Top 10 Waterfalls

Wind your way through fern banks and mature forest to this lovely cove. It’s all quite enchanting — as are the falls themselves, which cascade like a thin vell over a rock grotto.

A lesser-known gem tucked away in a quieter area of DuPont but quite easy to get to, although you will need to be careful on the rocky trail leading to the base of the falls.

This picturesque ledge-style waterfall tumbles into a pool that’s darn near perfect for swimming. The flat sandy banks make getting in and out of the Little River a cinch. Featured in the hit movie, The Last of the Mohicans.

A moderate one-mile hike on a well-maintained trail brings you to a safe and roomy viewing platform that offers up a long-range look at this remote waterfall in Gorges State Park.

Located a short hike upriver from Rainbow Falls (see #3), Turtleback has a laidback, calming vibe that makes it a nice contrast to its more famous sibling.

A kid-friendly and wheelchair accessible boardwalk takes you to a viewing area above Connestee Falls that offers up a nice long range view of Batson Creek Falls, a lovely 20-foot tall cascade.

In terms of sheer holy-smokes visual impact, it’s hard to beat the one-two punch of Triple and High, which are co-located on the Little River. Both falls have been featured in a number of movies, including The Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger Games.

Rainbow Falls is a beautiful 150-ft ribbon of whitewater that many enthusiasts consider to be the most striking in western North Carolina. Sunlight catches the mist coming off the falls and creates the phenomenon for which the cascade is named.

At 411 feet, Whitewater has the distinction of being the tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. It’s also highly accessible. From the parking lot (fee), a paved pathway takes you to the first viewing stand.

Because of its beauty and accessibility, Looking Glass Falls is quite possibly the most photographed waterfall in America outside of Niagara Falls. And, frankly, no visit to Transylvania County is complete without a stopover here.