Apple Orchard Falls (Jefferson)

Apple Orchard Falls is a tall waterfall on a tributary of North Creek flowing off Apple Orchard Mountain in Botetourt County.  The waterfall is located in the Glendwood-Pedlar Ranger District of Jefferson National Forest, but is most easily accessed from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Hike Length: 2.6 miles
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Glendwood-Pedlar Ranger District of Jefferson National Forest
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Moderate
Warnings: The rocks around waterfall are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 37.50775,-79.52394
Waterfall GPS: 37.51637,-79.53268

Directions:

From Roanoke, head east on US-460 for about 8 miles and go right to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Turn right to go northbound on the parkway and drive 27.5 miles to Sunset Field Overlook on the left at milepost 78.4.

Map:

Hike Description:

Pick up the Apple Orchard Falls Trail (#17) from the overlook.  The trail passes Appalachian Trail and Cornelius Creek Spur Trail as it descends Apple Orchard Mountain.  At about 1 mile, the trail passes by some very scenic cascades just above the waterfall.

After this point, the trail becomes steeper and descends via stairs to the base of the waterfall.  There is a nice wooden overlook to view the falls.

There are some more cascades and drops on the creek below the waterfall.

Apple Orchard Falls is on a small stream, very high up, so best to visit in high water.  In low water conditions, there's not much falling water.

Here's a video of the waterfall:

Blog Entries:

02-Oct-2020: Natural Bridge

12-Oct-2014: Peaks of Otter Waterfalls

External Links:

US Forest Service website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gwj/recarea/?recid=78542