Coleman Boundary

On Friday, October 2, I went out to the Coleman Boundary in Barnardsville. It had been raining steadily for a week and I knew the waterfalls there would be healthier than the faint gasps they were on my last visit in August. I also wanted to check out the progress of the autumn color there, since it is usually a good location for that.

The Coleman Boundary is accessed off of Dillingham Road in Barnardsville via Forest Service Road 74. FS 74 is a nine-mile gravel road that climbs up the underbelly of the Craggy Mountains and passes a number of roadside cascades and waterfalls. The road ends in a cul-de-sac, allowing a turn-around for the trip back down. A half-mile trail leads to Douglas Falls, a 70-foot free-fall from a high bluff. The trail is fairly easy but requires caution in slick and muddy spots caused by spring seapage.

The water levels, as expected, were insane. There were waterfalls coming out of every pore in the mountains, many spots where they don't normally occur. The autumn color was just beginning, mostly yellows. Originally it was looking like an abnormally early autumn color season, but the recent rains have slowed things down until where they're now just about on a normal pace. I would estimate another ten days or so for peak color to reach the Coleman Boundary.

The waterfall in the photo is Walker Falls, about halfway up the gravel road. Along with Douglas Falls it is one of the more impressive falls in the area. The yellows are usually very nice at this waterfall.

FS 74 does not have any access roads, so you need to backtrack from the road's terminus. This gives you another opportunity to see everything one more time on the way down. This is a great road for those who are elderly or have disabilities. You don't even need to get out of your car to see the waterfalls and cascades, but I would recommend stopping and enjoying as many as you can up close and personal.