Gobey Four Wheeling-- Fork Mountain and Cage Creek
Sat. Dec. 27, 2025
50 mile ride
I had been studying maps including Lifetime Maps out in the area between Gobey and Fork Mountain/New River. I was intrigued by several things I'd seen mentioned on Lifetime Maps.
It listed Cage Creek Falls, FM (Fork Mountain) Falls and another NC Waterfall. I'm guessing the NC was for North Cumberland? It showed Fork Mountain Cave, Cage Creek Mine and an old incline.
I dug into it further and found a video by a fellow who rode Cage Creek and mentioned the falls. It seemed to confirm for me that the waterfall existed. He did not go by the falls in the video, but I did not blame him. It was high Summer. Weedy, snakey and low flow waterfalls at that time. I just figured he left off going to it thanks to those factors. I had been eager to get back out there and see these for myself. Kenny was all about it as well. We set aside the entire Saturday to do that.
We started in from Gobey. We saw two or three other rigs along Macedonia Road near the church.
We started off from the Gobey end and headed across to Fork Mountain to visit these mines, caves, and waterfalls in person. I am going to do a very abbreviated trip report. It was quite a let down of a day.
The waterfalls were flowing, but two of them Fork Mountain and North Cumberland Falls were wet weather falls. While they were flowing I'd not have listed them. Cage Creek Falls does not exist. It turned out to be a pretty green hole of water with a riffle about six inches high if that.
Cage Creek Mine was a series of two surface mines. We saw some partial views along our journey.
We had pretty weather. It was about 65 degrees and sunny. We saw one nice pond. Fork Mountain Cave was cool. We saw the ruins of the old incline. We passed other remnants of mining. Fork Mountain Mine and another one I cannot recall the name of right now.
The day ended up being way less scenic a ride than I'd hoped. It was also longer than I'd wanted.
I don't do well with riding along. It is boring to me. I need to keep rides short and interesting.
Today was neither of those things. By the time we got back to the truck I was motion sick and had a busting headache. I was disgusted with the whole thing to the point in my mind "I'm never doing this again. I am done with riding. Sell the machine!"
I still feel the same way for the most part. I know that I'll go again, but I will take dramamine and keep the ride shorter and try to choose a better ride. I don't know where Lifetime Maps gets their info, but whoever thought those waterfalls should be included does not know what a waterfall looks like apparently.
I took some motrin for my splitting head. We stopped by the Dollar General in Wartburg on the way home for me to get some Dramamine for my sick stomach. It helped. I was able to eat a little bit back at Oak Ridge. We stopped at Chik Fil A to get fast food.
I hope others will see this and not get snookered the way we did. A lot of effort and time for very little return on the investment.
Below: Bluebird skies for our day out
above and below: ruins of a former coal storage I believe.
below: not much color today so this vibrant green moss really stood out.
Below: Looking out of Fork Mountain Cave
Below: trail by Fork Mountain Cave
Below: Blue skies seen from inside the cave.
Below is a short video of Fork Mountain Cave. Getting up into it was quite a trick, but getting down Kenny found me a better way.
BBelow: Fork Mountain Falls.
Below: This pond was just past the pitiful NC Falls. It was somewhat pretty.
Below is a video clip of Cage Creek.
We went out past Cage Creek "Falls and tried to head back to the truck. We missed a turn on the right and had to double back. It was thankfully the only spot we messed up today. This is where the ride got so rough and rutted. One mud hole after another with lots of jostling around. This is when I began to get seriously motion sick.
Below: two shots of the last slightly interesting thing we saw all day long. The ruins of some sort of utility shed just past where the old Incline was. At the actual site of the incline the cable is still lying on the ground down over the mountainside! That was kinda cool, but by now I was starting to feel so bad I no longer cared.
Word of Caution: Lifetime Maps is great for finding your way around. It is NOT always to be believed when it says "waterfall" or what have you. Yes, there were features here, but they did not deserve any special attention.
Kenny is getting where he dislikes hiking and can't handle long hikes.
I am unwilling to tolerate long rides. Looks like either some compromises coming in the Koogler Household or a wild west standoff.
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