22 Gorgeous Hiking Waterfalls Near Asheville, NC

One of the prettiest waterfall hikes near Asheville, Catawba Falls promises tall and stunning falls as well as a trail perfect for families, dog walkers, and hikers looking for an easy to moderate trek.

Catawba Falls is only about a 30-minute drive from Asheville and is one of our all-time favorite Asheville waterfall hikes.

This part of the Pisgah National Forest is gorgeous. You'll find moss, lichen, and cascading falls.

A wide and moderately easy trail paired with the massive falls and bubbling water makes Catawba an extremely popular waterfall hike near Asheville.

Be forewarned that on the weekends, the parking lot fills up quickly and visitors crowd the trails.

We prefer to visit Catawba during the weekday. The Catawba Trails hike is also great if you have dogs or children.

With 100-foot tall falls, hikers trek a little under 1.5 miles to reach their final destination before backtracking to the lot.

You'll barely notice that you've walked around 2.7-miles round trip, though, as you'll cross a scenic bridge and have waterfalls and jumping stones to endlessly distract you.

You can sit on the boulders or dip into the water, but please also know that the water is fast-moving and the rocks get slippery.

The address for Catawba Falls is 3074 Catawba River Rd, Old Fort, NC 28762.

You can plug 'Catawba Falls' into GPS and not have to worry about those directions being wrong -- like so many other trails and waterfalls near Asheville.

We live here, and we still get confused sometimes. From Asheville, you will travel down 1-40 East and take Exit 73 toward Old Fort. You'll then take a right onto Catawba River Road.

The next four waterfalls near Asheville, NC are located at DuPont State Recreational Forest, about 45-minutes+ from downtown.

Visiting this area is free, including parking, and many lots have restrooms and fountains.

Find picnic areas, and dogs on leashes are allowed in most places. These are some of the best waterfalls near Asheville for the entire family.

Please know that if the parking lots fill up, you cannot park along the road. Signs everywhere will remind you of this.

If you want to hike all of the DuPont State Recreational Forest falls while visiting, I'd start with Hooker Falls, loop back up to Triple Falls, which is about 1-mile away, and then hike to High Falls, another half-mile+.

It's a three-mile plus round trip hike to see these three waterfalls. You may also continue on to Bridal Veil Falls from the covered bridge, but add in an additional 4.4 miles.

Hooker Falls

If you are looking for short and easy waterfall hikes near Asheville, Hooker Falls is perfect. You can even take a small dip in the pool at the bottom.

Hooker Falls is one of the waterfalls near Asheville, NC that you can practically drive up to.

You'll want to park in the upper-level lot at DuPont known as the Hooker Falls Access Area. From this lot, Hooker Falls is under a .25-mile hike. This parking lot also has restrooms and water fountains.

Hooker Falls is the fourth waterfall on the Little River and is only about 12-feet high. At the bottom of the falls, you can hang out on the rocks or take a dip in the huge pool.

Hooker Falls is also deemed as the only safe spot at DuPont for swimming because there is no current. Of course, please read all of the posted signs in case this changes and always exert caution.

How To Get To Hooker Falls

You can type 'Hooker Falls Access Area' into navigation. Located in Brevard, from Asheville, you'll take I-26 East to Exit 40. There are a series of twists and turns that will take you down 280 to U.S. 64.

Please note that coming back from this area you might not have cellphone service.

We advise knowing your next destination in advance and how to make your way back out of the mountains until it picks up again.

Triple Falls is one of the most popular waterfall hikes near Asheville and many refer to it as "The Hunger Games Waterfalls" since scenes were filmed here.

To access Triple Falls, you can park at either the Visitor Center or Hooker Falls Access Area.

We usually park at Hooker Falls to see Triple Falls since the Visitor Center is more heavily trafficked/busy. Parking tends to fill up at the Visitor Center first.

Triple Falls is the third waterfall on the Little River and is a three-tiered, 120-foot waterfall. You can view the falls from afar with additional picnic areas slightly above the main trails.

If you are more adventurous, climb down the stairs to see the middle of the falls. You can no longer get too close as the area is roped off.

This waterfall hike is slightly more moderate. The trek is rocky with steep inclines.

It's not necessarily strenuous or hardcore, but it's not the easiest either. Your feet might slide on the gravel rocks.

High Falls sits near Triple Falls. Behind High Falls, cross the wooden covered bridge over to Bridal Veil Falls.

There are many "High Falls" in North Carolina; please remember that for this particular Asheville waterfall hike, we mean the falls at Dupont.

When you continue past Triple Falls for about another half-mile, you'll find yourself across from High Falls. High Falls is 150-feet tall.

The hike to High Falls, like Triple Falls, is considered moderate. I wouldn't say that the trek is hard or tiresome, though.

