Cherry Cove Falls
!
Cherry Cove Falls, like most of the others nearby, is unremarkable. However, you can combine it with three other significant waterfalls, plus several smaller falls, on a half-day outing from the same trailhead.
The upper section. (065Z4-262696)
Driving Directions
From the junction of US 64, US 276, and NC 80 in Brevard, drive north on US 276 for 10.3 miles (passing Looking Glass Falls on the way) and turn left on the unpaved FS 475B (Headwaters Road). From Blue Ridge Parkway, it is 4.7 miles south on US 276 to this point. Drive 0.15 mile on FS 475B and park on the left, just before the bridge.
Hiking Directions
Quick Glance
The gated FS 5032 begins across the road from the parking area. Follow it to where it makes a sharp right switchback and turn left onto an obvious path a few yards before the curve. Follow the path to the first creek crossing, after turning right at the split, then continue to the next creek crossing. Turn right after crossing, then turn right again and follow the path upstream to the falls.
Detailed Look
Start on FS 5032, which is across the road from the parking area. In 80 yards you’ll come to the gate. (Right before the gate is a side path on the right. If you’re combining No Name Cove Falls and/or Poundingmill Branch Falls with this hike, you can use this path on the return to save some time. See the listings for those falls for details.)
From the gate, it is less than 0.5 miles to a sharp right 180-degree turn. Ten yards before this turn is an obvious path on the left. Take this path, which follows an old logging grade. In a couple hundred feet, the path splits. Go right and ascend. At 0.15 miles from FS 5032, there is a side path on the right that leads to Bennett Cove Falls and about 50 farther is a creek crossing.
Cross the creek (easy) and continue a quarter mile to the next creek crossing (also easy). A little waterfall is a few yards upstream. Cross the creek and take the path on the right. It ascends through a patch of crested dwarf iris. In less than 100 feet you need to turn right again on another obvious path.
In about 300 feet you’ll start climbing alongside a long, steep, sliding waterfall. In some other parts of North Carolina, this falls might be the hike’s destination, but here on the Looking Glass Creek drainage, it’s just one of hundreds of similar smaller waterfalls, so I didn’t take the time to climb down to it.
When you reach the top of this falls, the path splits. Go left, away from the creek, and climb steeply for a little less than 0.2 mile to a faint side path that descends to Cherry Cove Falls. You’ll see the falls long before the side path, so you can be on the lookout for the side path.
| Accessibility: | Forest road and hiking trail |
| County: | Transylvania |
| River Basin: | French Broad |
| Watercourse: | Tributary of Looking Glass Creek |
| Watershed: | Very small |
| Type and Height: | Two levels with an overall height of 64 feet. Height measured with rangefinder. |
| Landowner: | Pisgah NF, Pisgah RD |
| Beauty Rating: | 4 |
| Elevation: | 3600 feet |
| USGS Map: | Shining Rock |
| Hike Difficulty: | Easy/difficult |
| Hike Distance: | 1.2 miles |
| Waterfall GPS: | 35.333733, -82.806082 |
| Trailhead GPS: | 35.3391, -82.792 |
Photo Gallery
Click a photo to enlarge.
