Wayah Bald & Rufus Morgan Falls (1.5 miles; d=2.40)
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The Forest Road up to Wayah Bald breaks right off Wayah Road at, you guessed it, Wayah Gap...
The dirt road to the summit trailhead is steep and winding, but quite well graded...
About a mile or so from the trailhead the road passes the the site of an old ranger cabin. This one, the Wilson Lick Ranger Station, was built in 1916 and was the first in Nantahala National Forest. The rangers housed here were responsible for patrolling the surrounding forest as well as manning and maintaining the fire lookout at Wayah Bald. It was shut down in 1967...
Built in 1916, it was the first in Nantahala National Forest. The rangers housed here were responsible for patrolling the surrounding forest as well as manning and maintaining the fire lookout at Wayah Bald. It was shut down in 1967...
Built in 1916, it was the first in Nantahala National Forest. The rangers housed here were responsible for patrolling the surrounding forest as well as manning and maintaining the fire lookout at Wayah Bald. It was shut down in 1967...
Built in 1916, it was the first in Nantahala National Forest. The rangers housed here were responsible for patrolling the surrounding forest as well as manning and maintaining the fire lookout at Wayah Bald. It was shut down in 1967...
Forest Road 69-Wayah Bald Trailhead
The Wayah Bald Trailhead...froom here it's only a few hundred yards to the summit tower...
Like many old balds in the area, Wayah has been reclaimed by the forest...
An informational kiosk sits near the summit providing a quick history of the mountain...
The Wayah Bald Summit Tower...the original tower, built in 1929, was made of wood. The current tower was constructed by the CCC in 1935-37 and has been open to the public from the very beginning. The original stone tower was three stories tall but by the time of its decommissioning, in 1945, it had become unstable and the upper levels were removed for safety reasons. In 1983, the USFS restored the tower and built the current roof allowing visitors to once again enjoy the views from the old lookout...
A nice stone 'deck' sits out front of the tower with stunning views of the Little Tennessee Valley...
The Wayah Lookout...
The view east...
The view north...
The Appalachian Trail as it continues north from the tower...
The 'view' west...
The view south...
Rufus Morgan Falls Hike Route Map
The approximate route of my hike to Rufus Morgan Falls as depicted a la Google Earth...
Rufus Morgan Falls Hike Route Map
The approximate route of my hike to Rufus Morgan Falls...
Biting winds and a few raindrops chased me quickly from the summit. Seeking a bit longer time in the woods, I stopped by nearby Rufus Morgan Falls...
From the trailhead the path switchbacks steeply up the hillside...
The loop past the falls is about a mile long, though the elevation change and trail conditions make it seem a bit longer...
Near the falls the trail crosses a rock slab at the site of a fairly recent landslide. When I visited 8 years ago the slide area had very little vegetation growing within it, now small saplings are already sprouting...
Crossing the stream below the falls...