There’s no denying North Carolinians love their waterfalls. The state is known for its lush natural beauty, and a series of thoroughly rural hiking trails show off the best waterfalls in North Carolina with aplomb. Transylvania County alone has over 200 waterfalls! So naturally, being from the land of waterfalls – we find ourselves continuously drawn to the beauty of rushing water amidst breathtaking mountains. There’s no better place to fall in love with nature all over again than the Tar Heel State. So let’s take a North Carolina waterfalls road trip, shall we?

But if you read that right – 200 and even 300 waterfalls can seem beyond daunting. How do you even begin to set up a strategy to see three or even ten? Well, the folks here at OnlyInYourState are here to help. This waterfall road trip in North Carolina takes you from north to south…stopping along the way at some of the most breathtaking waterfalls North Carolina has to offer. And the best part? This can all be done within an easy five-hour day trip. Who’s ready to explore?

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GoogleMaps Feel free to use this NC waterfalls map to guide your way. You can also add your own stops along the way to make it your own!

  1. Linville Falls

Zach Frailey/Flickr Your first stop is the ever-popular and gorgeous Linville Falls, one of the best waterfall hikes in North Carolina. You’ll find it located off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 316.4. After an easy four-mile hike, you can see five different lookouts and five unique views of the beautiful Linville Falls. If you’re pressed for time, take the Erwin’s View Trail - a 1.6-mile hike from the visitor center. Linville Falls, NC 28752, USA

  1. Crabtree Falls

Matthew Paulson/Flickr Crabtree Falls in North Carolina is spectacularly beautiful and not too far from Linville. You’ll find it at milepost 339.5 off the Blue Ridge Parkway. A brisk, 3-mile hike takes you down to the well-worth-it view. Crabtree Falls, North Carolina 28777, USA

  1. Looking Glass Falls

Kim Seng/Flickr Located near Brevard in the Pisgah National Forest - Looking Glass Falls is the perfect place to take a cool dip or even sit on the rocks and marvel at the beauty. You’ll find it off U.S. 276 along the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway. You can see it right from the road, making it one of the most easily accessible waterfalls in North Carolina. Looking Glass Falls, North Carolina 28768, USA

  1. Moore Cove Falls

Fred Dunn/Flickr Your next stop is the incredibly elegant Moore Cove Falls. The gentle fall makes it the perfect ‘walk-behind waterfall.’ It’s located right by Looking Glass and accessed from a small parking area VIA Stone Bridge off U.S 276. It’s only a mile from Looking Glass. There are no signs - but there is an information board near the parking lot to lead you to this hidden gem. Moore Cove Falls, North Carolina 28768, USA

  1. Cove Creek Falls

Don Frey/Flickr Nestled away amidst rocks and greenery you’ll find the beautiful Cove Creek Falls. A real two-in-one is that it’s only a short hike from the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. Perfect for the kiddos and adults too. Cove Creek Falls, Brevard, NC 28712, USA

  1. Sliding Rock

Leslie/Flickr Just a few miles away, your next stop guarantees a real rush of adrenaline! Enter the awesome Sliding Rock, one of the best natural waterslides in North Carolina. It’s the perfect mountain waterfall to slip down and feel the rush of cool mountain water. You’ll find it off U.S. 276 just past Cove Creek Falls. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Sliding Rock, North Carolina 28768, USA

  1. Dry Falls

Jim Leistman/Flickr Seeing that you’ll certainly be soaked after Sliding Rock…it’s time for an amazing view without the splish or splash. Dry Falls is a breathtakingly beautiful waterfall in North Carolina you can walk right underneath! Perfect for a moment to relax and take in the beauty of everything that surrounds you. You’ll find the majestic 80-ft. fall off US 64/28 W in Highlands. Dry Falls, North Carolina 28741, USA

  1. Upper Whitewater Falls

Matt Barnett/Flickr

Stan/Flickr Last but not certainly least is the jaw-dropping Whitewater Falls. Falling at 811 ft., Whitewater Falls is the tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. The upper portion falls in North Carolina while the lower portion falls in South Carolina. To access an amazing view of the Upper Falls, take a short 1/4-mile hike from the walkway to the paved overlook. It’s like something simply majestic, the power of the falls is mesmerizing! A great way to end the day after an adventurous waterfalls road trip! Upper Whitewater Falls, North Carolina 28717, USA

With so many North Carolina waterfalls we can’t experience them all in one day. So that just means we have to come back again and again. What did you think, are you ready for a North Carolina waterfalls road trip? What are your favorite waterfalls in North Carolina? Tell us in the comments! If you have any tips and tricks, too, you’ll want to leave them below. Help a fellow North Carolinian out!

