Waterfall Hero Hikes: Crab Orchard Falls (Valle Crucis)

Crab Orchard Falls, also spelled Craborchard Falls, is a cascading waterfall on Craborchard Creek in Watauga County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located on the property of Valle Crucis Conference Center, but public access is permitted.

Hike Length: 1.2 miles
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Valle Crucis Conference Center
Trail Users: Hiking
Dogs: Yes, but must be on a leash
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfalls are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 36.19757,-81.78926
Waterfall GPS: 36.20124,-81.79407

Directions:

From Boone, head south on NC-105. In just under 5 miles, turn right on Broadstone Road heading towards Valle Crucis. In about 3 miles, turn left on NC-194 south. Drive about 1.3 miles and make a sharp right turn onto Skiles Road to enter the Valle Crucis Conference Center. Go up the hill and park in the Waterfall Parking area on the left.

Map:

Hike Description:

Hike down the road to the large building and go left, following the signs, to follow a gravel road up the hill. It's about a half-mile mostly up to a split, where a path to the right leads down to a wooden overlook at the waterfall. This is a fairly tall cascading waterfall, but it's not possible to see the entire thing at once.