Welcome to one of the most beautiful places on Earth - the mountains of western North Carolina. There are hundreds of waterfalls and miles of hiking trails in this area and you could spend a lifetime trying to see everything. I got a late start and didn't begin hiking until 1998. That's when friends invited me up to their mountain home in Lake Toxaway to hike to some of the waterfalls in the area. My first falls were Drift, Turtleback and Rainbow along the Horsepasture River and I've been hooked ever since. The scenery is so spectacular that I decided to put up a web site to share the beauty and to encourage you to visit this beautiful area. Like most of the Great Outdoors, photos don't do the real thing justice, but they do allow you to catch a glimpse of a part of Nature that you might have otherwise missed.

I lived near Raleigh at the time and it was a struggle to get over this way more than 5 times a year. By 2002 I just couldn't stand living 4-5 hours away, so I started planning to relocate. In April 2003, the dream became reality and I picked up my life and moved it to Asheville. This site has grown tremendously in the number of visitors in the last 3 years especially. That's a good thing since it probably means more people are getting outdoors to enjoy Nature's beauty and are looking for info on where to go and what to see. The only down side is I'm getting a lot more emails and am not able to answer all of the inquiries. Please remember that this is a one person operation, I also work a 12 hour swing shift job, and I would rather be out exploring and taking pictures than sitting in front of a computer. Use this site for your visual pleasure or as just one source of info for planning a trip to this area.

PLACES TO GO - This page has links to subsections where falls in the same area are grouped together. Try looking here if you're planning a trip to the area. You'll find photos and directions to the waterfalls, as well as ramblings about the areas and my adventures on various trips.

INDEX - If you would like to see a list of the falls on this site or if you are looking for a particular waterfall, go to the index. The falls are in alphabetical order and there's a link to the page that the information about the fall is on. There may be more than one falls on a page, so you may have to scroll down.

PBASE GALLERIES - I wanted to create a section of my site where you can go and just look at pictures of this beautiful area. I've found the easiest way for me to present these images is to use PBase.com - an online service separate from my site. The pictures are larger than the ones posted here and include a wider variety of images that you won't find in this section of my site. Click the thumbnails in each gallery for a larger image. These photos are best viewed if your display is set to 1024 x 768. If you have to scroll to see the entire image, you can click 'medium' under each image to get a smaller view.

VIDEO - The video section has small clips of some of the falls in both Flash and Windows Media formats. It would be helpful if you have high speed access, but it's not necessary. You will need lots 'o time if you are on dial-up.

WILDFLOWERS - As I began hiking more, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful wildflowers that grow along the trails and the roads that take me to the trail heads. So I took pictures of those also and have posted them in one of my PBase galleries.

PRINTS FOR SALE - Thank you for the fantastic response since I first began offering prints for sale! I have recently included a wider variety of sizes and products, including prints on metallic paper, Giclée watercolor prints and Giclée canvas prints. I also offer my images for license at a reasonable price. Please email me for details and a quote.

LINKS - The links section has links to other waterfall, mountain and hiking sites and also links to sites with info on camping, lodging and other activities in western North Carolina. If you have one you would like for me to add, please email me.

I realize there's a lot of info to sort through on this site, so I'm trying a Google search. Leave the button set to ncwaterfalls.com, type in your search words, click, and Google will search just within this site. Hope this helps - I may or may not keep this feature.

WWW ncwaterfalls.com

WARNING!!! Wet rocks are very slippery and people fall to their deaths from waterfalls every year! If you visit them, please be careful and use common sense! Do not climb rocks around the waterfalls and do not ever cross a stream or swim at the top of a waterfall. If you have children, watch them at all times. There are also many species of rare plants near some of these waterfalls, living in and near the spray areas of the falls. Please be very careful not to trample vegetation while exploring any falls!

"I can see my rainbow calling me through the misty breeze of my waterfall." - Jimi Hendrix

11-18-09 - My gosh - it's almost Thanksgiving! This means it's hunting season in the mountains. Please wear blaze orange if hiking in the national forest gamelands - especially if you are hiking more than a couple of miles from the trail head. Also, Christmas is quickly approaching. Prints make an excellent gift that will last a lifetime. I have recently changed the way I sell prints and am now offering a wider variety of sizes and products. And today I just added Metal Prints! The image is infused on to a specially coated sheet of aluminum. This is a really stunning product and I am very excited to be able to offer this option. They come ready to hang and there's no need for a frame! Please click here for more info! I really hope to spend a lot of this winter updating the content of my site. I have a lot of new waterfalls that I haven't added and I know a lot of pages need updating. I think I said this last year also...

