diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 66aba94056f6..8a6293dc7b9a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ These changes are available in the [master branch](https://github.com/PrefectHQ/
 
 ### Task Library
 
-- None
+- Add task for creating new branches in a GitHub repository - [#1011](https://github.com/PrefectHQ/prefect/pull/1011) 
 
 ### Fixes
 
diff --git a/docs/guide/task_library/github.md b/docs/guide/task_library/github.md
index 27f54a6c0bca..1a72b6e48c6a 100644
--- a/docs/guide/task_library/github.md
+++ b/docs/guide/task_library/github.md
@@ -22,3 +22,9 @@ Task for opening / creating new GitHub issues using the v3 version of the GitHub
 Task for retrieving GitHub repository information using the v3 version of the GitHub REST API.
 
 [API Reference](/api/unreleased/tasks/github.html#prefect-tasks-github-prs-getrepoinfo)
+
+## CreateBranch <Badge text="task"/>
+
+Task for creating new branches in a given GitHub repository using the v3 version of the GitHub REST API.
+
+[API Reference](/api/unreleased/tasks/github.html#prefect-tasks-github-prs-createbranch)
diff --git a/docs/outline.toml b/docs/outline.toml
index 2038b02f55cd..0c7587c25da3 100644
--- a/docs/outline.toml
+++ b/docs/outline.toml
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ classes = ["S3Download", "S3Upload"]
 [pages.tasks.github]
 title = "GitHub Tasks"
 module = "prefect.tasks.github"
-classes = ["CreateGitHubPR", "OpenGitHubIssue", "GetRepoInfo"]
+classes = ["CreateGitHubPR", "OpenGitHubIssue", "GetRepoInfo", "CreateBranch"]
 
 [pages.tasks.kubernetes]
 title = "Kubernetes Tasks"
diff --git a/src/prefect/tasks/github/__init__.py b/src/prefect/tasks/github/__init__.py
index 57d438f64db0..5b1e2c4a8541 100644
--- a/src/prefect/tasks/github/__init__.py
+++ b/src/prefect/tasks/github/__init__.py
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@
 
 from .issues import OpenGitHubIssue
 from .prs import CreateGitHubPR
-from .repos import GetRepoInfo
+from .repos import GetRepoInfo, CreateBranch
diff --git a/src/prefect/tasks/github/repos.py b/src/prefect/tasks/github/repos.py
index 63c9e29e6f4d..b7b7d888efe0 100644
--- a/src/prefect/tasks/github/repos.py
+++ b/src/prefect/tasks/github/repos.py
@@ -70,3 +70,88 @@ def run(self, repo: str = None, info_keys: List[str] = None) -> None:
         data = resp.json()
 
         return {key: data[key] for key in info_keys}
+
+
+class CreateBranch(Task):
+    """
+    Task for creating new branches using the v3 version of the GitHub REST API.
+
+    Args:
+        - repo (str, optional): the name of the repository to create the branch in; must be provided in the
+            form `organization/repo_name` or `user/repo_name`; can also be provided to the `run` method
+        - base (str, optional): the name of the branch you want to branch off; can also
+            be provided to the `run` method.  Defaults to "master".
+        - branch_name (str, optional): the name of the new branch; can also be provided to the `run` method
+        - token_secret (str, optional): the name of the Prefect Secret containing your GitHub Access Token;
+            defaults to "GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN"
+        - **kwargs (Any, optional): additional keyword arguments to pass to the standard Task init method
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        repo: str = None,
+        base: str = "master",
+        branch_name: str = None,
+        token_secret: str = "GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN",
+        **kwargs: Any
+    ):
+        self.repo = repo
+        self.base = base
+        self.branch_name = branch_name
+        self.token_secret = token_secret
+        super().__init__(**kwargs)
+
+    @defaults_from_attrs("repo", "base", "branch_name")
+    def run(self, repo: str = None, base: str = None, branch_name: str = None) -> dict:
+        """
+        Run method for this Task. Invoked by calling this Task after initialization within a Flow context,
+        or by using `Task.bind`.
+
+        Args:
+            - repo (str, optional): the name of the repository to open the issue in; must be provided in the
+                form `organization/repo_name`; defaults to the one provided at initialization
+            - base (str, optional): the name of the branch you want to branch off; if not provided here,
+                defaults to the one set at initialization
+            - branch_name (str, optional): the name of the new branch; if not provided here, defaults to
+                the one set at initialization
+
+        Raises:
+            - ValueError: if a `repo` or `branch_name` was never provided, or if the base branch wasn't found
+            - HTTPError: if the GET request returns a non-200 status code
+
+        Returns:
+            - dict: dictionary of the response (includes commit hash, etc.)
+        """
+        if branch_name is None:
+            raise ValueError("A branch name must be provided.")
+
+        if repo is None:
+            raise ValueError("A GitHub repository must be provided.")
+
+        ## prepare the request
+        token = Secret(self.token_secret).get()
+        url = "https://api.github.com/repos/{}/git/refs".format(repo)
+        headers = {
+            "AUTHORIZATION": "token {}".format(token),
+            "Accept": "application/vnd.github.v3+json",
+        }
+
+        ## gather branch information
+        resp = requests.get(url + "/heads", headers=headers)
+        resp.raise_for_status()
+        branch_data = resp.json()
+
+        commit_sha = None
+        for branch in branch_data:
+            if branch.get("ref") == "refs/heads/{}".format(base):
+                commit_sha = branch.get("object", {}).get("sha")
+                break
+
+        if commit_sha is None:
+            raise ValueError("Base branch {} not found.".format(base))
+
+        ## create new branch
+        new_branch = {"ref": "refs/heads/{}".format(branch_name), "sha": commit_sha}
+        resp = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=new_branch)
+        resp.raise_for_status()
+        return resp.json()
diff --git a/tests/tasks/github/test_repos.py b/tests/tasks/github/test_repos.py
index a09972292c7c..a7425d6e7655 100644
--- a/tests/tasks/github/test_repos.py
+++ b/tests/tasks/github/test_repos.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 import prefect
-from prefect.tasks.github import GetRepoInfo
+from prefect.tasks.github import GetRepoInfo, CreateBranch
 from prefect.utilities.configuration import set_temporary_config
 
