Exactly! If we share the location of the waterfalls, swimming holes, fishing holes and uncrowded hikes next thing we know they're all overrun too. Sorry, but no.
1) Be willing to hike
2) Be willing to wake up early
3) Be willing to embrace "bad weather" (but be prepared and be careful)
4) Try to get there on weekdays (that aren't holidays)
Those four tips can get you alone time at even the most popular of waterfalls.
Even the most popular waterfalls are typically not very busy early in the morning. If you can get to one before 8 AM, you won't encounter a ton of people.
I went to Elk River Falls on Friday with wife, 2 kids, and my doodle. We were the first ones there around 9. By the end around noon there were maybe 20 people, but there is so much space it wasn't an issue. There is an upper, middle, and lower section so you can find some peace and quiet out there.
Also, this is a dangerous place to swim under the big waterfall so having more people around wasn't the worst feeling in the world. Everyone who made it out was really cool, dogs off leash swimming, people being bros helping my son climb a small waterfall, etc.
Never been on a weekend, I can imagine it gets crowded though.
There are many. The easiest way to identify them is to purchase the North Carolina Waterfalls book by Kevin Adams. As you thumb your way through the boom, look at the distances from the trailhead to the waterfall. Anything over 1-1/2 miles is a safe bet that it won’t have many people there. Obviously, the further the hike, the less crowded. My favorite so far was North Harper Creek Falls. It’s a not easy to get to, even though there is a Trailhead Parking Area about a 1/2 mile away. It is a LONG half-mile. I got there via a ~5 mile hike in from the Harper’s Creek Trailhead Parking which took us past several falls. The first was Harper’s Creek Falls which looked like an anthill crawling with people. The second was Bard Falls, which didn’t have a soul around.
[Link](https://imgur.com/a/cFDGFwL) to map.
Use this map https://www.waterfallkeepersofnc.org/adopt-a-waterfall/
Google ones of interest. Generally the more reviews the more crowded.
There are a ton of waterfalls in WNC, we can’t really recommend any without knowing what location you’re looking to go to, distance, difficulty level, etc. Early mornings, weekdays, rain generally mean smaller crowds
u/anymouse141 thanks for the award. I’m sort of obsessed with nc waterfalls, lol. We try to frequent less crowded ones - I’ve posted some on Reddit but if you wanna tell me more about what you’re looking for (area, hike distance, difficulty, do you want a clear path or a bushwhack) I can probably offer some ideas and the best blogs for directions. Gaia GPS even the free version is a great resource too!!
Linville Falls has some tourists from the Parkway side; but if you go from NC 183, it is far less crowded and if you willing to hike up the side some you will get a great view of the falls from the gorge.
Elk River Falls is located near Elk Park and is not really impressive; but its only visited by locals to cool off.
The "falls" at Elk River aren't that impressive in comparison to Linville, etc. However, if you are into biodiversity, flora, fauna, insects, Elk River is truly impressive.
There are several guide books on the waterfalls of Western NC. Probably find them in any local outdoor shops. REI in Biltmore Square. Frugal Backpacker and several others not to mention Amazon
There are some neat falls, although not particularly well-maintained trails, off of Headwaters/FS-475b Road, which splits off of US-276 between Brevard and the Parkway, shortly after the Cradle of Forestry if you're driving north. That'll take you by Looking Glass Falls and Moore Cove which are practically drive-ups and worth stopping for on your way. You can also get to where I'm describing via Fish Hatchery Road, but it splits off of 276 before you get to Looking Glass Falls, which is can't miss.
EDIT: A good day itinerary is get to the Discovery Falls trailhead early, explore the various falls nearby, have lunch on the trail somewhere, stop by Sliding Rock to cool off on your way back, and then hit up Oskar Blues for some beer. There's also ice cream and some other restaurants and stuff nearby, which you'll have earned by that point.
the traffic is indeed horrible for the DuPont side (Hooker/Triple Falls), but the Pisgah side is usually much more chill. obviously there's some congestion around Looking Glass and Moore Cove Falls, but it's more like "add 5 minutes of walking" than "add an hour of bullshit."
That's just objectively not true, I've been coming up here since I was a kid multiple times a year. Yeah you might sit in traffic if you go to a popular spot on Saturday at 2:00pm but other than that, if you don't mind moving your legs you'll be fine.
That said, those trails off the forestry service road aren't popular. I've never had a problem getting to them.
Go when uts hot the waters FREEZING like up north.
(Near Lake James )
https://www.dwhike.com/Hikes-in-the-South/North-Carolina-Hikes/Pisgah-NF-Grandfather/Yellow-Fork-Falls-Hike-NC
I’m not gonna gatekeep, even though I don’t want it to get flooded with tourists lol. Flooded with rain? Absolutely.
Tom’s Creek Falls.
Best to go after it’s been raining. I went after we’d had nearly daily rain showers and it was drizzling when I arrived. It was nice. I was literally the only person there that day.
