Author: Ruth Shore Stewart
With temperatures 10 to 20 degrees cooler, Western North Carolina provides a welcome escape during the dog days of summer. Imagine your face sprinkled with the mist of a waterfall as you rest on a cool rock under a forest canopy. If this sounds good to you, Western North Carolina is the place to be.
Find your waterfall in North Carolina’s mountains. Here are five of our favorite places to chill with waterfalls:
Gorges State Park
Located in Transylvania County near the tripoint where North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia meet, Gorges State Park features 26 waterfalls.
The two most popular waterfalls in the park are Rainbow Falls and Bearwallow Falls, which are both accessed by trails under two miles. Both trails are moderately difficult, so be prepared, but we promise the waterfall views are worth it.
Image Caption/photo credit: Waterfall at Gorges State Park. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Catawba Falls
Catawba Falls, just 25 miles away from Asheville, NC, is known to be one of the most popular waterfalls in North Carolina and offers stunning beauty thanks to a series of cascades that, together, are 100 feet tall.
Follow this trail along the scenic headwaters of the Catawba River for a 4-mile round trip hike to the beautiful cascading waterfall. The trail is moderately difficult and leads you through lush forests and along the Catawba River.
Please note: while the entire Catawba Falls loop trail is open, the upper viewing platform and Wildflower Trail remain closed following Hurricane Helene. Additional repairs will continue at the site through the summer months. Visitors are encouraged to exercise extra care and follow all posted signage and closures.
Hanging Rock State Park
Located in Stokes County a short way from Winston-Salem, Hanging Rock State Park offers trails that lead to picturesque waterfalls.
While this park has many waterfalls to choose from, Upper Cascades Falls is one of the most popular. A short hike downhill will bring you to the waterfall and a wooden observation deck that showcases the beauty of the quartzite rock that the park is known for.
If you want to get serious about cooling off, take the short 0.4-mile one-way hike to Lower Cascades Falls. The waterfall tumbles 35 feet into a shallow pool that is a very popular place to hang on hot days.
Image Caption/photo credit: Waterfall at Hanging Rock State Park. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Linville Falls
Linville Falls is probably one of the most famous waterfalls in the Blue Ridge. Located off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Linville Falls drop in a breathtaking three-tiered cascade and can be viewed from several overlooks along both moderate and strenuous hiking trails from the Linville Falls Visitors Center. The currents are too strong for swimming near the falls, but you can get near the river where there are big boulders you can sit on to enjoy the soothing sounds of the water.
Please note: the Linville Falls Visitors Center is temporarily closed at this time, but you can access the falls via the Chimney View, Erwins View, and Gorge View trails from the USFS Gravel Parking Lot on US 221 north, and that the Upper Falls Trail remains closed at this time.
Stone Mountain State Park
Located in Alleghany and Wilkes counties, Stone Mountain State Park offers more than 14,000 acres of lush woodland concealing bountiful trout streams fed by gorgeous waterfalls and winding creeks.
There are four named falls in the park, the 160-foot Stone Mountain Falls is by far one of the most popular, but one of the beauties of the park, Widow’s Falls, shouldn’t be missed. This 25-foot waterfall located in a secluded nook a short distance up the Widow’s Creek Trail, which is accessible from a small parking area along the park’s main road. A shaded swimming hole at the bottom of Widow’s Falls draws visitors seeking refuge on hot summer days.
Image Caption/photo credit: Widow’s Creek Falls at Stone Mountain State Park. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
While visiting the wonderful waterfalls of North Carolina, please always remember to enjoy and view them safely. To learn more, check out NC State Park’s waterfall safety tips.