Interstate 40 near the Tennessee border has been closed due to a landslide!! This won't affect you if you are coming to western NC from the east or south, but will if you are coming to NC from Tennessee, or are traveling through western NC to get to Tennessee. The landslide is around NC mile marker 3, but the DOT has closed I-40 at mile marker 20 if you are traveling west, which is the Hwy 276 exit. Coming from Tennessee, I-40 is closed right before the NC border at exit 451. If you are heading to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park from NC, you can exit at mile marker 20, then pick up Hwy 19 south to Maggie Valley then Cherokee. If the Blue Ridge Parkway is open (it closes in the winter), you can pick it up from Hwy 19 south of Maggie Valley and take it until it ends ay Hwy 441 in the Smokies. Then take 441 through the Smokies towards Gatlinburg. Through travelers on I-40 are being detoured in Asheville up I-26 west to Johnson City, TN then I-81 south back to I-40. This is a major detour, but cars can shorten this by taking Hwy 25/70 off of I-26 to Hot Springs, then on to Newport, TN, then back to I-40. Or, you can continue on I-40 west past Asheville to exit 24 which is Hwy 209. This will take you up to Hot Springs, then you can pick up Hwy 25/70 on to Newport. Check your maps! I-40 is expected to be closed for several months - possibly into Spring 2010.

Big news!! There is now an excellent North Carolina waterfall map available for purchase! Kevin Adams (author of North Carolina Waterfalls - a Hiking and Photography Guide) teamed with Larry Odoski of Outdoor Paths Publishing to produce a beautiful map loaded with information on over 300 North Carolina waterfalls. It also includes the waterfalls on the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Please click here to go to Kevin's site for more info on the map and to purchase your copy.

I just got an email from Jordan Mitchell saying Burt Kornegay has just released a new version of his Panthertown Valley Trail map. This map is a must have if you plan on hiking Panthertown. Order Burt's map here. My Panthertown Valley section is here.

I'm so far behind on posting new stuff to the site I may never catch up. The best way to see what I've been up to and where I've been is to go to my 2009 Waterfalls and Other Adventures gallery. I try to post pictures and ramblings there first. I'm now on Facebook - like I have time to keep up with all of that. You can find me by searching my email address.

The new parking area for the Horsepasture River in Gorges State Park opened earlier this year and I have updated the trail info in the Horsepasture River section of the site. I still have to rewrite the Gorges State Park section :(   I know the first reaction of people will be that this way is longer - because it is - but it's a lot nicer. Maybe it will keep some of the littering pigs out of this area. It comes out at the river above Starirway Falls and about 15-20 minutes below Rainbow Falls. Remember that the Horsepasture River is not in Gorges State Park. It's in the Pisgah National Forest and they do not provide any parking for visiting the river. Kudos to Gorges State Park for doing so.

My friend Kimberli has an excellent blog about her and her husband's travels around North and South Carolina. She just appeared on WYFF's Sound Off South and is the featured blog this week. Click here to visit - be sure to bookmark as she updates it regularly!

Jordan Mitchell - the brains behind WNCOutdoors.info - has added another web site to his collection. NorthCarolinaWaterfalls.info has the map some of you guys have been bugging me about to do on this site. Check it out! It shows a lot of the waterfalls in western North Carolina on a virtual map with push pins. It should help you visualize where waterfalls are in relation to each other. Zoom in for more street and topo detail. Click the marker for more info on each falls with some links back to that particular waterfall on my site or Jordan's sites.

Part of what makes the mountains so special is the spectacular views from the taller mountains. Peter Barr has authored a book - Hiking North Carolina Lookout Towers - which highlights 26 towers that are accessible to the public. Peter is also director of the NC chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association, a group dedicated to the preservation of these towers. Check it out!!