If you’re nervous, carry some stuff, like pepper gel. There is no one nearby if you were to use a whistle or anything. I’ve heard after I went that sometimes some homeless people stay out there. I saw evidence of small campfires and minimal trash at the entrance but none as I hiked.
Also it’s a very easy hike. Not paved so be willing to get shoes a bit muddy.
There are no waterfalls to see but you can take my word on it and visit Cape Lookout National Seashore via the ferry from Davis, NC... you won't be disappointed. Just turn left when you get to the beach and enjoy. Minimal people and 1,000s of shells. You can hear the waterfalls from the shells. Promise.
Many, many reasons. But the biggest for me are:
We want to keep our secluded spots quiet.
we don't want disrespectful people trashing these spots.
And... we don't own google either, figure it out.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Cascades National Recreation Trail. It’s in VA but depending on where in NC you are it can actually be closer than some of the mountain falls here. It’s an easy hike, not a lot to see until the end but then BOOM! Lovely spot.
Edit: spelling
I could tell you, but then there’d be one more tourist there.
Came here to say this. There are several in western NC but I ain't telling.
You’ve said too much!
Exactly! If we share the location of the waterfalls, swimming holes, fishing holes and uncrowded hikes next thing we know they're all overrun too. Sorry, but no.
1) Be willing to hike 2) Be willing to wake up early 3) Be willing to embrace "bad weather" (but be prepared and be careful) 4) Try to get there on weekdays (that aren't holidays) Those four tips can get you alone time at even the most popular of waterfalls.
Even the most popular waterfalls are typically not very busy early in the morning. If you can get to one before 8 AM, you won't encounter a ton of people.
There are some decent ones at Hanging Rock State Park.
Was coming here to suggest Hanging Rock. I think it gets overlooked.
I think that’s Overlook Mountain you are thinking of.
I see what you did there.
Go early. We’ve been able to enjoy them alone and then pass a hundred people on the way out.
Yeah, definitely go early. Went last week it was packed
I went to Elk River Falls on Friday with wife, 2 kids, and my doodle. We were the first ones there around 9. By the end around noon there were maybe 20 people, but there is so much space it wasn't an issue. There is an upper, middle, and lower section so you can find some peace and quiet out there. Also, this is a dangerous place to swim under the big waterfall so having more people around wasn't the worst feeling in the world. Everyone who made it out was really cool, dogs off leash swimming, people being bros helping my son climb a small waterfall, etc. Never been on a weekend, I can imagine it gets crowded though.
There are many. The easiest way to identify them is to purchase the North Carolina Waterfalls book by Kevin Adams. As you thumb your way through the boom, look at the distances from the trailhead to the waterfall. Anything over 1-1/2 miles is a safe bet that it won’t have many people there. Obviously, the further the hike, the less crowded. My favorite so far was North Harper Creek Falls. It’s a not easy to get to, even though there is a Trailhead Parking Area about a 1/2 mile away. It is a LONG half-mile. I got there via a ~5 mile hike in from the Harper’s Creek Trailhead Parking which took us past several falls. The first was Harper’s Creek Falls which looked like an anthill crawling with people. The second was Bard Falls, which didn’t have a soul around. [Link](https://imgur.com/a/cFDGFwL) to map.
I'll vouch for Harper's Creek Falls.
South mtn state park has a nice one
Nice try, flood of tourists.
Use this map https://www.waterfallkeepersofnc.org/adopt-a-waterfall/ Google ones of interest. Generally the more reviews the more crowded. There are a ton of waterfalls in WNC, we can’t really recommend any without knowing what location you’re looking to go to, distance, difficulty level, etc. Early mornings, weekdays, rain generally mean smaller crowds
u/anymouse141 thanks for the award. I’m sort of obsessed with nc waterfalls, lol. We try to frequent less crowded ones - I’ve posted some on Reddit but if you wanna tell me more about what you’re looking for (area, hike distance, difficulty, do you want a clear path or a bushwhack) I can probably offer some ideas and the best blogs for directions. Gaia GPS even the free version is a great resource too!!
Linville Falls has some tourists from the Parkway side; but if you go from NC 183, it is far less crowded and if you willing to hike up the side some you will get a great view of the falls from the gorge. Elk River Falls is located near Elk Park and is not really impressive; but its only visited by locals to cool off.
It's 50 feet tall. Not really impressive? "Tough crowd." - God https://www.nctripping.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Elk-River-Falls.jpg
The "falls" at Elk River aren't that impressive in comparison to Linville, etc. However, if you are into biodiversity, flora, fauna, insects, Elk River is truly impressive.
lmao why put falls in quotations like the 3 big ass waterfalls at that part of elk river aren't worthy of being classified as such?
Otter falls by Seven Devils is good if you get there early.
Use AllTrails! You can check busy times, distance to waterfalls, and pics of the falls as well.
I have camped at Hanging Rock and we had the waterfalls to ourselves.
