Carolina Waterfalls
North and South Carolina are full of fantastic hikes and beautiful waterfalls. There are hundreds of cascades – western North Carolina even contains an area known as the “Land of the Waterfalls.” Below are my favorite waterfalls found in the Carolinas with links to more photos and trail information.
Batson Creek Falls
Baston Creek Falls is a 20-foot cascade on Batson Creek. The best viewpoint for the public is from an overlook in Connestee Falls Park. There is a universally accessible boardwalk and overlook.
Big Bear Falls
While the main waterfall attraction at South Mountain State Park has been High Shoals Falls, Big Bear Falls now has a well-developed trail. The water flows down an upper drop, wraps around a long slab, and then drops again into the creek.
Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls is a 120-foot waterfall in DuPont State Forest that is split into two sections. From the High Falls access area, it is 2.3 miles to the waterfall.
Bridal Veil Falls
Located along the Cullasaja River near Highlands, NC, Bridal Veil Falls is nearly 120 feet, although only 60 feet of the cascade is visible from the road.
Carrick Creek Falls
Carrick Creek Falls is a 15-foot waterfall in Table Rock State Park, located just steps from the nature center.
Carter Falls
Carter Falls is a lovely series of cascades which make a 50-foot waterfall in Elkin, NC. There are also several trails and sites to see from a trailhead at Grassy Creek Vineyard.
Catawba Falls
Catawba Falls is a 100-foot waterfall in the Pisgah National Forest. This gorgeous waterfall splits into channels and tumbles over a moss- and vegetation-covered rockface.
Cathedral Falls (Bird Rock Falls)
Cathedral Falls is a 15-foot waterfall along the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway. The landscape around the falls is incredible!
Cathey’s Creek Falls
Cathey’s Creek Falls is an 80-foot waterfall near Brevard, North Carolina off Forest Road 471.
Cedar Creek Falls
Cedar Creek Falls is a 15-foot cascade along an easy trail in Sumter National Forest.
Cedar Rock Falls and Upper Cedar Rock Falls
It’s a 2-mile roundtrip hike to the 20-foot Cedar Rock Falls. Nearby on the same trail is the 10-foot Upper Cedar Rock Falls.
Crabtree Falls
Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Crabtree Falls is a 70-foot waterfall along a 3-mile roundtrip hike from the trailhead.
Connestee Falls
Connestee Falls is an 85-foot waterfall on Carson Creek. It and Batson Creek Falls are a pair of converging waterfalls near Brevard, NC. There is a universally accessible boardwalk and overlook.
Cove Creek Falls
Cove Creek Falls is a 50-foot waterfall you can see from a 2-mile loop, or you can take a longer 4-mile loop. The hike offers a view from the base of the waterfall and from the mid-point.
Daniel Ridge Falls
Also known as Toms Spring Branch Falls or Jackson Falls, Daniel Ridge Falls is over 100-feet in Pisgah National Forest. It is a half-mile to the waterfall on the Daniel Ridge Trail.
Dill Falls and Upper Dill Falls
Here you can see two waterfalls in one stop! The 50-foot Dill Falls and 20-foot Upper Dill Falls are 0.5-miles roundtrip each.
Discovery Falls
Discovery Falls cascades 75 feet down an angled rock face near Forest Road 475B. Its trail spurs off a logging road close to Brevard, North Carolina.
Dry Falls
Dry Falls is a 75-foot waterfall which flows over a bluff, allowing visitors to walk under it. If the water volume is low, you can walk behind it without getting wet, hence the name Dry Falls.
French Broad Falls and Mill Shoals Falls
These twin 15-foot waterfalls are a very short hike from the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway. If you continue on the trail, you can view a third waterfall – Cathedral Falls.
Glen Falls
Glen Falls is a triple waterfall in Nantahala National Forest. Four overlooks give visitors excellent views of the 60- and 70-foot falls.
Grassy Creek Falls
This 50-foot waterfall is located in DuPont State Forest. From the High Falls access area, it is 1.5 miles to Grassy Creek Falls.