 
@@ -32,8 +32,40 @@ def test_repo_is_required_eventually(self):
         assert "repo" in str(exc.value)
 
 
-class TestCredentialsandProjects:
-    def test_creds_are_pulled_from_secret_at_runtime(self, monkeypatch):
+class TestCreateBranchInitialization:
+    def test_initializes_with_nothing_and_sets_defaults(self):
+        task = CreateBranch()
+        assert task.repo is None
+        assert task.base == "master"
+        assert task.branch_name is None
+        assert task.token_secret == "GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN"
+
+    def test_additional_kwargs_passed_upstream(self):
+        task = CreateBranch(name="test-task", checkpoint=True, tags=["bob"])
+        assert task.name == "test-task"
+        assert task.checkpoint is True
+        assert task.tags == {"bob"}
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("attr", ["repo", "base", "branch_name", "token_secret"])
+    def test_initializes_attr_from_kwargs(self, attr):
+        task = CreateBranch(**{attr: "my-value"})
+        assert getattr(task, attr) == "my-value"
+
+    def test_repo_is_required_eventually(self):
+        task = CreateBranch(branch_name="bob")
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError) as exc:
+            task.run()
+        assert "repo" in str(exc.value)
+
+    def test_branch_name_is_required_eventually(self):
+        task = CreateBranch(repo="org/bob")
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError) as exc:
+            task.run()
+        assert "branch name" in str(exc.value)
+
+
+class TestCredentials:
+    def test_creds_are_pulled_from_secret_at_runtime_repo_info(self, monkeypatch):
         task = GetRepoInfo()
 
         req = MagicMock()
@@ -45,7 +77,21 @@ def test_creds_are_pulled_from_secret_at_runtime(self, monkeypatch):
 
         assert req.get.call_args[1]["headers"]["AUTHORIZATION"] == "token {'key': 42}"
 
-    def test_creds_secret_can_be_overwritten(self, monkeypatch):
+    def test_creds_are_pulled_from_secret_at_runtime_create_branch(self, monkeypatch):
+        task = CreateBranch()
+
+        req = MagicMock()
+        monkeypatch.setattr("prefect.tasks.github.repos.requests", req)
+
+        with set_temporary_config({"cloud.use_local_secrets": True}):
+            with prefect.context(secrets=dict(GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN={"key": 42})):
+                with pytest.raises(ValueError) as exc:
+                    task.run(repo="org/repo", branch_name="new")
+
+        assert req.get.call_args[1]["headers"]["AUTHORIZATION"] == "token {'key': 42}"
+        assert "not found" in str(exc.value)
+
+    def test_creds_secret_can_be_overwritten_repo_info(self, monkeypatch):
         task = GetRepoInfo(token_secret="MY_SECRET")
 
         req = MagicMock()
@@ -56,3 +102,35 @@ def test_creds_secret_can_be_overwritten(self, monkeypatch):
                 task.run(repo="org/repo")
 
         assert req.get.call_args[1]["headers"]["AUTHORIZATION"] == "token {'key': 42}"
+
+    def test_creds_secret_can_be_overwritten_create_branch(self, monkeypatch):
+        task = CreateBranch(token_secret="MY_SECRET")
+
+        req = MagicMock()
+        monkeypatch.setattr("prefect.tasks.github.repos.requests", req)
+
+        with set_temporary_config({"cloud.use_local_secrets": True}):
+            with prefect.context(secrets=dict(MY_SECRET={"key": 42})):
+                with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+                    task.run(repo="org/repo", branch_name="new")
+
+        assert req.get.call_args[1]["headers"]["AUTHORIZATION"] == "token {'key': 42}"
+
+
+def test_base_name_is_filtered_for(monkeypatch):
+    task = CreateBranch(base="BOB", branch_name="NEWBRANCH")
+
+    payload = [{"ref": "refs/heads/BOB", "object": {"sha": "salty"}}]
+    req = MagicMock(
+        get=MagicMock(return_value=MagicMock(json=MagicMock(return_value=payload)))
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr("prefect.tasks.github.repos.requests", req)
+
+    with set_temporary_config({"cloud.use_local_secrets": True}):
+        with prefect.context(secrets=dict(MY_SECRET={"key": 42})):
+            task.run(repo="org/repo")
+
+    assert req.post.call_args[1]["json"] == {
+        "ref": "refs/heads/NEWBRANCH",
+        "sha": "salty",
+    }