![]() This outstanding hike at DuPont State Forest visits an enormous cascade deep within the park, scoring some serenity at one of DuPont’s lesser-visited (but ultra-beautiful) falls. Our favorite waterfall hike near Asheville crosses several shallow river fords and treks through a shady valley to a century-old hydroelectric dam and several exceptionally beautiful falls set in a mossy, rocky forest. The hike visits Schoolhouse Falls, catching views from a shallow pebble-lined basin just below the falls. Hike this scenic adventure to Panthertown’s most popular falls, descending from Cold Mountain Gap into a valley filled with lush rhododendron. Hike this trail from Gorges State Park near Cashiers, NC to a series of spilling falls on the Horsepasture River and abundant summertime wildflowers.įilled with sheer-walled mountain summits, deep-carved valleys and tumbling waterfalls, Panthertown Valley is often referred to as the ‘Yosemite of the East’. Rainbow Falls is a stunner, tumbling down over a towering, 150-foot cliff in a single, dramatic drop. Pack a picnic and hit the road: it’s time to chase some beautiful cascades. (Short on time, or looking for a great kid-friendly hike? Check out our favorite Asheville waterfall hikes under two miles.) With so many amazing falls, it’s tough to choose just ten, but we’ve carefully hand-picked our favorites, all under a two-hour drive from the Asheville area. We’ve hiked many, exploring the area’s towering and thundering falls to gentle cascades set in a stunningly beautiful forest. In Asheville’s mountainous and river-filled terrain, these tumbling marvels are plentiful: there’s no shortage of great hikes to be found near the city. And those tumbling tendrils of water somehow stir remarkable emotion in the soul. When a river meets towering rock, something seemingly magical happens, as water drops and spills into a pool below. Tree-covered mountain summits and grassy balds fill the horizon, and deep cut river valleys and gorges slice through the landscape, spilling and tumbling and diving in scores of majestic waterfalls. You can walk, bike or take a cab to the trailhead.The rolling, mountainous terrain near Asheville, NC is simply gorgeous. Starting Point: Trailhead is at 4.5 mile Zimovia Highway (approximately 4.5 miles from downtown area, add 1/2 mile if coming from airport of ferry terminal). ![]() Length: 0.8 miles one way to the waterfallĮlevation: 500 feet elevation gain to waterfallĭifficulty: Boardwalk can be slippery, steep sections, some steps Special features: Rainbow Falls, montane forest and wet meadows, ridgetop views, 2 trail shelters. If this is your first boardwalk hike, keep in mind that all the can be tough on people with knee or hip injuries. The trails are almost entirely surfaced with stairs, log steps, and “step and run” boardwalk. A branch of the trail climbs into higher country as the North Wrangell Trail, leading to the High Country and Pond Shelters. If you’re interested in a longer hike, the trail continues beyond the falls as the Institute Creek Trail, which leads to a trail shelter at an overlook of Shoemaker Bay. The Rainbow Falls Trail is a short, steep hike to see Rainbow Creek in a lush hemlock forest. Rainbow Falls Trail offers a short day trip to a waterfall, or long day or overnight hikes into the high country above Wrangell. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |