Waterfall Hikes in North Carolina

Waterfall Hikes in North Carolina at a Glance

This page lists 13 waterfall hikes in North Carolina from the Summit Seeker trail database. Summit elevations run from 1,800 ft (High Shoals Falls) to 5,320 ft (Graveyard Fields Upper Falls).

13 of the 13 routes have a distance we can quote from a published source. The shortest is Hooker Falls at 0.6 mi; the longest is Bridal Veil Falls (DuPont) at 4.6 mi. Together the quoted routes add up to 29.1 miles of hiking. By their own ratings they break down as 1 easy.

7 of the 13 guides name a specific trailhead or parking area; the others give the summit location and route line only.

Figures are as recorded in each trail's own data and are planning estimates (≈ marks a figure estimated from the mapped track); confirm conditions and route length with the land manager before you go.

Every waterfall hike in North Carolina, with route facts

Trail	Summit	Route	Distance	Gain	Time	Difficulty	Trailhead
Graveyard Fields Upper Falls	5,320 ft	Upper Falls Trail	3.3 mi round trip	—	—	—	—
Schoolhouse Falls	3,770 ft	Little Green Trail	2.5 mi round trip	—	—	—	Cold Mountain Gap Trailhead
Crabtree Falls	3,540 ft	—	2.5 mi loop	—	—	—	—
Glen Falls	3,280 ft	—	1.7 mi round trip	500 ft	—	Easy	Glen Falls USFS trailhead (off NC 106, southwest of Highlands)
Linville Falls	3,200 ft	Erwins View Trail	1.6 mi round trip	—	—	—	Linville Falls Visitor Center
Roaring Fork Falls	3,110 ft	—	1.4 mi round trip	—	—	—	—
Bridal Veil Falls (DuPont)	2,660 ft	Bridal Veil Falls Road	4.6 mi round trip	—	—	—	High Falls Trailhead
Hickory Nut Falls	2,470 ft	—	1.4 mi round trip	—	—	—	Chimney Rock access, Chimney Rock State Park
High Falls	2,440 ft	—	2.2 mi round trip	—	—	—	—
Triple Falls	2,430 ft	—	2.2 mi round trip	—	—	—	—
Hooker Falls	2,230 ft	—	0.6 mi round trip	—	—	—	—
Indian Creek Falls	2,050 ft	Deep Creek Waterfalls Loop	2.4 mi loop	—	—	—	Deep Creek Trailhead
High Shoals Falls	1,800 ft	High Shoals Falls Loop Trail	2.7 mi loop	—	—	—	Jacob Fork parking area

Route notes

Graveyard Fields Upper Falls — 3.3 mi round trip via the Upper Falls Trail.
Schoolhouse Falls — 2.5 mi round trip via the Little Green Trail from Cold Mountain Gap Trailhead. Parking: No fees are required for the Panthertown Valley area..
Crabtree Falls — a 2.5-mile loop.
Glen Falls — 1.7 mi round trip from Glen Falls USFS trailhead (off NC 106, southwest of Highlands), 500 ft of elevation gain, rated Easy. Parking: Parking at the USFS trailhead is free..
Linville Falls — 1.6 mi round trip via the Erwins View Trail from Linville Falls Visitor Center.
Roaring Fork Falls — 1.4 mi round trip.
Bridal Veil Falls (DuPont) — 4.6 mi round trip via the Bridal Veil Falls Road from High Falls Trailhead. Parking: Parking is free..
Hickory Nut Falls — 1.4 mi round trip from Chimney Rock access, Chimney Rock State Park. Parking: Visitors to the Chimney Rock access must pay a per-person entrance fee..
High Falls — 2.2 mi round trip.
Triple Falls — 2.2 mi round trip.
Hooker Falls — 0.6 mi round trip.
Indian Creek Falls — a 2.4-mile loop via the Deep Creek Waterfalls Loop from Deep Creek Trailhead.
High Shoals Falls — a 2.7-mile loop via the High Shoals Falls Loop Trail from Jacob Fork parking area.

2,660 ft

Waterfall Hikes in North Carolina