A WNC classic built around deep pothole swimming — and a genuinely dangerous one at the wrong flow. A fatality was reported here in July 2025 tied to hydraulics at high water. Run it low, or not at all.
Five rappels, the longest a 75-footer known locally as “Beverly Hillbilly Falls,” through terrain built around deep potholes and swimming. It’s a genuine WNC classic — and one where flow isn’t just a comfort question, it’s the difference between a fun day and a dangerous one.
Hazards
This canyon has a documented fatality. A death was reported at Steels Creek in July 2025, tied to dangerous flow and hydraulic conditions. RopeWiki’s own guidance is direct: run it during low water, and if the creek crossing at the access road looks difficult for your vehicle, the water is almost certainly too high to run the canyon safely.
- Recirculating hydraulics at R1 and R4 can trap a swimmer in the pothole nook — know how to recognize and avoid a hydraulic before you’re in one.
- This is not a canyon to push through “just to see” at high flow. Turn around and come back another day.
Anchors
A mix of bolted (unlinked) and natural anchors, plus a retrievable traverse line to access R4.
Beta summarized from RopeWiki’s Steels Creek page — read the full page and any recent incident reports before you go. Flow assessment matters more here than almost anywhere else on this list.