"Don't go chasing waterfalls; please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to." -- TLC
Well, I ignored that catchy TLC song, went chasing waterfalls, and FOUND them! What is it we humans love about waterfalls??? As I wriggled my way through crowds of wet people, got up at the break of day, or tripped my way up and down root-riddled paths full of slippery stones while braving the high altitude lack of air, I pondered that question. I decided that we love the beauty, the magnificence, the power, and the rush of being somewhere out of the ordinary. If waterfalls ever become ordinary to me, something is dreadfully wrong. I have visited a total of eight NC waterfalls this summer, each unique in its own way, and each a wonder to me. Below I will attempt to give a short explanation of each of the falls, including location, trail description, and crowd conditions. I have put the falls in order of preference, favorite being first, but I loved each of them for different reasons, so ordering them was a little difficult. I would make a return visit to almost all of them with the exception of Grassy Creek Falls and High Falls.
RAINBOW FALLS
- The most majestic of the falls I visited.
- Notice rainbow in fourth picture, hence the name.
- Required a slightly grueling hike in of 3.5 miles (and 3.5 miles back out).
- People were swimming here, and some were jumping off the rocks next to the falls. (see 2nd pic.)
- Trail was rocky, steep, and slippery in some places.
- The trail itself was not really crowded; there was a school group there when I was there, so that added a little to the crowd. As I was leaving at about 1:30, the parking lot was definitely more crowded than it was when I arrived.
- I took a little fall (no pun intended) on this trail when I moved off the actual trail to allow some teen-age boys to pass me. It was more slippery than I realized, and I went sliding down. My hiking sticks helped me secure a quick stop. Unfortunately those boys were still discussing my fall as they were loading their bus at the end of the hike. 😏
- The trailhead is in Gorges State Park which is off of Hwy 64 near Lake Toxaway. There is no cost to enter, and plenty of parking is available.
- Trail in/out was lovely too. Trail pics will be on future post.
- There was a much smaller falls area before reaching the main falls. This area has large boulders that made a nice seating area for just enjoying the water and the view. Only one other lady was stopped there when I stopped.
- I combined this stop with time in the Highlands.
- I would recommend an early start before the heat of the day sets in too much.
LOOKING GLASS FALLS
- I put this one second because it had such a beautiful setting. The trees and rocks around it made it just idyllic.
- It is located in Pisgah Forest, about 5 miles from the entrance.
- There is no hiking required. Just park somewhere on the side of the ride and walk along the sidewalk. There is an observation area right beside the road, or you can take some flights down on stone steps to get closer.
- The observation area is pretty crowded as well as the steps. Lots of people were stopping for photo ops when I was there (twice).
- There is swimming down below, and that area was extremely crowded.
- This would definitely be a waterfall to visit if you have small children or elderly members in your group who cannot make a long strenuous hike.
HOOKER FALLS
- I placed this one next for a couple of reasons -- the walk in was not very long or strenuous, taking about 5-10 minutes, and when I was there it was so peaceful. (There's more to that story.)
- I attempted to go to Hooker Falls on two different occasions before I actually was able to go. Both times I had to give up the idea because the parking lot was FULL. I'm talking sign out front saying "Full" and cars still circling the lot hoping for a place. On my second visit I noticed that the park sign said that the lot opened at 5 am, so I kept that in the back of my mind.
- On my successful visit, I arrived a little before 8 am. There were already a few cars there but nothing significant. There are several hiking trails accessed by that same parking area, and that's where most of the people were that morning. When I arrived at the falls, there was only one lady there who was glad to see me because she was afraid of bears. Like I could do something to help with them!We talked some, but mostly just each enjoyed the peace of the waterfall and the quiet pond area near it.
- The huge boulders make great places to sit and read, think, relax to the sound of falling water. I appreciated that, knowing that at about 12 noon the place would be packed.
- The parking lot is located off of Staton Road in Dupont Forest. Staton runs into Little River Road which is one of the roads to take between Flat Rock and Brevard.