Access to the waterfalls of the upper Catawba River has been opened to the general public. We no longer have to trespass to see this beautiful area as some of us did - ahem. I've updated my Catawba Falls page with directions to the trail head and a detailed trail report. The Foothills Conservancy was instrumental in securing this deal and needs our support. Memberships are as low as $35. They are saving lands for us to use for generations to come! Please click and give what you can - thank you!

The frequent visitor to this site would know to check my PBase galleries for any new pictures. If you are new here and don't care to read all the rambling on directions and stuff and would rather just look at pictures, check the galleries. I'm out in the forests quite often. The first thing I do when I get back here is sort through photos and post new stuff to the appropriate gallery in my PBase account. Most of the new stuff will be posted in the 2009 Waterfalls Gallery. Any images of falls I go to will be added here. The most recent are at the end. The pictures in PBase are bigger than on this site and there are more of them. Or you can click the 'recent' link at the top of the main gallery page to see if I've added images to other albums.

All updates to the site are listed below so you can tell if anything has changed and if there is a link, it will take you right to the new stuff. I really appreciate all the nice emails I've received saying how much you enjoy the photos and info, or how the site brings back old memories of visiting or living in the mountains. This site has grown tremendously in the past year and unfortunately I don't have the time to respond to all of them. I do read them all and do the best I can. If someone would send me about a million $$$ I could probably quit my job and devote more time to updates and answering emails. Thanks for visiting!

11-18-09 - I am now offering Metal Prints! Please click on my Prints for Sale page for more info.

11-16-09 - updated the Bearwallow Creek part of the Gorges State Park section of my site with new info and pictures. This includes directions to 6 named waterfalls - Indian Camp, Split Rock, Chute, Paw Paw, Lower Bearwallow, and Indian Camp Branch Falls - and pictures of several other waterfalls and cascades.

11-9-09 - I've finally begun rewriting my Gorges State Park section. I meant to do it back in May when the park reopened the Grassy Ridge Entrance, but I didn't - and I'm very sorry :( The new info is what is currently officially open and advertised, but there are a lot more waterfalls in there than most folks know about. I'm trying to decide just what and how to present this other information. I hope to add more in the next few weeks or at least before winter is over...

11-8-09 - posted a video of Sky Falls - unfortunately the only reasonable access is through private property, but that may change in the future. You can see the Vimeo version of the video here - or if you prefer YouTube, you can see that version here

9-24-09 - there is now a beautiful and detailed North Carolina waterfall map available for purchase - please click here for details

9-22-09 - updated the Douglas and Walker Falls page with new info and photos

9-19-09 - added a video of people jumping off of Elk Falls to my YouTube channel

9-11-09 - posted a video from last week end's hike at Table Rock Mountain (NC). It's from The Chimneys which is south of Table Rock on the Mountains to Seas Trail. Click here to see it.

8-30-09 - did a major update to the Prints for Sale section of the site

8-3-09 - update the information for the Devil's Elbow area of Panthertown Valley which includes Lichen Falls

7-30-09 - made a much needed update to my Dismal Falls page - included a new waterfall on Dismal Creek

7-29-09 - posted a video from the Dry Falls visit to both my Vimeo and YouTube accounts.

7-27-09 - updated the Dry Falls page

7-20-09 - just added a new video of Mouse Creek Falls and Midnight Hole to my YouTube channel. It's the one in the player and features some folks from Florida that I promised I'd get this video done as soon as I could - sorry it took me so long folks :(

7-12-09 - updated the page with Bubbling Spring Branch Cascades and the Upper and Lower waterfalls on Bubbling Spring Branch with info that actually makes sense.

7-8-09 - added a video and new pictures to the Sliding Rock page

5-31-09 - added this video of the ponies of Grayson Highlands - http://vimeo.com/4933450

5-26-09 - updated the Horsepasture River section with the new directions and trail information from Gorges State Park

3-10-09 - updated the Fall Creek, SC page with all 3 waterfalls we visited last May - better late than never I guess

2-21-09 -  still experimenting with how I want to present videos - I created a new channel on Vimeo as a better way to show the videos as opposed to going to my home page on Vimeo.   added a new video - still experimenting with format, quality, etc. The best quality on this one seems to be to leave HD on and don't do full screen. It's a large file, so slower connections may have problems viewing it.

