Middle Creek
NC 106 - Park and Huck
| Difficulty | III-V(V+) |
| Length | 0.43 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 17, 2025 |
River Description
This thing starts out small, but don't be fooled. I only hiked maybe the first .5 mile and the drops just got bigger and then the bottom dropped out.
The first three drops or so are pretty clean looking slides with good recovery pools. After that they get interesting; make sure you land scout.
I have hiked pretty much all of Middle Creek and it is defently a Park and Huck Creek. There are 5 slides that are defently runnable, and one more huge waterfall that someone may can run but for most of us it is not. After this 6th rapid things get really out of hand. The creek starts to get full of tress and rocks for a little ways after the big falls then the bottom drops out. The first huge waterfall is the Paradise Falls in the picture then there is the Death Flume. After that the creek just gets nastier. The creek drops over 400 feet in a quarter of a mile as it falls off the highlands platue. I did not see anything that looked close to being runnable plus the portage would be horrible as it is all thick rhodo. The waterfalls are all full of huge bolders that have fallen off the mountain and it stays that way all the way untill it get flat in the valley below. That being said. Run the first 5 slides that are all next to 106 with a pretty good fishermen's trail besides. Land scout before you put on to check for new wood and make sure you can get out at the eddy after the 5th slide or you will be running the last slide which drops over 70 feet. Run it then hike back up to your car or run laps on it.
River Features
Side 1
Put in above the bridge and run a slide that drops about 8 feet.
Slide 2
Looks pretty simple drops about 10 feet. Hole may develope at high water.
Slide 3
Run either right side or down the center. Drops about 12-15 total.
Slide 4
Drops about 20 feet have to go down the right side where most of water goes. Rocky and far right wall not a place to be. Center and Left center has vertical drop in middle that lands on rock.
Slide 5
Drops about 18 feet total. Very clean for an 18 foot slide, but has an undercut rock at the bottom left side. Run down the center with a little right angle if possible to avoid the undercut rock. This would probably not be that difficult of a rapid if it were not for the what it factor.
Be aware that this is the last slide and only has a small pool before you will be running the 70 footer below. This would be a place where you would need saftey set at bottom to make sure no-one runs the big one.
Slide 6
If you run it you can name it. THis is really a class 6. It only has a line that is a maybe and if all goes perfect. The first 30 feet of drop is really nice, but then it get nasty as the water goes into the left bank with rocks and sieves as it then drops off a 12 foot vertical onto rocks with still 10 more feet of drop left. The whole thing looks to drop about 75 feet or so. If you run it make sure you get a picture and on video.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportMan this thing looks huge. I've heard of it being all park and huck. Any idea of what's after Death Chute?
Update: There's acutally another way to access part of Middle Creek from Otto, NC. From 441 North take Tessenee Rd and then take Middle Creek Road. It follows a rather easy looking section of Middle Creek.
Come rain there will be more info....
It may start small, but check out the rest...
The second is bigger than the first, but the creek is still just warming up...
This is the first slide, after this things start to get real serious. The drop is about 15 ft total.
I think this is the top of the fourth drop, but it may be a different drop.
Not sure where this is on the run. I think it is one of the last before Paradise Falls and the Death Chute.
Looking upstream at what is (I think) one of the last rapids before Paradise Falls and the Death Chute. They are a ways downstream though, no need to panic...yet.
This one looks like fun.
This might be runnable, but I'll take the pictures, thanks.
Run it if you want. Maybe we should call it Bonecrusher.
Not sure where this one is on the run, but it gives you a good idea what the creek is like.
I call this Paradise Falls, because when you hike into it it feels like a little piece of paradise. It is a great spot for skinny dipping in the summer. From a paddling perspective, I don't imagine how it could be runnable, and the portage is almost as bad. There is a portage/hiking trail on river left that drops almost as fast as the falls, but you have to contend with all of the rhododendron. There is also a trail that leads out to NC-106 and a short jaunt back to the putin if you've had enough. The death chute immediately follows Paradise Falls below that big boulder in the center of the frame. There is a small pool below the falls before the Death Chute begins.
This chute is falling at about a 45 degree angle and looks to be choked with boulders, make sure you have all of your assets in order before you decide to run this.
There is surely more after this, but this is as far as I have been able to hike.