Graveyard Fields Upper Falls and Second Falls
Graveyard Fields is a popular hiking area off the Blue Ridge Parkway with two waterfalls. The 55-foot lower waterfall, called Second Falls, is only a third of a mile from the parking area. Upper Falls is two sections – a 40-foot main drop followed by a narrow chute down a rockface.
Grogan Creek Falls
Grogan Creek Falls is a 4-mile roundtrip hike. The 20-foot waterfall is located at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education along with Cedar Rock Falls.
Hidden Falls
Hidden Falls is a small 10-foot waterfall in Hanging Rock State Park. It is a short hike (0.4 miles) that can be combined with Window Falls into one longer trail.
High Falls
High Falls lives up to its name with a 150-foot cascade. This beautiful hike in DuPont State Forest also gives you views of the covered bridge.
High Falls (Cullowhee Falls)
Located near Lake Glenville, High Falls (also known as Cullowhee Falls) cascades 150 feet over the cliffs of Tuckasegee Gorge.
High Shoals Falls
High Shoals Falls is an 80-foot waterfall located a mile from the parking area in South Mountain State Park.
Hooker Falls
Hooker Falls is a 15-foot waterfall that flows over the wide, ledge on Little River in DuPont State Forest.
Indian Creek Falls
25-foot Indian Creek Falls is one of three on a loop hike in the Deep Creek area.
Juney Whank Falls
Juney Whank is one of three waterfalls on a loop hike in the Deep Creek area. The 90-foot cascade has a short, steep trail.
Justus Cove Falls
20-foot Justus Cove Falls is easily accessible from the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway. The trail is less than a half-mile roundtrip.
King Creek Falls
King Creek Falls is a 70-foot waterfall accessible with a 1.5-mile hike from Forest Road 646 in Sumter National Forest.
Licklog Falls
Licklog Falls is an 80-foot waterfall that can be seen from the Chattooga River Trail in Sumter National Forest. Pigpen Falls is just 0.2 miles away on the same path.
Linville Falls
Beautiful Linville Falls is right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are two trails (both around 1.5 miles) with multiple viewpoints. The dual upper falls overlook is only a half mile from the visitor center.
Log Hollow Falls and Upper Log Hollow Falls
Log Hollow Falls is an easy, half-mile walk along a logging road in the Pisgah National Forest. Upper Log Hollow Falls is a 20-foot waterfall nearby.
Logging Road Falls
A 10-minute walk from nearby Log Hollow Falls, the 75-foot Logging Road Falls can be seen along a logging road in the Pisgah National Forest.
Looking Glass Falls
Looking Glass is a 60-foot waterfall in Pisgah National Forest which can be seen from the roadside of the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway.
Lower Cascade Falls
Lower Cascade Falls is a 35-foot waterfall in Hanging Rock State Park. This is my favorite waterfall in the park!
Merry Falls
Merry Falls is a split waterfalls with a 12-foot drop followed by another 20 feet of cascades. It is a roadside waterfall just outside DuPont State Recreational Forest.
Mill Creek Falls
Mill Creek Falls is a narrow 25-foot waterfall on Pinnacle Mountain in Table Rock State Park.
Mingo Falls
Mingo Falls is a 120-foot waterfall on the Cherokee Indian Reservation (Qualla Boundary), just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.
Moore Cove Falls
Just down the road from Looking Glass on the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway, a 1.5-mile roundtrip hike will bring you to the base of Moore Cove Falls, a 50-foot free-falling waterfall.
Pigpen Falls
Pigpen Falls is a 25-foot split waterfall that can be seen on the Chattooga River Trail in Sumter National Forest. Licklog Falls is just 0.2 miles away on the same path.
Rainbow Falls
On the Horsepasture River, the 150-foot Rainbow Falls is lovely! From Gorges State Park are two main overlooks and a spur trail to the base.
Ramsey Creek Falls
Ramsey Creek Falls, also called Chau Ram Falls, is a 40-foot waterfall in Chau Ram Country Park. It is universally accessible.
