Upper Whitewater Falls

Upper Whitewater Falls is a 400-foot waterfall on Whitewater River in Jackson and Transylvania Counties, North Carolina.  The waterfall is located in the Nantahala Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest.

Hike Length: 0.6 miles
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Location: 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: 35.02908,-83.01603
Waterfall GPS:  35.03529,-83.01692

Directions:

From Brevard, head west on US-64 for about 18 miles.  After passing Lake Toxaway, turn left on NC-281 south.  Drive 8.6 miles and turn left into Whitewater Falls Recreation Area and park.  There is a nominal fee to access, payable at self serve kiosks.

Map:

Hike Description:

Pick up the paved trail leading from the picnic area that leads about 0.2 miles to the upper overlook.

From here, stairs descend to the lower overlook that has the best views of the waterfall.

The trail descends further and meets up with Foothills Trail to lead down to river level, but there is nowhere to views the falls from there.

Blog Entries:

03-Jan-2021: White Cliffs and Falls

09-Mar-2013: Waterfalls along Horsepasture

External Links:

US Forest Service website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5188436