One of the best waterfalls near Asheville, Bridal Veil Falls at DuPont State Recreational Forest is home to many filming locations.

Like Triple Falls, Bridal Veil Falls is another filming location for The Hunger Games. They also filmed part of Last of the Mohicans here.

If you love mountain biking, the 2.2-mile gravel road is perfect with a gorgeous endpoint at the falls.

Please also know that there are two Bridal Veil Falls in North Carolina. The other falls are located in the Nantahala National Forest in Highlands, and you can literally drive under them.

You can access Bridal Veil Falls by parking at Hooker Falls and hiking all three falls (Hooker, Triple, and High) before heading up to the covered bridge and over to Bridal Veil. This hike will be around 7-miles+.

Or, you can park at the Visitor Center and walk the 4.4-miles round trip just to Bridal Veil Falls.

We've never parked at Fawn Lake, but that's also an option for Bridal Veil Falls, especially during a busy tourist season.

Full disclosure: Bridal Veil Falls -- to me -- is a slightly boring 'hike.' You follow 2+-miles of gravel road; it's not always scenic or entertaining.

For Asheville waterfalls, Bridal Veil Falls looks like a slide. Unlike Sliding Rock, though, you cannot slide down or climb up them.

Bridal Veil Falls is also a fabulous picnic spot. You can hang out on a lower-level rock -- just heed all signs -- which I highly recommend.

Relax by the 120-foot waterfall, and don't miss the observation deck from further away.

While Dupont State Recreational Forest is a popular destination for both tourists and locals, Bridal Veil Falls is usually slightly less crowded.

After waterfall hiking at DuPont, head to downtown Hendersonville.

Blue Ridge Parkway hikes are gorgeous in the fall, making Lower Falls one of the best waterfalls near Asheville, NC that is both easy to get to and worth the drive.

Graveyard Fields offers extremely popular and busy Asheville waterfall hikes. Rumor has it that this area is named after tree stumps that look like graves.

Graveyard Fields is also one of the BRP spots with restrooms. Many of the waterfall hikes near Asheville lack bathrooms with the exception of DuPont.

Because Graveyard Fields is so close to the Mount Pisgah hiking trail, restaurant, and lodging area, tourist season is wild here. We've braved the fall because this area is stunning.

Lower Falls, also known as Second Falls, is only about 1/3 of a mile from the parking area, which is perfect for young families. You can swim around this area, too.

Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields is a little trickier to find. One of the more strenuous waterfall hikes near Asheville, you'll love the workout and the views.

When we first moved to Asheville, we stumbled upon the Graveyard Loop and Upper Falls - the signs to the Upper Falls are pretty much nonexistent.

I recommend having a map and instructions before you go or you'll find yourself walking the wrong way.

In order to access Upper Falls, you'll start hiking Graveyard Loop. After the river, you'll go straight and encounter an uphill and rocky climb that is much harder when wet.

Upper Falls is only about a mile off of the Graveyard Loop Trail intersection and is one of our other coveted Asheville waterfalls.

You can choose between a path that gets you closer to the base or keep climbing further up to the top. Upper Falls is about 40-feet tall.

How To Get To Graveyard Fields

To find the parking area for Graveyard Fields, head down the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Asheville to Milepost 418.8.

Please know that anywhere around this area, GPS gets a little wonky and you'll most likely lose cell service at some point.

If you are looking for waterfalls near Asheville, NC that are also great spots to cool off in, don't miss Skinny Dip Falls. Even in the summer, the chilly water will numb your toes.

Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway about 3 miles from Graveyard Fields, Skinny Dip is one of the most popular Asheville waterfall hikes and swimming holes.

You could also come here after hiking Mount Pisgah or Graveyard Loop.

For Asheville waterfalls, Skinny Dip Falls is also a hit because it's kid-friendly. You can wade into the water and spread out along the falls. There are no lifeguards on duty, though.

The hike down to the falls is fairly wide and easy. Rock steps help you along the way. This Asheville waterfall hike is under 1-mile round trip.

Don't miss the "Dragon Tree" on your way there. Don't worry, I don't even have to explain this. You'll know it when you see it.

How To Get To Skinny Dip Falls

Skinny Dip Falls is located off of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Pisgah National Forest at Mile Marker 417 Looking Glass Overlook.

Sometimes GPS gets confused, and you will lose cellphone reception for quite a while. This is one of those spots.

Once you park at the Looking Glass Overlook, you'll cross the street. Look for a marked post on a visible trail, and follow the signs for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) just to start.

From the Overlook, you only have to walk about .5-miles into the falls. Just keep walking straight down the big path, and don't veer off on one of the side ones.

Photo by Sarah Resta Photography

One of the best waterfalls near Asheville, NC that you can drive up to includes Looking Glass Falls.

Out of all of the Asheville waterfalls, Looking Glass Falls has the most accessibility since you can park on the side of the road and see them from the observation deck.

