Burgan Creek Falls Directions

Directions Burgan Creek Falls

by Dana Koogler  as of Sunday Feb. 5, 2017

GPS coordinates for Burgan Creek Falls
Decimal= 35.26458,-83.84017
Degrees decimal minutes= 35°15.875 N 83°50.410 W

Burgan Creek Falls is a 60 ft falls in a headwaters hollow
Best seen in Winter or early Spring after times of heavier rainfall.
It lies on public land as part of the Nantahala Game Lands in Graham Co. NC

Do NOT approach from the east Long Creek Road as described in Kevin Adam's book unless you just like doing things the hard way. :-) There is no trail from that side.

Give a shout out to Marshall & Hoot for constructing and maintaining a trail from Atoah Gap Rd on the west side of it. 

From Robbinsville and the Junction of Hwy 129 North and SR 143 Cherohala Skyway go 4.3 miles west on Rt 143.  You'll have Santeetlah Lake on your right most of the way.   Turn LEFT onto I .U. Gap Road the sign was removed as of Feb. 2017 but the road number is 1118 and that was still on the post.  Drive 1.83 miles to an intersection with 1112 and turn RIGHT onto Atoah Rd.  The road narrows and turns to gravel not far along it, but remains passable to just about any vehicle.
Follow it out about a mile.  You will see Atoah Shooting Range on the right.
Just before you reach the shooting range.. maybe 100 ft back down the road you will see a gated forest access road.  Park here.  It is 0.9 miles one way to the falls. Easy to moderate hike.
Walk past the gate on the access road. You will round a bend and come to a point in a few hundred yards where the access road bends to the left.  You will need to bear right. You will see an assortment of metal junk here. Discarded metal tank and what looks like parts of an old water heater.  The route is well maintained and flagged all the way to the falls.

Follow the flagged route up the hill and it comes to the top of the ridge and goes down the other side. At the bottom of the hill you will encounter Burgan Creek.
You now have another .4 miles to go approx.  If Burgan Creek is flowing poorly this is a good time to turn around.
You will cross the creek here.  It is an easy rock hop as are all the crossings.
Continue along the left side of the stream heading up Burgan Creek.
You will go down a knoll and through a flat area.  You have all the worst behind you and the remainder of the hike is very easy.  You will probably hear the falls before you see it if it is flowing well.  You will cross the stream at least one more time.

Follow the trail up to the base of the falls with the approach from the left bank of the stream.  This looks like it would be a pretty good Spring wildflower hike.
Some large timber in here almost all poplar trees.  Saw one piece of litter the entire trip on the trail itself.   Burgan Creek Falls was no disappointment!  It was lovely. It resembles Falls Branch Falls off Cherohala Skyway.

Burgan Creek Falls taken on a visit May 4, 2019

Below is a video of the falls shot on that visit.