NC Waterfalls

Shunkawauken Falls is as roadside as a waterfall gets—the road literally crosses it. Though only about three miles from Columbus, it remains surprisingly little-known and lightly visited. That’s probably for the best given the driving and viewing conditions, which are covered in “Special Considerations.”

The roadside view is impressive, with nearly 200 feet of waterfall rising almost directly from the road. But it’s what you can’t see that makes this waterfall truly remarkable: the other three-fourths of the falls. Some 700 feet of falling water lies hidden above and below, putting Shunkawauken squarely in any discussion of North Carolina’s highest waterfall. I explore that claim in “Measuring.”

Beyond the difficult viewing conditions and its possible height of more than 900 feet, Shunkawauken Falls has an intriguing history, also covered below.

A waterfall this large is unusual so near a mountain summit, where most streams are mere trickles. Here, Horse Creek gets a head start on the small plateau atop White Oak Mountain, even filling a few small ponds before spilling over the edge.

Shunkawauken is the only North Carolina waterfall you can safely view from an interstate—I-26 in this case. In winter, northbound travelers get an impressive look at White Oak Mountain and the waterfalls’ two main drops. During periods of wet weather, you can see a few small falls on the north side of I-40 through Pigeon River Gorge, but it isn’t safe for the driver to look, and the passenger view isn’t great at 55 MPH. So I think Shunkawauken earns the distinction.

In winter, the waterfall is clearly visible from several spots in Columbus. The best view is from the open field beside the State Employees’ Credit Union building.

The road to Shunkawauken Falls also passes Skyuka Creek U1-F1 and Skyuka Creek U2-F1, two roadside waterfalls on tiny streams.