One thing that's so great about North Carolina is how many waterfalls there are to explore within the state. For example, you can follow North Carolina's 'walk behind waterfalls' road trip for some close-up looks at the state's natural water-filled features.
Western North Carolina is particularly rich in the flowing cascades, and whether it's horsetail falls with plunge pools like Looking Glass Falls or gorgeous hidden gems like Brevard, North Carolina's 'Land of Waterfalls,' the area provides waterfall
chasers with endless treasures to check off the map.
Of the 250 waterfalls in the area, Upper Whitewater Falls is the tallest, and with an impressive 411-foot plunge, it also wears the crown of the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi River. Nestled in the Nantahala National Forest in Jackson County, the impressive falls can be seen from an observation deck reachable via an easy, paved trail. If you're coming from Asheville, it's under a 2-hour drive. Or, if you're coming from South Carolina, it's about an hour and 20 minutes from Greenville.
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What The Trails Are Like Near Upper Whitewater Falls
If you're wondering if there is a lower section to Upper Whitewater Falls, the answer is: yes, there is. The overlook to Lower Whitewater Falls is at a separate location, however, and is much less accessible via a longer hike. The trail there is also considered moderately challenging, and its trailhead is over the border in South Carolina.
To get to the Upper Whitewater Falls, you'll just have to follow a paved, 0.25-mile wheelchair-accessible walkway that starts at the end of the parking lot. You'll hear the roar of the falls as you approach and won't believe your eyes when you reach the overlook across the gorge. The entire 411-foot wonder reveals itself and gushes thunderously, and seems to fall forever down the rocky escarpment.
From there, you can continue to Foothills Trail, a series of 154 wooden steps, that leads to a lower observation deck. The deeply shaded trek is surrounded by the towering tall trees of the Nantahala National Forest, a breathtaking forest best known as the 'Yosemite of the East.' A much closer look at the falls greets you from the second deck, and stunning panoramic forest views make for an unforgettable 360-degree spin.
Go To Lower Whitewater Falls
The trailhead to Lower Whitewater Falls is on Bad Creek Road off of SC-130, where you'll see a large parking lot. There's a trail junction to Foothills Trail on the way to Lower Whitewater Falls, so you'll see signs for both. While signs at the trailhead indicate the journey is 1.7 miles to the overlook, some visitors have measured a distance closer to 2.4 miles one way.
Blue trail markers make the pathway easy to find, and the longer journey provides more chances to take in the mosaic of wildflowers, ferns, and mosses that grow in the area. In fact, the scenic trek may well be the main point of the journey, as the view of the Lower Falls isn't exactly close-up and, for some, may be underwhelming in comparison.
A $3 day pass to the falls can be purchased here, which admits up to seven people in a single private vehicle. The falls are open year-round from dawn to dusk. It should be noted that visitor traffic to the Upper Falls is extremely high during midday hours and on holidays; if you want to experience the falls with a little more tranquility, consider visiting in the morning or evening.
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Read the original article on Islands.
