Upper Creek Falls is a gorgeous series of falls and cascades in Burke County NC. It is a short drive on Hwy 181 off the Blue Ridge Parkway MM 312.5.
A short hike from the parking area, you come to some impressive smooth rocks with water cascading over them. Do not walk over these rocks! They are very slippery with algae and the fall off the rocks would be a deadly one.
If you hike a short distance to the left, you will come upon some fantastic swimming holes. Some are shallow and wadable. Others are deeper and great diving holes too. Be careful, all the rocks are covered with algae and very slippery. We all loved wading in the water, and our lab loved diving into and swimming in the cool pools of clean mountain water. Fetching sticks was fun for her, and fun for us to watch, as she got confused between all the sticks that were available. The water was a bit chilly for our bones, but the dog was in heaven.
One of our favorite spots in all of Upper Creek Falls is this swimming hole pictured below. You can get to it by climbing across some smooth rocks. There is a great rope swing for swinging into the cool water. The trickle of water cascading down over the rocks makes a perfect water slide. GREAT FUN!