98 Big Creek

    There is a spot along SR 123 south of Piercetown where Big Creek is right next to the highway, at a big parking area.  We have driven past here many times and always say ‘someday we’ll stop to check it out’, well today we do just that.  It’s a gorgeous location on Big Creek but from the parking area you can’t really get down to the water, to make things worse someone has been dumping trash all along here, but we don't give up just yet.

    Backtrack less than a quarter mile to the first road down to Big Creek and a concrete low water bridge, this is Bethlehem Road (NC 4515).  Just across the bridge are fields on both sides of the road and seldom used paths going both north and south.  We head south towards that spot we saw from the highway.  The ‘road’ soon enters the woods and a fork with ‘private property’ postings on the left fork, so we take the right which turns into a narrow ATV trail at a nice campsite.  This is where we park and can see Big Creek through the trees.

    Up the ATV trail for about 100 yards, we find a clear path down the short steep bank to Big Creek right at that gorgeous spot we could see from the highway.  Sure enough, this looks like we could swim here not real deep but deep enough, the problem is the bank.  It’s pretty muddy with a lot of downed trees pinned against this side and on top of that we’re in the direct sun.  Plenty of shade back up the muddy bank but not down here next to the creek.

possible beach on Big Creek (pic taken in Jan. 2023)

    We head back to the truck to check out the north road.  Pretty much the same here, first through the small field then we come to a fork.  The left fork immediately descends the short steep bank and crosses Big Creek, we take the right fork, and the road ends at another nice campsite or possibly a couple campsites.  We park and walk down a short steep rocky trail to a small backwash area off Big Creek.  With low bluffs behind and boulders at water’s edge this is a lovely spot with plenty of shade.  But I can’t say this is a swimming hole, more of a ‘wildlife habitat’ especially inviting for turtles frogs and snakes, we head back to the truck.

Big Creek swimming hole below the highway (Jan. 2023)

    Turning at the fork we cross Big Creek which is less than a foot deep.  To the left (upstream) a couple hundred yards is a shallow hole up against the west bank under a very low bluff.  This could be a nice spot for the kids to play in the water with good shade in the afternoon.  We turn back to the north to see if we can drive along the creek to the Buffalo.  The answer is no, the road quickly gets choked out with brush, we park and continue on foot.

    We don’t get very far it’s getting close to noon and very hot in the sun.  We still haven’t done any swimming today, so we head back to the truck, and head over to Riggs Hole at Hasty to cool off.  This lower Big Creek area definitely has lots of potential even though the holes we found are on the small side, the nice campsites and scenery make it an area not to be overlooked.