GoogleMaps

Feel free to use this NC waterfalls map to guide your way. You can also add your own stops along the way to make it your own!

Zach Frailey/Flickr

Your first stop is the ever-popular and gorgeous Linville Falls, one of the best waterfall hikes in North Carolina. You’ll find it located off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 316.4. After an easy four-mile hike, you can see five different lookouts and five unique views of the beautiful Linville Falls. If you’re pressed for time, take the Erwin’s View Trail - a 1.6-mile hike from the visitor center.

Linville Falls, NC 28752, USA

Matthew Paulson/Flickr

Crabtree Falls in North Carolina is spectacularly beautiful and not too far from Linville. You’ll find it at milepost 339.5 off the Blue Ridge Parkway. A brisk, 3-mile hike takes you down to the well-worth-it view.

Crabtree Falls, North Carolina 28777, USA

Kim Seng/Flickr

Located near Brevard in the Pisgah National Forest - Looking Glass Falls is the perfect place to take a cool dip or even sit on the rocks and marvel at the beauty. You’ll find it off U.S. 276 along the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway. You can see it right from the road, making it one of the most easily accessible waterfalls in North Carolina.

Looking Glass Falls, North Carolina 28768, USA

Fred Dunn/Flickr

Your next stop is the incredibly elegant Moore Cove Falls. The gentle fall makes it the perfect ‘walk-behind waterfall.’ It’s located right by Looking Glass and accessed from a small parking area VIA Stone Bridge off U.S 276. It’s only a mile from Looking Glass. There are no signs - but there is an information board near the parking lot to lead you to this hidden gem.

Moore Cove Falls, North Carolina 28768, USA

Don Frey/Flickr

Nestled away amidst rocks and greenery you’ll find the beautiful Cove Creek Falls. A real two-in-one is that it’s only a short hike from the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. Perfect for the kiddos and adults too.

Cove Creek Falls, Brevard, NC 28712, USA

Leslie/Flickr

Just a few miles away, your next stop guarantees a real rush of adrenaline! Enter the awesome Sliding Rock, one of the best natural waterslides in North Carolina. It’s the perfect mountain waterfall to slip down and feel the rush of cool mountain water. You’ll find it off U.S. 276 just past Cove Creek Falls. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Sliding Rock, North Carolina 28768, USA

Jim Leistman/Flickr

Seeing that you’ll certainly be soaked after Sliding Rock…it’s time for an amazing view without the splish or splash. Dry Falls is a breathtakingly beautiful waterfall in North Carolina you can walk right underneath! Perfect for a moment to relax and take in the beauty of everything that surrounds you. You’ll find the majestic 80-ft. fall off US 64/28 W in Highlands.

Dry Falls, North Carolina 28741, USA

Matt Barnett/Flickr

Stan/Flickr

Last but not certainly least is the jaw-dropping Whitewater Falls. Falling at 811 ft., Whitewater Falls is the tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. The upper portion falls in North Carolina while the lower portion falls in South Carolina. To access an amazing view of the Upper Falls, take a short 1/4-mile hike from the walkway to the paved overlook. It’s like something simply majestic, the power of the falls is mesmerizing! A great way to end the day after an adventurous waterfalls road trip!

Upper Whitewater Falls, North Carolina 28717, USA

And if you’d like to continue exploring North Carolina, check out these 11 hiking trails that rival any others on Earth.

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The OIYS Visitor Center

Best Waterfalls In North Carolina January 04, 2020 Meghan Kraft Are there any good swimming holes in North Carolina? Finding a secluded swimming hole in North Carolina to splash around in can be one of the most memorable parts of summer. Here are a few of the best swimming holes in North Carolina:

White Lake Hooker Falls Carova Beach Midnight Hole

  For some of the clearest water in the Tar Heel State, head over to White Lake. The lake reaches a depth of about 15 feet, but since the water is so clear, you can always see the bottom. For those that prefer the symphony of sounds from rushing water, you can’t beat Hooker Falls Waterfall in North Carolina. There’s even a rope swing for added fun! What are the most picturesque hiking trails in North Carolina? North Carolina is a nature lover’s paradise, and one of the best ways to see the Tar Heel State is on foot! Some of the most picturesque hiking trails in North Carolina include:

Crabtree Falls Harper Creek Falls Stone Mountain Loop Trail

  Crabtree Falls is one of the best waterfall hikes in North Carolina. The 2.5-mile trail is fairly strenuous, but you’ll be rewarded when you reach the falls and see this impressive 70-foot waterfall. Harper Creek Falls is another beautiful waterfall hike in North Carolina, this one is slightly more challenging and much longer (8.5 miles). Since it’s a longer trek, you’ll find fewer crowds. In fact, you might just have the trail to yourself! What are the best beaches in North Carolina? There’s nothing better than spending a day on the beach, and North Carolina’s beaches are some of the best. Here are a few of the best beaches in North Carolina:

Oak Island Corolla Beach Shackleford Banks

  If you’re up for a ferry ride, Shackleford Banks is one of the most unique beaches in North Carolina. The island may not have any running water or electricity but it does have white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and wild horses that love to roam along the shore.

The OIYS Visitor Center

Best Waterfalls In North Carolina

January 04, 2020

Meghan Kraft

Are there any good swimming holes in North Carolina? Finding a secluded swimming hole in North Carolina to splash around in can be one of the most memorable parts of summer. Here are a few of the best swimming holes in North Carolina:

White Lake Hooker Falls Carova Beach Midnight Hole

  For some of the clearest water in the Tar Heel State, head over to White Lake. The lake reaches a depth of about 15 feet, but since the water is so clear, you can always see the bottom. For those that prefer the symphony of sounds from rushing water, you can’t beat Hooker Falls Waterfall in North Carolina. There’s even a rope swing for added fun! What are the most picturesque hiking trails in North Carolina? North Carolina is a nature lover’s paradise, and one of the best ways to see the Tar Heel State is on foot! Some of the most picturesque hiking trails in North Carolina include:

Crabtree Falls Harper Creek Falls Stone Mountain Loop Trail

  Crabtree Falls is one of the best waterfall hikes in North Carolina. The 2.5-mile trail is fairly strenuous, but you’ll be rewarded when you reach the falls and see this impressive 70-foot waterfall. Harper Creek Falls is another beautiful waterfall hike in North Carolina, this one is slightly more challenging and much longer (8.5 miles). Since it’s a longer trek, you’ll find fewer crowds. In fact, you might just have the trail to yourself! What are the best beaches in North Carolina? There’s nothing better than spending a day on the beach, and North Carolina’s beaches are some of the best. Here are a few of the best beaches in North Carolina:

Oak Island Corolla Beach Shackleford Banks

  If you’re up for a ferry ride, Shackleford Banks is one of the most unique beaches in North Carolina. The island may not have any running water or electricity but it does have white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and wild horses that love to roam along the shore.

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

Finding a secluded swimming hole in North Carolina to splash around in can be one of the most memorable parts of summer. Here are a few of the best swimming holes in North Carolina:

  • White Lake
  • Hooker Falls
  • Carova Beach
  • Midnight Hole

 

For some of the clearest water in the Tar Heel State, head over to White Lake. The lake reaches a depth of about 15 feet, but since the water is so clear, you can always see the bottom. For those that prefer the symphony of sounds from rushing water, you can’t beat Hooker Falls Waterfall in North Carolina. There’s even a rope swing for added fun!

What are the most picturesque hiking trails in North Carolina?

North Carolina is a nature lover’s paradise, and one of the best ways to see the Tar Heel State is on foot! Some of the most picturesque hiking trails in North Carolina include:

  • Crabtree Falls
  • Harper Creek Falls
  • Stone Mountain Loop Trail

Crabtree Falls is one of the best waterfall hikes in North Carolina. The 2.5-mile trail is fairly strenuous, but you’ll be rewarded when you reach the falls and see this impressive 70-foot waterfall. Harper Creek Falls is another beautiful waterfall hike in North Carolina, this one is slightly more challenging and much longer (8.5 miles). Since it’s a longer trek, you’ll find fewer crowds. In fact, you might just have the trail to yourself!

What are the best beaches in North Carolina?

There’s nothing better than spending a day on the beach, and North Carolina’s beaches are some of the best. Here are a few of the best beaches in North Carolina:

  • Oak Island
  • Corolla Beach
  • Shackleford Banks

If you’re up for a ferry ride, Shackleford Banks is one of the most unique beaches in North Carolina. The island may not have any running water or electricity but it does have white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and wild horses that love to roam along the shore.