SKINNY DIP FALLS
- These falls were smaller than Rainbow or Looking Glass but very lovely. The setting was almost like something from The Jungle Book. It was also a swimming area.
- I found out about it from the lady I met at Hooker Falls. She recommended that I try to see it while I was in the area.
- It was a significant drive to find it. After viewing Looking Glass Falls, we continued on through Pisgah Forest on Hwy. 276 and eventually made it to the Blue Ridge Parkway. On the Parkway, we turned left (south). The Parkway at this point became very circuitous and windy (long i) and fun to drive on. In a previous post I told about stopping at every lookout possible.
- The GPS lead us to a parking area/overlook but we saw no signs for a waterfall. We finally realized that other people were just as confused as we were. We noticed some people heading into a wooded area across the road from the main parking lot, but there was still no sign, just a beaten trailhead. We decided to try it. Thankfully we were able to ask some hikers coming the opposite direction if we were in the right place, and we were.
- The hike in took about 45 minutes. It was rocky and slippery in some places. The ever-present roots were also an issue. There were some inclines but not as many as at Rainbow Falls. One portion of the trail required climbing from rock to rock but was not too tricky.
- Once at the falls, there was a good upper viewing area, good for photos. There were some stairs going down to a bridge and then rocks across the bridge. That was mainly for the swimmers. I went to the bridge, but no good pictures could be taken there because of foliage in the way.
- I recommend it if you have plenty of time. The drive from Looking Glass took about 30 minutes and then the additional walk in to Skinny Dip. It was definitely worth the time when you take into account the views from the road and the waterfall itself.
OTTER FALLS
- This picture doesn't really do it justice. It looks smaller here than it really is. I didn't get enough good pictures.
- This waterfall is not in the Flat Rock area. It is closer to Grandfather Mountain and Boone. The trailhead is actually right alongside Hwy. 105, the road you can take from Boone to Grandfather Mountain. There is a decent parking area off the road.
- The trail in is mostly gravel although you can choose to take a more natural trail. It leads down most of the way. It took about 20-25 minutes to reach the observation platform for the falls.
- Below the falls is a shallow creek good for wading in. I didn't go in because I just wasn't prepared (shoes/clothing) but I would have if I had known we'd be stopping there.
- Good place for kids to kill some time and have some easy water fun without getting totally wet.
TURTLEBACK FALLS
- This waterfall is above Rainbow Falls on the same hike. It was about 10-15 further UP the trail, including some steep inclines.
- I asked a couple of people along the way if they thought it was worth it to continue on to see Turtleback and got mixed reactions. It was lovely, but add in an additional 20 minutes there and back to Rainbow Falls. My issue was that it was a little bit difficult to get a good view of it.
- I actually dropped my phone here without realizing it. I think it slipped out of my pocket when I was climbing rocks for a better view. Luckily I was taking so many pictures that I soon realized I didn't have it. I went back to the last place I took a picture and then carefully retraced my steps and soon found it nestled in the grass to the side of the rocks. My heart rate increase for a little while had absolutely nothing to do with the climb or the high altitude!
GRASSY CREEK FALLS/HIGH FALLS
- Both of these falls are reached from the same trailhead. The parking area for that trailhead is off of Staten Road about a mile past the parking lot for Hooker Falls. It is on the opposite side of the road. This lot can also be very full at peak times of the day.
- I did not like these two as much because the view was from the top of both falls, not much of a view actually.
- The trail was pretty flat but was unshaded for much of the way. It was a hot hike and not very pretty.
- There were lots of bicycles and horses on the trails around these falls.
- The best thing about the trail was the covered bridge pictured above.
- I probably will not go back to these two falls.
I hope that you didn't find all of this information too boring. I wanted to give some helpful hints for those of you considering a visit to these NC waterfalls. If nothing else, the pictures are fun. My advice: Do go chasing waterfalls; please don't stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to!