You can also hike Looking Glass Falls, following along with the Looking Glass Rock Trail. Looking Glass Falls is in the Pisgah National Forest.

True to their namesake, parts of Looking Glass Falls freeze in the winter resembling a looking glass.

The falls are about 60-feet tall. You can walk down the steps to wade in the water at the base.

After visiting, you may want to explore more of the Pisgah National Forest or hike one of the connecting trails.

How To Get To Looking Glass Falls

To get to Looking Glass Falls from Asheville, follow 1-240 West to I-26 East to Exit 40.

You'll take a right on 240 West and then a right on U.S. Highway 276 North. The falls are about a 55-minute drive from downtown Asheville in Brevard.

Moore Cove Falls is one of the best waterfalls near Asheville for families. You can head to Looking Glass Falls first.

Drive about 3/4 of a mile past Looking Glass Falls for the parking area to Moore Cove Falls. Parking will fill up quickly in the summer and on weekends. We like to visit this waterfall in late winter on a weekday.

The Moore Cove Falls waterfall hike is about .7 miles each way as an out and back.

The trail may grow muddy but is typically known for being easier for families and older hikers. You'll cross wooden bridges on a mostly well-maintained trail.

At the end of the hike, uncover a 50-foot waterfall. If you are lucky, you'll catch a rainbow in the mist.

How To Find Moore Cove Falls

Moore Cove Falls is just past Looking Glass Falls. From Asheville, you will follow 1-240 West to I-26 East to Exit 40.

You'll take a right on 240 West and then a right on U.S. Highway 276 North. The falls are about a 55-minute drive from downtown Asheville in Brevard.

Daniel Ridge Falls, in the Pisgah National Forest, is a gorgeous 150-foot waterfall. On your way out of this area of the Pisgah National Forest, drive up to Looking Glass Falls, too.

One of our absolute favorite winter waterfall hikes around Asheville — that we also got lost on once — includes Daniel Ridge Loop.

Daniel Ridge offers two beautiful trails filled with baby waterfalls and babbling streams.

Daniel Ridge Loop is a favorite for locals and mountain bikers. It's also one of the less frequented waterfall trails near Asheville on this list.

You can hike the 4-mile loop, or you can take the shorter and easier one-mile out and back directly to Daniel Ridge Falls — also known as Tom’s Spring Branch Falls.

If you hike the Loop, please have AllTrails or a GAIA map open and know your markings; the markings are sometimes harder to see the further you get inside the loop, especially in the fall and winter.

We accidentally hopped on a connector that we thought was the Loop.

How To Access Daniel Ridge Falls

From AVL, take I-240 West to I-26 East. Hop off at Exit 40 and take a right onto Highway 280.

Turn right onto US Highway 276 North/Forest Heritage Scenic Byway to enter the Pisgah National Forest.

Turn left at the sign for Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. You'll hit an unpaved road around the Cove Creek Group Campground.

Park in the small circular lot for Daniel Ridge. You will most likely lose cell phone service around here.

Don't miss beautiful Crabtree Falls located off of the Blue Ridge Parkway near a camping ground and Little Switzerland.

As one of the most popular waterfalls near Asheville, Crabtree Falls offers a moderately easy 2-mile out and back or slightly harder 2.5-mile loop to one of WNC's prettiest waterfalls.

The falls cascade over a 60-foot rock cliff. You can stand on a wooden bridge to get head-on pictures and a wonderful view.

This waterfall hike may get a little muddy and slippery. A stream sometimes runs over the trail and stairs.

If you decide to hike the harder loop past the falls, expect a strenuous incline.

How To Find Crabtree Falls

The Crabtree Falls parking lot is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mile Post 339.5 near Little Switzerland. From Asheville, you can take the Blue Ridge Parkway heading north.

Please double-check Blue Ridge Parkway gate openings before you go.

Also know that GPS might take you to a different Crabtree Falls in the middle of nowhere. You eventually want to land on the BRP, if you go a different route.

Douglas Falls is one of those waterfalls near Asheville - a little under an hour and 15 mins - that you can either cheat on by driving close to or hike from Craggy Gardens. We've started the Craggy Gardens hike before.

You can pick up the trail from the Visitor Center or even the Craggy Gardens Picnic area.

However, this is a 7 to 10-mile, extremely challenging hike that gets pretty muddy, tricky, and overgrown. Unless you are an experienced hiker -- I am not -- I don't recommend it.

Your other option, which is our first choice, is to drive up the winding gravel road of Forest Service Road 74.

From here, it's a moderate and extremely slippery-when-wet half-mile hike downhill to the falls from the official trailhead. With gate closures over recent years, expect to walk up 1.1-miles up the road from Laurel Gap Parking.

This Asheville waterfall hike is an out-and-back.

