Wayah Bald - 5,342'

Wayah Bald (5,342') sits atop the high Wayah Crest which separates The Little Tennessee and Nantahala Valley's in western North Carolina. Wayah Bald is home to a beautiful old fire lookout tower that provides commanding views in (almost) every direction. The tower is the second to sit atop the summit, which has long been a local tourist destination as well. The present tower was opened in 1937 and was originally three stories tall. After only a little over a decade of service the tower was abandoned and the top two stories were removed for safety reasons. Luckily for visitors, in 1983 the USFS completed renovations on the tower, which included a roof, and you can once again enjoy the views as people have been doing there for generations.

The day was rather dreary (not at all conducive for mountain top photography), so I stopped by nearby Rufus Morgan Falls on the return trip to enjoy some of the colors still holding on in the valley's...

Wayah Bald

Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 35.178828, -83.562333

Route Type: Out-and-back Difficulty: EASY (Petzoldt Rating: 0.78 )

Hike Length: 0.5 miles Hike Duration: 0:30

Trailhead Temp: 50'F Trail Traffic: 10-25 people

Min. Elevation: 5,180' Max. Elevation: 5,342'

Total Vertical Gain: 138' Avg. Elevation Gain / Mile: 276'

Trails Used (blaze color): Wayah Bald Trail (unblazed)

Rufus Morgan Falls

Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 35.146555, -83.547489

Route Type: Loop Difficulty: EASY (Petzoldt Rating: 1.62 )

Hike Length: 1.0 miles Hike Duration: 0:45

Trailhead Temp: 60'F Trail Traffic: 1-5 people

Min. Elevation: 3,200' Max. Elevation: 3,500'

Total Vertical Gain: 310' Avg. Elevation Gain / Mile: 310'

Trails Used (blaze color): Rufus Morgan Falls Trail (unblazed)

Wayah Bald & Rufus Morgan Falls, Macon County (10-27-12)

Wayah Gap
The Forest Road up to Wayah Bald breaks right off Wayah Road at, you guessed it, Wayah Gap...
Forest Road 69
The dirt road to the summit trailhead is steep and winding, but quite well graded...
Wilson Lick Ranger Station
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...
Wilson Lick Ranger Station
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...
Wilson Lick Ranger Station
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...
Wilson Lick Ranger Station
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...
Wayah Bald Trail
Like many old balds in the area, Wayah has been reclaimed by the forest...
Wayah Bald Trail
An informational kiosk sits near the summit providing a quick history of the mountain...
Wayah Bald - 5,342'
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...
Wayah Bald - 5,342'
A nice stone 'deck' sits out front of the tower with stunning views of the Little Tennessee Valley...
Wayah Bald - 5,342'
The Wayah Lookout...
Wayah Bald - 5,342'
The view east...
Wayah Bald - 5,342'
The view north...
Wayah Bald - 5,342'
The Appalachian Trail as it continues north from the tower...
Wayah Bald - 5,342'
The 'view' west...
Wayah Bald - 5,342'
The view south...
Rufus Morgan Falls Hike Route Map
The approximate route of my hike at Rufus Morgan Falls as depicted a la Google Earth...
Rufus Morgan Falls Trailhead
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...
Rufus Morgan Falls Trail
From the trailhead the path switchbacks steeply up the hillside...
Rufus Morgan Falls Trail
The loop past the falls is about a mile long, though the elevation change and trail conditions make it seem a bit longer...
Rufus Morgan Falls Trail
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...
Rufus Morgan Falls Trail
Crossing the stream below the falls...
Rufus Morgan Falls
Rufus Morgan Falls actually has two sections...this is the lower and smaller of the two...
Rufus Morgan Falls
Rufus Morgan Falls...the main drop...
Rufus Morgan Falls
Autumn gives its own special flavor to the falls...another wonderful day in the mountains...