The Toxaway River is a titan among North Carolina waterways. Not only is it soaked with iconic landmarks such as the first artificial lake of the Appalachians, this richly historic river also hosts a series of some of the most sought after waterfalls in all of Western North Carolina.
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Located deep within the Big Ivy/Coleman Boundary of Pisgah National Forest, Peach Orchard Creek deliciously flows through one of North Carolina’s most scenic and vibrant areas. At its pit, the waterway descends into a nearly 800-ft deep gorge between the western flanks of Bullhead Mountain and Locust Knob.
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In 1857, during the peak of a nearly two decade long dispute over which mountain is the tallest in the region, Dr. Elisha Mitchell met his demise at the age of 64 when he fell off a 30-ft waterfall that drops between a rocky, narrow slot. Ironically named Mitchell Falls, this richly historic location has risen to “Holy Grail” status in the ranks of the waterfalling community.
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The WILDS is a Christian Camp and Conference Center, located in south Brevard. Established in 1969 (and now celebrating their 50th year), they deliver top notch adventures to their campers with their impressive property and facilities. The property straddles the Gorges State Park boundaries and has “funtastic” activities such as hiking, climbing, tubing, swimming, and even a zip line across the massive gorge that is Third Falls!
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Located inside the Green River Gamelands, in Saluda, this ~18-ft waterfall is easily one of the most scenic of the area. The rocky cove setting and the cascading intricacies of its structure not only offers great photo opportunities, but it’s also relatively straight forward to reach and moderate in difficulty – making it a great afternoon jaunt!
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Of the many roadside waterfalls along NC-281, between US 64 and Upper Whitewater Falls in Sapphire, North Carolina, White Owl Falls may very well take the cake for most scenic. Though only about 15-ft tall, this photogenic water feature is a top favorite for many in the waterfalling world.
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Does a canyon – descending close to 400-ft in just under 0.2 miles – choked out with giant boulders and squeezing a creek through terrain consisting of waterfall after swimming hole after waterfall after swimming hole for the entirety of the trek sound appetizing to you? It did to me, as well. Welcome to Gingercake Creek Canyon.
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The Notch, as it’s colloquially known, is an ancient slot canyon that descends ~150-ft in about 500-ft – deep within the heart of the Nantahala Gorge, North Carolina. Requiring four separate sections of rappel to successfully navigate, this adventure is one that demands mental fortitude of a higher caliber coupled with some serious canyoneering skills.
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The Sphinx, a titan of the gorge, draws an undeniable appeal to it that few formations can compare to. This sentient structure looms over the mighty Linville River at a staggering 200+ ft! Often hailed as the tallest free standing rock within the wilderness, the off-trail journey to this iconic and isolated landmark is nothing short of a treacherous scramble across one of the most rugged and unforgiving sections in all of Linville Gorge!
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Who doesn’t love a good a sunset? Luckily for us, the Upstate has several fantastic opportunities to catch it – ranging in a variety of adventures from handicap accessible overlooks to strenuous hikes scrambling over massive boulder fields! Below are five known (and not-so-known) sunset spots in Greenville/Pickens counties, along with some tips on when to best visit them!
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Prepare your inner masochist because this creekwhack will have you fighting a grueling 800-ft in elevation gain on near vertical mountainsides while being slammed with waterfall after waterfall – all in only a short 0.8 miles! But don’t worry, it’ll feel like a lot more.
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An ancient creek, dropping close to 800-ft in a short 0.5 miles, all while descending through one of Western North Carolina’s true and oldest slot canyons? Yeah, I’m on board.
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