View Full Version : Waterfalls along the AT?
Getting ready to leave for 2 months on AT. Springer to Wise shelter in Va. I would hate to miss any falls that are easily accessible from trail. Thanks everyone!
Easy enough to research as you go along.
So are you saying that there is signage? How bout personal favorites? Looking for a little elaboration. I have hiked to over a hundred of NC waterfalls. Thanks
upstream
02-27-2015, 10:27
In Georgia, Long Creek Falls. About a mile after you pass the creek at three forks, turn left on the BMT, and it's a couple of hundred yards, you can't miss it.
there are others that are "Close" to the AT (a relative term), but not easily accessible by foot from the AT.
full conditions
02-27-2015, 10:59
Here's one that most AT hikers are unaware of - Townhouse Creek Falls. Its near NOC in the Nantahala Gorge and is a very easy walk. From NOC, follow the railroad tracks downstream about a half mile or so and you'll see a large creek (3 or 4 yards wide) coming in on the left. Look carefully and you'll see a well worn trail along the stream bank leading in to the woods about 100 yards to the base of a beautiful waterfall.In April the forest floor is covered in thousands of trilliums and other wildflowers. For any thru hikers overnighting at NOC this would make a nice after-dinner walk.
illabelle
02-27-2015, 11:02
Laurel Fork near Hampton is a nice one. Found this google image showing it full of ice.
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608046393247138858&pid=15.1&P=0
I haven't seen it yet, but I'm looking forward to the waterfalls of the Gulf Hagas Trail in Maine, just off the AT.
"Gulf Hagas is a gorge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorge) located in the mountains of central Maine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine) and is often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the East. The West Branch of the Pleasant River cuts through the earth for three miles creating a vertically walled slate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate) gorge with numerous waterfalls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfalls)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Hagas
Cookerhiker
02-27-2015, 11:02
Laurel Falls in Tennessee, just after Kincora and before Pond Flat Mountain, is one of the best of the entire AT.
Jones Falls is just a very short side trail off the AT. Not a spectacular falls, but a very nice spot for lunch and well worth the detour.
http://appalachiantreks.blogspot.com/2007/03/jones-falls.html
daddytwosticks
02-27-2015, 17:20
There is a small cascade that you cross at it's base (on a wooden footbridge) right after you cross Winding Stair Gap near Franklin. I don't know technically if it's a true waterfall. I've seen several other nice little cascades along the trail down here in GA/NC. :)
daddytwosticks
02-27-2015, 17:21
Should have clarified...going north on the AT from WSG. :)
Cookerhiker
02-27-2015, 21:45
I came by this waterfall on May 1, 2005 as part of a section hike from Allen Gap to Damascus. I suspect it's seasonal. It's north of Flint Mountain Shelter, before Sam's Gap
http://www.trailgallery.com/photos/2875/tj2875_051605_181013_89312.jpg
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Trillium
02-28-2015, 09:47
Jones Falls is just a very short side trail off the AT. Not a spectacular falls, but a very nice spot for lunch and well worth the detour.
http://appalachiantreks.blogspot.com/2007/03/jones-falls.html
Thanks for the link Lyle. We have a friend building a house in this general vicinity so am sharing the website with him.
Alleghanian Orogeny
02-28-2015, 10:11
Jones Falls is on a tributary of the Elk River. The Elk flows from NC into TN near where the creek for Jones Falls enters. Just on the NC side, the Elk River plunges about 70' at Elk River Falls. It's a fairly short distance (< 2 miles?) from the AT.
Further down the Elk River, another falls whose name escapes me is accessed from US 321 or from US 19E over a network of NC and TN county roads. Believe it's near the "Elk River Campsite" mentioned by some as a good spot for off-trail AT camping.
In southwest VA, near Bland, Dismal Falls is just off of the AT north of Trent's Grocery.
In central VA, in the vicinity of The Priest, is Crabtree Falls. It's a big one. Not sure of exact proximity to the AT, but it's not a great distance by any stretch of my imagination.
AO
Pedaling Fool
02-28-2015, 11:36
I came by this waterfall on May 1, 2005 as part of a section hike from Allen Gap to Damascus. I suspect it's seasonal. It's north of Flint Mountain Shelter, before Sam's Gap
http://www.trailgallery.com/photos/2875/tj2875_051605_181013_89312.jpg
.
Are you sure that is not in Georgia? I don't have my log now, but I believe I logged that waterfall in Georgia, either that or it looks very, very similar<sarcasm>. I got three pics of it in (I believe March) of 2006 -- I know the year is correct.
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/2006%20AT%20hike%20-%20Georgia/4-23-060839.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/2006%20AT%20hike%20-%20Georgia/4-23-060839.jpg.html)
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/2006%20AT%20hike%20-%20Georgia/4-23-06083901.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/2006%20AT%20hike%20-%20Georgia/4-23-06083901.jpg.html)
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/2006%20AT%20hike%20-%20Georgia/4-23-060838.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/2006%20AT%20hike%20-%20Georgia/4-23-060838.jpg.html)
Race Brook Falla is a series of half a dozen falls ranging from 14 to over 100 feet as Race Brook plunges down the saddle between Mts. Race and Everett in southwestern Mass. The Race Brook Falls Trail is a side expedition of about a mile and a third each way with an elevation loss/gain of about 700 feet to take in all the falls - you have to divert from the main trail and hug the brook after the uppermost big fall to tale them all in. There's a tentsite between the falls and the A.T., so you can plan to stay there and enjoy the falls if you like. Beautiful country there.
Also, on the northside of Moosilauke, the A.T. coincides with the Beaver Brook Trail, the last mile or so of which is chock full of falls, one after the other.
SCRUB HIKER
02-28-2015, 16:07
In the middle of Virginia, I believe right after you cross the Tye River and begin your climb of Three Ridges (for a NOBO), there's a blue-blaze called the Mau-Har Trail. It reconnects after a few miles with the AT right behind the Maupin Shelter. The Mau-Har blue blaze trail spends quite a bit of time next to a cascading stream with waterfalls and swimming holes aplenty. Not to open a huge bag of worms here, but it was one of three times on the AT that I intentionally deviated from the white blazes and easily the best decision of the three. I find it hard to believe that the white-blazed AT up and over Three Ridges would have been as pleasant.
SCRUB HIKER
02-28-2015, 16:10
There are others, too, that you'll know about once you're out there. Off the top of my head I remember jumping off the namesake falls at Falls Village, CT and just missing my friends jumping off Dismal Falls in the middle of Virginia, kind of near Pearisburg.
Cookerhiker
02-28-2015, 21:03
Are you sure that is not in Georgia? I don't have my log now, but I believe I logged that waterfall in Georgia, either that or it looks very, very similar<sarcasm>. I got three pics of it in (I believe March) of 2006 -- I know the year is correct....
I am 100% sure it was in NC - here's the photo from my 2005 journal during which I section hiked from Allen Gap to Damascus. I did not set foot in Georgia that year.
http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=89312