1-24-09 - started a section of the site for the new Chimney Rock State Park. The 404' Hickory Nut Falls is a prominent feature in the park.

12-7-08 - added a new fall video to my Vimeo page - http://vimeo.com/2458569 - it's the 2nd half of this past fall season

12-1-08 - updated the Alarka Falls page

11-30-08 - updated the Dill Falls page with new info and pictures

11-15-08 - added a video of some fall color I saw in early to mid October - click here to see it - it's a 5 minute clip and a very large file. If you can't see it there, try here - http://vimeo.com/2256790

11-4-08 - added Part 3 of kayaking the Green River Narrows - all 3 of these are large files and may take a bit to download depending on your connection speed - click here to see it or here - http://vimeo.com/2270695

11-4-08 - added another video from the Green River - click here to see it - or here - http://vimeo.com/2269081

11-3-08 - added a video from the day after the Green River Narrows Race - click here to see it - or here - http://vimeo.com/2267445

10-09-08 - due to popular demand, I've begun a series of wildflower prints. Please click here for more info.

9-16-08 - added an Alarka Falls video

7-21-08 - added 2 fall color prints - Meytre Grist Mill in Valdese, NC and Chimney Rock with Lake Lure in the background

7-20-08 - added several new prints to the collection - Cedar Rock Falls, another Upper Catawba Falls, a secret waterfall, a waterfall on Fall Creek in SC, and one from The Narrows in Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve

7-19-08 - added 2 new videos from the Horsepasture River - sliding at Turtleback Falls and swimming at Stairway Falls

7-13-08 - added 4 new video clips

6-23-08 - made some big changes to the DuPont State Forest section and added Wintergreen Falls to the bunch -

6-19-08 - Just a little something before I head off to work. We came across this dancing dragonfly while on a recent hike, so I pulled out the camcorder and shot some video. I guess it's actually laying eggs. Click here to play the video - if you have a slow connection, hit the pause button until the video buffers. You'll need a Flash player installed to view this.

6-16-08 - updated the Soco Falls page - there is now a nice viewing deck and the waterfall can be considered kid friendly from this vantage point

6-9-08 - the North Harper Creek Falls page now has a much needed update - also added Chestnut Cove Branch Falls to that same page

6-1-08 - updated Raven Rock Falls info

5-26-07 - updated the Harper Creek Falls and South Harper Creek Falls pages with better directions and photos

4-7-08 - finally added the new Ranger Falls near Highlands

4-4-08 - added 2 new Flash videos - these are experimental, let me know what you think!

3-7-08 - added a new video from an off trail exploration of Wilson Creek in Oconee County, SC last week end

3-3-08 - added Jack's Cove Falls - I found this waterfall last year in the Moore Cove area of the Pisgah Forest. This one isn't on the map, but there's an unmarked trail that goes to it :)

1-26-08 - added 4 new video clips to this site and added a larger video to YouTube - let me know if you have any problems viewing it

1-21-08 - I've been adding more images as Prints for Sale - especially in the fall color

12-22-07 - Dang, has it been 3 months since an update?? - that's pitiful, sorry. At least this one is a good one. Take a Christmas hike to Catawba Falls.

9-17-07 - finally revisited Hunt-Fish Falls and the waterfalls on Gragg Prong - it was my 1st time seeing the upper waterfall - also updated the directions for the waterfalls on Little Lost Cove Creek

9-8-07 - updated the Paradise Falls page

8-11-07 - added a new waterfall on a tributary of the Thompson River - one of those updates that I am way behind on

8-10-07 - added 2 new videos from our lastest trip on the Thompson River

8-6-07 - I'm updating the Thompson River section with new trail descriptions and by adding waterfall #'s 1 and 2 on the lower section of the river. I'm not done yet and hope to add more this week

7-30-07 - changed the Catawba Falls page to reflect the new news, also added more pictures

7-29-07 - I changed the 'waterfalls west of Cashiers' page to 'waterfalls of the Nantahala National Forest'. I've been meaning to do this for about 2 years now... Please let me know if you find any broken links. I also added the waterfalls on Middle Creek to that section.

6-28-07 - I'm adding more video clips from upper Whitewater River. I've got 3 new ones of Bedrock Betty cascades and will be adding more this afternoon and evening.

