Bad Branch State Nature Preserve
A boulder-filled stream leads to a 60-foot waterfall and onward through hemlock-hardwood forest toward High Rock, protecting rare plants and a cooler mountain microclimate.
Artwork inspired by Ann Stewart Anderson
Bad Branch protects an entire cool mountain watershed, not merely the 60-foot cascade at its photographic center. Clear water threading among boulders, ravine shade, old-growth hemlock, mixed mesophytic forest, and uncommon plants make the approach ecologically meaningful, revealing a sheltered plant community distinct from the surrounding slopes.
Follow the creek slowly enough to notice how water, rock, and forest reinforce that cooler microclimate. Rain can strengthen the waterfall while making rocky tread and crossings more demanding, and the route beyond the falls toward High Rock becomes a longer, rougher undertaking. Stay on the established trail: steep slopes, thin soils, and sensitive vegetation make shortcuts especially damaging.
- Waterfall
- 60-foot drop
- Protection
- State nature preserve
- Forest value
- Old-growth hemlock and mixed mesophytic habitat
Quick guide
- Best natural detail
- Cool ravine conditions support a plant community distinct from the surrounding slopes.
- Turnaround rule
- Rising water, storms, or fading light should end the hike before the falls.
Follow a protected watershed to its cascade
- Begin with the creek
- Clear water, boulders, hemlock, and ravine shade define the preserve before the falls.
- Watch the terrain
- Rocky tread and crossings become more demanding after rain even as waterfall flow improves.
- Stay on trail
- Sensitive forest communities and steep slopes make shortcuts especially damaging.
- Keep the goal proportional
- The preserve is valuable as habitat, not only as a waterfall photo destination.
Good to know
At Bad Branch State Nature Preserve, boulder creek and 60-foot falls may follow different access, tour, or weather constraints; use this destination’s official homepage for the current date and reserve ahead whenever the named experience is capacity-controlled.
Notice these
- boulder creek
- 60-foot falls
- High Rock forest