Trail to Mingo Falls - Cherokee, NC
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 35° 32.021 W 083° 16.565
17S E 293642 N 3934611
Long climb but well worth the hike.
Waymark Code: WM10439
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 02/22/2019
Views: 1
ove Rd. (CR-456), and Mingo Creek, just E. of Raven Fork, SE of Cherokee
Stairs: 161 according to NPS
Distance: 0.4 miles
Statistics
Height: 120 feet
Elevation: 2350 ft
Stream: Mingo Creek
Landowner: Eastern Band of the Cherokee - Qualla Boundary
"Mingo Falls is one of those that looks so much higher in real life than in nearly any photo you'll be able to make or see. And, especially during moderate water flow, it's nearly picture-perfect. This tumbling cascade leaps into free-fall at several points, getting gradually wider near the bottom as it plunges over multitudes of little ledges, before being funneled back into a smaller cascade and into a tiny pool and rocky area. Steep slopes on both sides mean that to get up close to the falls - closer than you can get from the bridge - you'll need to get wet and be careful.
Trail Description
The trail starts at the back of the parking lot and begins going up a very long set of concrete and wood steps. There are hundreds of them, so take your time and enjoy the forest and sounds of the cascading stream on your right. It's short, though, so it's easy overall. At the top of the steps, the path turns back into a wide trail and levels out. It's just a few yards to a bridge over the creek, with a great view of the falls just upstream on the left." ~ WNC Waterfalls