6-11-07 - I know it's not much, but I did just add 2 new video clips of the upper Whitewater River. Especially check out the gorge one. Good news about Connestee Falls and Batson Creek Falls also!

5-9-07 - updated the Hanging Rock State Park page with some new photos - I still need to head back and reshoot some more area

4-12-07 - have a little free time today so I added Bard Falls

3-11-07 - there are signs welcoming hikers, so I'm adding Grassy Creek Falls near Little Switzerland. I believe it's on private property, so it's very gracious of the landowner(s) to share the beauty

2-19-07 - added the waterfall on Little Fall Branch with directions to Max Patch Mountain since it's close by

2-11-07 - added Moravian Falls

2-5-07 - added Mashbox and Misty Falls in Caesar's Head State Park, SC

1-14-07 - added 7 more videos including an aerial of the Biltmore House and also added Mill Creek Falls and waterfalls on Carrick and Green Creeks in Table Rock State Park in South Carolina

1-13-07 - added 3 new videos from last year's aerial shoot

1-12-07 - I've redone the Prints for Sale page and am now offering more images for sale

1-8-07 - added Opossum Creek Falls and the newly rediscovered Sid's Falls in South Carolina

1-7-07 - started a 2007 Waterfalls gallery on PBase with some South Carolina waterfalls - Opossum Creek Falls, Sid's Falls, and a small waterfall on Camp Branch

12-22-06 - added Wildcat Branch Falls to the South Carolina section

12-11-06 - added Chasteen Creek Cascade in the Smokies

11-28-06 - posted new shots of High Shoals Falls in South Mountains State Park along with shots and info for the falls on Little River

11-19-06 - added a new waterfall on upper Flat Creek! also rewrote and changed pictures on the Flat Creek Falls page

11-5-06 - added Grassy Creek Falls to the DuPont State Forest page along with other info and pics

11-4-06 - I posted the aerial shots from October 30 in a PBase gallery.

10-30-06 - updated the Jones Gaps Falls, SC page with trail closure info and new pictures

10-2-06 - started a PBase Gallery for various fall color shots - Chasing Autumn's Colors. I'll try to update it as much as possible - I'll be out hiking and shooting a lot, but might not have much time to spend behind the computer.

10-1-06 - I made a returm trip to Max Patch Friday afternoon. If you've never been, you really should go. Some pictures are here.

9-26-06 - Yea! Just added a new waterfall - the waterfall on Hickory Branch. Boo, now I have to go to work....

8-28-06 - added new photos and trail info for Raven Cliff Falls in SC

8-21-06 - added a waterfall on Billy Branch in the Pisgah Forest - it's on the way to High Falls and on the same page, scroll down - also just added a waterfall on Chastine Creek - also updated the Silver Slip Falls page to indicate the Millstone Inn may be closed for the season. also added 2 closures to the Blue Ridge Parkway page

8-18-06 - updated info on Panthertown Valley, mostly dealing with the Panthertown Trail Project - also updated the Raven Rock Falls page with trail conditions and new photos and added Fisher Falls to the bottom of that page

8-4-06 - Dang, an update! Just added the waterfall on Steels Creek in the Wilson Creek area.

6-5-06 - updated the Falls Creek Falls (South Carolina) page with new pictures and info from my recent revisit

6-4-06 - I am now offering a few prints in 2:3 sizes up to 20x30"! Please click here for details.

6-2-06 - posted shots of our Middle Prong adventure last Saturday in my PBase galleries - click here then click 'next' on the picture page to continue. If you do this later than today, you may see additional photos, but it should be obvious where the Middle Prong stuff ends.

