Waterfall Hero Hikes: Dry Falls (Cullasaja)

Dry Falls is a 75-foot waterfall on Cullasaja River in Macon County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located in the Cullasaja Gorge in Nantahala National Forest between Highlands and Franklin.

Hike Length: 0.2 miles
Estimated Time: < 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Cullasaja Gorge (Nantahala Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 35.06787,-83.23842
Waterfall GPS: 35.06867,-83.23897

Directions:

From Highlands, head west on US-64 for about 3.6 miles and turn left into the Dry Falls Day Use Area. There is a nominal fee to access, payable at self serve kiosks.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the parking area, there is an accessible overlook to view the falls for those who are unable to make the short hike.

The paved Dry Falls Trail (#9) switchbacks down from the parking area and approaches the waterfall.

Here's another shot of the falls in the snow.

It leads behind the waterfall so that you can view it from every angle.

It is named Dry Falls because you can walk behind the waterfall and stay dry. In really high water, that's not necessarily true. Here's a video from behind the veil in high water.