Widow’s Creek Falls is located in Stone Mountain State Park in north-west North Carolina. The main waterfall is 25 feet followed by some small cascades.
There is a strenuous 2.5-mile Widow’s Creek Trail which starts from the backcountry parking lot. If you are only interested in the waterfall, there is a small gravel parking area next to the bridge over Widow’s Creek. The trail from the bridge parking area is an easy, 5-minute walk.
From the park’s visitor center, the parking lot is just beyond the bridge to your right. You can also arrive from Longbottom Road; however, most of Stone Mountain Road that way is gravel. There is a sign at the bridge parking area, and you can see the trailhead clearly.
Widow’s Creek Falls
Midway down the trail, there are large boulders at the end of the cascades as the water narrows back into the creek. From certain angles here, Widow’s Creek Falls looks like a skull.
To get closer to the waterfall, take the narrow trail to the left through the woods. You can easily step into the pool at the base of the falls. There is also a large boulder here at the end of the trail for visitors to rest on with excellent views of Widow’s Creek Falls.
This is a common spot for wading, swimming, and sliding during warmer months. It can get very crowded so you might want to arrive early in the day. I was lucky enough to share the area with just two other groups.
Another popular waterfall in the park is the beautiful Stone Mountain Falls. There are several other activities including camping, climbing, fishing, horseback riding, and more than 18 miles of trails.