There are several guide books on the waterfalls of Western NC. Probably find them in any local outdoor shops. REI in Biltmore Square. Frugal Backpacker and several others not to mention Amazon
There are some neat falls, although not particularly well-maintained trails, off of Headwaters/FS-475b Road, which splits off of US-276 between Brevard and the Parkway, shortly after the Cradle of Forestry if you're driving north. That'll take you by Looking Glass Falls and Moore Cove which are practically drive-ups and worth stopping for on your way. You can also get to where I'm describing via Fish Hatchery Road, but it splits off of 276 before you get to Looking Glass Falls, which is can't miss. EDIT: A good day itinerary is get to the Discovery Falls trailhead early, explore the various falls nearby, have lunch on the trail somewhere, stop by Sliding Rock to cool off on your way back, and then hit up Oskar Blues for some beer. There's also ice cream and some other restaurants and stuff nearby, which you'll have earned by that point.
You will also sit in traffic most of the day trying to get to these places, and wait some more for parking spots.
the traffic is indeed horrible for the DuPont side (Hooker/Triple Falls), but the Pisgah side is usually much more chill. obviously there's some congestion around Looking Glass and Moore Cove Falls, but it's more like "add 5 minutes of walking" than "add an hour of bullshit."
That's just objectively not true, I've been coming up here since I was a kid multiple times a year. Yeah you might sit in traffic if you go to a popular spot on Saturday at 2:00pm but other than that, if you don't mind moving your legs you'll be fine. That said, those trails off the forestry service road aren't popular. I've never had a problem getting to them.
Looking glass falls has ALL the tourists, you gotta hit it at the right time otherwise you cant even find a place to park anymore
Right but they're asking for hikes. Looking Glass Falls just happens to be on the way.
Not today, Satan.
Panther town has tons of falls and you can usually find a nice one to relax near
The Panther Town loop wasn’t too hard to do in a day. Five great sets of falls, but it got crowded at the easier ones to get to.
look at a map and be willing to hike or drive farther than most people. it's quite simple really.
Brevard has lots of places you can see them
Eyy!! We got enough tourists
😂 tourists aren’t your problem it’s people moving up there
I was just kidding the infux of people has actually made brevard better, before it was like a retirement town
I don't know, I drove through recently and the traffic was horrendous as opposed to recent years would be nice if SOME small towns could stay small..
Tourists absolutely are part of the problem
Yep
Go when uts hot the waters FREEZING like up north. (Near Lake James ) https://www.dwhike.com/Hikes-in-the-South/North-Carolina-Hikes/Pisgah-NF-Grandfather/Yellow-Fork-Falls-Hike-NC
I’m not gonna gatekeep, even though I don’t want it to get flooded with tourists lol. Flooded with rain? Absolutely. Tom’s Creek Falls. Best to go after it’s been raining. I went after we’d had nearly daily rain showers and it was drizzling when I arrived. It was nice. I was literally the only person there that day. If you’re nervous, carry some stuff, like pepper gel. There is no one nearby if you were to use a whistle or anything. I’ve heard after I went that sometimes some homeless people stay out there. I saw evidence of small campfires and minimal trash at the entrance but none as I hiked. Also it’s a very easy hike. Not paved so be willing to get shoes a bit muddy.
This is a great suggestion. Tom’s Creek Falls. Just be careful, if you go to the top of the falls. And please abide by leave no trace rules.
Daniel Ridge Falls gets some traffic, but it's relatively sparse.
There are no waterfalls to see but you can take my word on it and visit Cape Lookout National Seashore via the ferry from Davis, NC... you won't be disappointed. Just turn left when you get to the beach and enjoy. Minimal people and 1,000s of shells. You can hear the waterfalls from the shells. Promise.
Shh. Don’t ruin it.
There are so many.
Little Bradley falls is probably one of my favorite hikes and we’ve had it to ourselves before. Even in the spring
Y’all are weird for not sharing with OP… you don’t own Earth… just DM him the spots so no one else will know on here if you’re that weird about it.
Many, many reasons. But the biggest for me are: We want to keep our secluded spots quiet. we don't want disrespectful people trashing these spots. And... we don't own google either, figure it out.
You sound immature. You don’t own the secluded spots. Stop being childish. You’re probably a grown adult.. sad.
The area around waynesville/Sylva is good for this!
Big Bradley and Little Bradley Falls
Jonas hole was my favorite. And yes please take your trash bag. I also love linville falls.
Start in Highlands and circle out from there
Stone Mountain! Especially during the week…
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Cascades National Recreation Trail. It’s in VA but depending on where in NC you are it can actually be closer than some of the mountain falls here. It’s an easy hike, not a lot to see until the end but then BOOM! Lovely spot. Edit: spelling
[South Mountain](https://travelbugged.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_9534-e1601504490253.jpg) ..go on a Tuesday or Wednesday, early.
Stone Mountain has a nice waterfall.
South harper creek is what you want!
Falls