Viewpoint: Bottom
Path Up and Down: None
Walk Behind: Not at all
Seasonality: Not listed
Seasons of Best Flow: Not listed
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