Waterfall Hero Hikes: Upper Moore Cove Falls (Pisgah)

Upper Moore Cove Falls, also called Tiny Falls, is a 15-foot waterfall on Moore Creek in Transylvania County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located in the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest.

Hike Length: 1.4 miles
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Difficult
Location: Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest
Trail Users: Hiking
Dogs: Must be on a leash
Features: Waterfalls (2+)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfalls are very slippery. The climb up is very steep and dangerous as it is close to the top of Moore Cove Falls
Trailhead GPS: 35.30509,-82.77444
Waterfall GPS: 35.31210,-82.77765

Directions:

From Brevard, head east on US-276/US-64 to where they split and turn left to stay on US-276. Drive north for 6.7 miles, approximately one mile past Looking Glass Falls. There is a parking area on the right side of the road immediately before the highway crosses Looking Glass Creek on a beautiful old bridge. Alternately, if coming from the Blue Ridge Parkway, go south on US-276 for 8.3 miles; the parking area will be on the left.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the parking area, hike across the creek on the footbridge and follow Moore Cove Trail (#318). This easy three-quarter-mile trail leads along Moore Creek to the waterfall through a beautiful cove forest. In the spring time, this is a great area for wildflowers.

There are footbridges over creek crossings, but a few spots can get muddy. The trail ends at a viewing deck for Moore Cove Falls.

Go behind the waterfall and take the very steep path that climbs up the river right side of the falls. There are some side paths, but stay on the main one that heads straight up. It eventually levels off near the top of Moore Cove Falls. Be very careful here as a fall would be fatal. Once above Moore Cove Falls, look for a scramble path down to the base of Upper Moore Cove Falls. This is very close to the top of the bigger waterfall so use caution.