Upper Creek
1.5 Raven Cliff Gorge to FR 982
| Difficulty | III+(IV) |
| Length | 1.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 12, 2025 |
River Description
Lat/longitude coords of putin & takeout are a SWAG.
Phil Malatin testifies:
The section of Upper Creek that we ran is a quickie with one good rapid
called Roadside Attraction. Since the floods of 2004, Roadside Attraction has become a scary looking drop. The right side of the landing zone is seived out terribly. Definitely have a look before you take the plunge.
To the put in: From the FR 982 bridge follow the creek upstream to the end
of the road where the dirt piles are and park. Continue up the road with
your boat on your back to where the road ends and Raven Cliff Gorge begins.
The trail continues up to the right. The creek is once again even with the
road. When the leaves are off the trees, Roadside Attraction is very
obvious, and even when it is thick, the noise will let you know to go down
and take a look. It is about halfway up.
At high water, we ran it down to the FR 982 bridge. That was a long time
ago, but I don't remember anything very remarkable in there.
River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportJuicy flow on Upper Creek spring 2018
The road is open as of August 2005, but the damage has not been repaired. If you decide to paddle back to your car, beware that there is a bad log crossing the stream.
The road to Upper Creek is toast. You could still conceivably hike the shuttle from the gate. Would it be worth it?
See more pictures of North Carolina runs at http://www.alexjharvey.com/cascades.htm.