Paint Creek
Kelley Falls até Dudley Falls
| Dificuldade | III+(IV) |
| Comprimento | 3.2 mi |
| Gradiente médio | não aplicável |
| Informações de alcance Última atualização | 14 de julho de 2026 |
Paint Creek is a pretty roadside run close to Hot Springs, NC. The run is bookended by the 20-foot not quite vertical Kelley Falls and the very fun slide called Dudley Falls and its ledgey lead-in, with just a bit of warm up and cool down, and you can also paddle all the way to the French Broad. The two named drops are a full grade harder than the rest of the run, which consists of smaller 2-3 foot ledges and rapids. Paint Creek is prone to being woody, so stay heads up for wood portages. There is ample camping and hiking opportunities in the corridor, and the easy road access makes scouting and picking the right section for your group pretty easy. If Paint Creek doesn't appeal to you when you get there, chances are nearby Spring Creek or Big Laurel is be running.
Be sure to check out the pictographs on Paint Rock, just upstream of the Paint Creek confluence on a rock face above the road next to the French Broad. Unfortunately the once grand pictograph panel is marred by woodsmoke and graffiti, but some remnants of the geometric indigenous art still remain.
Put in near the Campground or at the Paint Creek Trailhead.
18-20 foot falls
Don't be fooled by the photos, this is a big drop, perhaps 15 feet tall. A series of small ledges leads to a tall horizon line with eddies on either side. The drip offers paddlers a steep and fast roll over slide that levels out at the bottom.
This is a nice short take-out, but of course you could continue down to the French Broad for more mileage.
Julho 12, 2026
We swung by Paint Creek following some very high water to check it out. Kelley Falls had a nasty wood fence just downstream, but the rest of the creek seemed relatively wood free compared to 2024. There is still some wood in there though, mostly between the rapids, so stay heads up! We did not end up paddling. Big Laurel was running 1.5 feet.
13 fevereiro de 2024
Com o nível da água em Big Laurel em torno de 15 centímetros, seguimos para Paint Creek bem tarde. Havia muita madeira submersa, o que impossibilitou percorrer todo o trecho no tempo que tínhamos até escurecer, então optamos por pular a parte superior (incluindo, infelizmente, Kelley Falls) e entrar na água em uma ponte mais abaixo, com uma corredeira interessante logo abaixo. Nenhum de nós conhecia Paint Creek, mas foi fácil de entender. Dudley Falls foi uma corredeira muito divertida. Saímos rio abaixo, na trilha Dog Hobble, logo abaixo de uma pequena e agradável queda d'água.
