Julia Woodward Falls (Montreat)

Julia Woodward Falls is a small waterfall on Little Slaty Branch in Buncombe County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located in the Montreat Wilderness, private property owned by Montreat Conference Center but open to the public.

Hike Length: 1.0 mile
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Montreat Wilderness
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes, but must be on a leash
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Moderate
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 35.65935,-82.29626
Waterfall GPS: 35.66565,-82.29858

Directions:

From Asheville, head east on I-40 for about 15 miles and take exit 64.  Turn left on NC-9 north and go north about 2 miles into Montreat and the road becomes Assembly Drive.  In 3.3 miles from the interstate, bear left on Graybeard Trail and drive 0.8 miles to a parking area.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the parking area, pick up the orange-blazed Sanctuary Trail on the left that leads past Walk Jones Wildlife Sanctuary.  After crossing a road, the trail follows Little Slaty Branch upstream.

At 0.3 miles, the trail ends at Julia Woodward Trail.  Turn left and continue following the branch upstream.  There is a long slide that is the lower section of the falls.

The trail ends just past this at a scenic little spot near the upper drop of the waterfall.

Blog Entries:

13-Feb-2021: Graybeard Mountain

External Links:

Montreat Conference Center website: https://montreat.org/visit/wilderness

Montreat Trail Club website: http://www.montreattrailclub.org/