5-7-06 - added Sloan Bridge Falls and Hiker's Peril in South Carolina

4-17-06 - added Bearcamp Falls (aka Hilliard Falls) to the site

3-26-06 - updated the info on Moonshine Falls in South Carolina - also added a PBase gallery of my day on Lake Jocassee

3-7-06 - added one of the waterfalls on Fowler Creek

3-6-06 - added some info about waterfalls below Still House Falls

2-26-06 - updated some info on Setrock Creek Falls and added a nice little waterfall on Whiteoak Creek in that same general area

2-6-06 - no waterfalls, but I decided to go in search of snow Sunday morning. The weather people said it was going to, so there had to be some! I picked Max Patch for my destination and was treated to one of the most gorgeous sights I had ever seen - pictures are here

1-29-06 - added Duggers Creek Falls and update Linville Falls with some winter directions - I also added a few new shots to my 2006 Waterfalls gallery

1-23-06 - added a new South Carolina waterfall - Virginia Hawkins Falls (Double Falls) and also Upper Buck Creek Falls near Highlands, NC

1-22-06 - added a few photos to my 2006 Waterfalls gallery from this week end - they start with Looking Glass Falls

1-16-06 - added more new videos

1-15-06 - I finally have some time to work on new videos - added 2 new ones and deleted a bunch of the old ones. I might add some more today or tomorrow...

1-5-06 - started a 2006 Waterfalls gallery on PBase. Last year's gallery proved to be very popular and this year's will be a good place to post shots I don't add to this site - and they'll be a bigger size!

11-19-05 - reworked the Thompson River section and hopefully made it easier to find directions for the waterfalls on and around the river - on that same page, I also added a link to a new waterfall on the site - D.E.W. Falls

11-10-05 - added Upper Dill Falls and new info on Dill Falls and updated Sols Creek and added upper Sols Creek Falls

11-09-05 - added new waterfalls! Both are from Kevin Adams new book - a waterfall on Scotsman Creek plus a bonus waterfall that Harry found and Silver Slip Falls

10-6-05 - finally made it to the upper waterfall on Sam Branch! These photos are in one of my PBase galleries. I'm also going to try to get out as much as possible to shoot fall color and have started another gallery here .

10-4-05 - I'm kinda behind on updates - I've been out, but mostly to waterfalls already on the site. If you haven't seen it already, here's my PBase '2005 Waterfalls' gallery click on the number 12 to see the most recent. Some of those seem to be on private property, so I can't add them to this site. In my North Carolina Waterfalls gallery, I finally finished arranging all the falls in alphabetical order. In my Panthertown Valley section on this site, I added some info on where some of the primitive camp sites are located.

9-1-05 - added  8 new prints for sale - look for the red 'new'

8-9-05 - added a little waterfall near Courthouse Falls - scroll to the bottom of this page to see it

8-7-05 - revised Cove Creek Falls page

7-15-05 - added directions to Courthouse Falls from Hwy 215 via the Summey Cove Trail

7-15-05 - Lisa Walton just sent me an email with her amazing story of survival on a recent trip to the Horsepasture River. Please click here to read her account of what happened that day.

7-14-05 - posted revised directions for and a couple of new pictures of Mingo Falls - also updated info on Kiesee Falls

7-9-05 - posted updated and hopefully clearer directions to Raven Rock Falls

7-8-05 - added a secret waterfall and photo of Mingus Mill to the Prints for Sale page. If you didn't notice above, FR475 is open west of the parking for Cove Creek Falls. This means you can now come in the 'back' way to see this and Daniel Ridge Falls. Click here for more info.

6-21-05 - added 2 photos of Toms Creek Falls and 1 of Crabtree Falls to the Prints for Sale page

6-1-06 - revisited Toms Creek Falls near Marion and posted new pictures

4-27-05 - posted photos and info on our latest attempt to conquer Corbin Creek Falls

4-20-05 - added new photos of Big Laurel and Mooney Falls and some cascades Harry and I found at Bearpen Gap off the Blue Ridge Parkway

4-17-05 - added new photos of Rufus Morgan Falls - these aren't that great either but they're better than the ones I had.

3-21-05 - It's wildflower season again! I headed down to upstate SC last week end to catch some in bloom down there and decided to start a new PBase gallery for wildflowers I shoot this year. You can click here to see what I've got so far.

2-28-05 - Added photos and a little text of a waterfall on Robinson Creek, Slatten Falls, Jennifer Falls, Rock House Falls, Thurston Hatcher Falls and High Falls on the west fork of the Tuckasegee River to my PBase Gallery here.

2-20-05 - Added Kuykendall Falls - finally

1-15-05 - I just got finished adding a lot of new images to my Southern Appalachian Wildflowers gallery on PBase. I now have 95 different varieties!