Mountain waterfalls abound nearby

By: -- PRNewswire | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: September 02, 2010

If you're looking for a last-minute getaway for the Labor Day weekend, there's hardly anything more refreshing than a mountain waterfall, many of which offer cool waters for wading. There are hundreds of waterfalls in the Asheville area, just a couple of hours southwest of Winston-Salem.

According to the readers of the online travel guide, www.RomanticAsheville.com, here are the Top 10 waterfalls to enjoy in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

• Sliding Rock: Each summer, thousands slip and slide down this favorite natural, 60-foot cascade down a sloping boulder in the Pisgah National Forest.

• Looking Glass Falls: You don't even have to get out of your car to see this 60-foot waterfall, near Sliding Rock along U.S. 276 north of Brevard, near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

• DuPont State Forest: A three-mile easy hike takes you to the base of three waterfalls: Hooker, Triple and the 150-foot High Falls.

• Graveyard Fields: This popular hiking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway features a loop trail that takes you to two waterfalls on the Yellowstone Prong. Second Falls is just one-third of a mile from the parking area.

• Rainbow Falls: This spectacular 150-foot waterfall is located in the Nantahala National Forest. Access by a hiking trail from Gorges State Park. A little up Horsepasture River, slide and swim at Turtleback Falls.

• Linville Falls: Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Erwin's View Trail is a moderate hike of 1.6 miles round-trip with four overlooks, each revealing a different aspect of the Falls and Linville Gorge.

• Crabtree Falls: This beautiful 70-foot waterfall, near Linville Falls, is accessed by a 2.5-mile loop hiking trail from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

• Upper Whitewater Falls: This is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies. It plunges 411 feet and is easily viewed via a short paved trail.

• Hickory Nut Falls: This 404-foot waterfall at Chimney Rock Park was featured in the movie The Last of the Mohicans. It is a perfect example of what geologists call a "hanging valley."

• Dry Falls: The falls are near Highlands. Visitors get the rare treat of walking safely behind this 75-foot waterfall. Nearby, drive behind Bridal Veil Falls.

For details on these waterfalls and others, visit www.romanticasheville.com.