Yellow Creek (Bullet Crk. trib./Monroe Co.)
FR 44 to Bullet Creek
| Difficulty | V |
| Length | 1.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 700 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 12, 2025 |
River Description
Locals first paddled the creek sometime in 2005. There are a handful of drops up top, mostly landing on rocks and full of wood. Some of them could be run at select levels. This run is similar to Hurricane Creek over near Harmon Den, NC, but less quality and less runnable. The rhododendron is the thickest around and there will have to be a serious chunk of work done before this thing could be fully runnable.
The first 8-10 foot spout needs good water to be clean, but looks like fun. The other good drop is right near the bottom where Yellow has its confluence with Bullet Creek. This stretch starts with two 8-foot off-vertical ledges and then the creek goes off of Yellow Creek Falls. The falls is a 20-foot bouncing slide that lands in a space the size of a coffin, right in front of a big boulder. This drop is super sketchy at best. The landing is way too tight, and little control is possible on the slide. There is also no room to drive right, which is what would have to happen if one didn't want to destroy themselves on the rock below. Unless there is a lot of water, this drop kinda ruins the continuity in this stretch. The drops below Yellow Creek Falls are very nice, though, and will make for a unique side trip while in the area.
Below Yellow Creek Falls, the creek flows over nice bedrock. There are two drops here of worth. The first is a 14-foot bedrock shelf that is clean on the left and lands on rock on the right. Drive left here. The second part occurs after winding down a fun low angle bedrock slide for a ways. The river piles up and drops through a spout against the river right wall. The spout drops around 12-14 feet and is quite picturesque as it lands in a large pool with big cliffs surrounding it. This is a local swimming spot, and the end of the run. Right below the creek drops int
...River Features
Put In
#1
Lands on rock. With enough water this would be runnable. Its around 8 feet.
#2
manky boulder jumble that can be run down the right/center
#3
This one is super tight and many of the drops land on rocks. It drops around 25-30 feet. Don't think this one has been run yet.
#4
This one will be a series of hard hits. The creek is also split at an island here so it will have even less water than the full flow of the creek.
#5
A clean 8 foot off vertical ledge. This one and its cousin below could be great if they didn't put you right into the nasty Yellow Creek Falls.
#6
This puts you right into Yellow Creek Falls
Yellow Creek Falls
Lands right into a rock. Possible to drive right, but consequences aren't pretty.
Swimming Hole Falls
One fo the few good drops on the run, possibly excepting drop #1.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportjust another gnarly drop
Now that the person who has hiked the river but not ran it is no longer the stream keeper, more accurate information may become posted. Yellow Creek was first attempted by Matt (Badfish on BT) who took off after the first couple humdred yards. Keith Clark and I did the run because we had already set shuttle and had to get to the bottom any way. Yellow is a very hard run with some of the best rapid only unrunable due to wood. It and Bullet creek it runs into are both intense runs with some great rapid mixed in with all the mank, the portages which are many are pure hell. Mark cumknock has a good write up of both creeks on the Walden ridge webb site. If you want more information feel free to call me at 803 319 1719 or if you would rather hear about it from badfish I have his number somewhere. We have picture and video of these creeks and not the ones the hiker took with no water either.
here is some more intel pertaining to the first d of yellow creek with pictures included
provided by some internet surfer
http://kayakwesty.smugmug.com/gallery/2149771\_sDtCS#111447621\_LG2du
Looks like more water would pad this drop out better. Cool drop though.
This one looks ok down the right side.
This is the first of around 5 drops. It gets tighter further into things.
This one splits around an island, with the cascade shown being on river left. A few hard hits, what you see is what you get.
Unrunnable boulers with wood.
Notice the rock in the landing. It looks even tighter in person. Better have iron legs/ankles for this one.
You might as well hike up and look at this as its only 100 feet up from the confluence. Pretty spot.