Raven Cliff Falls
The approximately 400-foot Raven Cliff Falls is across the gorge from the trail overlook in Caesars Head State Park. Matthews Creek plunges over Raven Cliff, named for the ravens that breed there.
Reedy Branch Falls
Reedy Branch Falls is a 30-foot hidden gem on a short, easy quarter-mile hike through Sumter National Forest.
Roaring Fork Creek Falls
A 100-foot cascade, Roaring Fork Creek Falls is located just off the Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive. It is an easy 0.5-mile hike to the base of the falls.
Setrock Creek Falls
Located just off the Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive, Setrock Creek is a 75-foot waterfall. This 0.5-mile hike is down the road from Roaring Fork Creek Falls and both can be done in one day.
Silvervale Falls
Silvervale Falls is an 80-foot roadside waterfall near Blowing Rock, North Carolina off US-321.
Slick Rock Falls
Slick Rock Falls is a 35-foot waterfall off the same forest road (Forest Road 475B) as the logging road with Discovery Falls and Log Hollow Falls. This easy hike is less than a mile from the road.
Soco Falls
Soco Falls is a double (twin) waterfall near the Cherokee Indian Reservation (Qualla Boundary) and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The main waterfall is approximately 50 feet high.
Spoonauger Falls
A 50-foot waterfall, Spoonauger Falls is found near King Creek Falls on Forest Road 646. It is a half-mile hike in Sumter National Forest to the falls.
Stone Mountain Falls
Stone Mountain Falls is a 200-foot waterfall located in Stone Mountain State Park. Two smaller waterfalls, Middle Falls and Lower Falls, can be reached from a side trail along the loop trail.
Tom Branch Falls
This 60-foot waterfall is one of three on a loop hike in the Deep Creek area. Tom Branch Falls is an easy quarter-mile walk from the parking area.
Tom’s Creek Falls
Tom’s Creek is a 60-foot waterfall near Mount Mitchell in the Pisgah National Forest. It is an easy 1-mile roundtrip hike.
Tory’s Falls
Tory’s Falls (also called Torys Falls or Tory Falls) is a 100-feet cascade in Hanging Rock State Park. This waterfall is on the same trail as a historical den cave.
Triple Falls
Triple Falls is a three-tiered, 120-foot cascade on the Little River in DuPont State Park. It is between Hooker Falls and High Falls, so you can see multiple waterfalls in one trip.
Turtleback Falls
Turtleback Falls, also known as Umbrella Falls, is a 20-foot waterfall is only a quarter mile upstream from Rainbow Falls in Gorges State Park.
Twin Falls (Reedy Cove Falls, Eastatoe Falls, Rock Falls)
Twin Falls is a set of two 75-foot waterfalls on Reedy Cove Creek in upper South Carolina. It is an easy quarter-mile trail.
Upper Bearwallow Falls
In Gorges State Park, a short but steep trail leads to an observation deck across from Upper Bearwallow Falls as it drops in the gorge.
Upper Cascade Falls
Upper Cascade Falls is a 25-foot waterfall in Hanging Rock State Park. The short 0.2-mile trail leads to you a multi-level set of wooden overlooks.
Upper Whitewater Falls
Upper Whitewater Falls is one of the highest waterfalls east of the Rockies at 411 feet. A half-mile from the parking lot, you can view Upper Whitewater from an overlook or head down around 150 stairs for a closer look.
Widow’s Creek Falls
An easy, 5-minute walk from the parking area, Widow’s Creek Falls is located in Stone Mountain State Park. The main waterfall is 25 feet followed by some small cascades.
Wildcat Branch Falls (Wildcat Wayside Falls)
Wildcat Branch Falls, also known as Wildcat Wayside Falls, is a series of waterfalls in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area along the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. There are 4 waterfalls visible along the 1-mile loop trail.
Window Falls
Window Falls is a 25-foot waterfall in Hanging Rock State Park. It is a short hike (0.6 miles) that can be combined with Hidden Falls into one longer trail.
Wintergreen Falls
Wintergreen Falls is a 20-foot waterfall in DuPont State Recreational Forest. This waterfall tends to be less crowded as it is separated from the other more popular falls in the forest.