You can walk under the gorgeous 70-foot falls and walk around them. You may also continue the hike to Craggy Gardens or Greybeard Overlook.

How To Access Douglas Falls

You'll take 19-23 North to Barnardsville and then NC Highway 197.

When you take a right onto Dillingham Road, you'll enter this scenic town that is beautifully ensconced in the blue mountains, passing cows, farmland, and horses.

This road ends in the Pisgah National Forest hitting FS74, which is not for the weak.

At times, the edge of the cliff is right there. This is most of your ride as you have to drive slowly.

Passing is difficult but possible in many areas of FS74, and watch for surprise rocks and holes.

Walker Falls is about 4-miles in and then you will drive until the gate closure at Laurel Gap.

If you are lucky, you might just catch a rainbow at Rainbow Falls. Please keep in mind that there are a lot of "Rainbow Falls" around.

This waterfall hike is in Western North Carolina and begins in beautiful Gorges State Park. The waterfall technically also lands in the Pisgah National Forest.

Rainbow Falls is another one of the most popular and stellar waterfalls near Asheville, NC. This gorgeous 150-foot waterfall will leave you breathless and a little wet.

Although the 3-mile, out-and-back waterfall hike is moderately easy, the trail to Rainbow Falls is labeled as moderate.

You'll have to navigate multiple streams crossings, an 800-foot elevation gain, forest stairs, and a long trail with some mild hills.

The trail grows muddy in some parts, and your feet might get wet.

Exert extreme caution around the falls and rapidly moving water. There have been multiple human and pet fatalities here.

Prior to Rainbow Falls, you can also stop at Hidden Falls, which offers a serene wading pool.

When hiking Rainbow Falls, don't miss Turtleback Falls, too.

How To Find Rainbow Falls

Take I-240 to I-26. Get off on Exit 40 and turn right onto Hwy 280.

Turn onto US 64 W toward Sapphire. Turn on NC 281 S in Sapphire.

You'll see the entrance to Gorges State Park on your left. Enter the park -- it's free -- and pass the Visitor Center, which has facilities.

Follow the signs for Rainbow Falls, which will bring you to a parking lot. The trailhead is where you see a series of informational boards.

This waterfall hike is about 1.5 hours driving distance from Asheville.

Once you arrive at Rainbow Falls, if you kept walking straight, you'd just get closer to the massive beast.

If you want to continue onto Turtleback Falls, though, you'd yield up and right to stay on the trail.

Turtleback Falls is about .5 miles past Rainbow Falls -- tacking on another 1 mile out and back. You can stop along the trail for a picnic.

Like Rainbow Falls, pay attention to and respect all signs. People have died here.

There are rocks and areas that are safe for a picnic and others that are not.

Many of the waterfalls near Asheville are over an hour away, including Linville Falls.

Depending on which way you go and how comfortable you are on winding mountain roads, this will be a 1.5 hr to 2 hr drive for you.

Linville Falls is one of the most photographed waterfalls in WNC. This area has a Visitor Center with restrooms.

To the left of the Visitor Center, don't miss the lesser-known trailheads that take you around the falls and to the base.

Or, walk past the Visitor Center and cross a bridge to find a variety of trailheads ranging in difficulty with more waterfall views.

The falls are about 90-feet high, and there are 5 viewpoints that total a 4-mile hike.

There are different hikes that you can take, including Erwins View Trail and Linville Gorge.

How To Find Linville Falls

Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, look for mile marker 316.4.

Two trails leave from the Visitor Center. The quickest way to get to Linville is by taking I-40 East to 221, which will get you on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

To me, Mingo Falls is one of the prettiest waterfalls near Asheville, NC as well as the Great Smoky Mountains.

About 1.5 hours away from Asheville, start driving toward the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here, you'll find one of the tallest waterfalls in the Southern Appalachians.

Located in Cherokee, Mingo Falls is about 120-feet tall. The hike there is incredibly short but moderate. Get ready to climb 160 stairs.

Follow the Pigeon Creek Trail -- we also call it Mingo Falls Trail or Hike -- for a little under half a mile to the falls. This waterfall hike is an out and back.

How To Find Mingo Falls

From Asheville, take I-240 West to I-26 East. Take exit 31B for I-40 West.

Then, take exit 27 toward US-74 West. Get off at exit 103 toward Maggie Valley/Cherokee for US-19 South.

You’ll turn right onto State Rd 1368, and continue straight through the traffic circle onto Acquoni Road.

Turn right onto Big Cove Road. You’ll pass the Mingo Falls Campground and turn right onto a bridge that leads to the lot. There is minimal signage.

One of the more secretive waterfall trails near Asheville, don't miss Little Bearwallow Falls. Ice and rock climbers head here in the winter.

While there are many ways to access Little Bearwallow Falls -- the falls connect to the Conserving Carolina trails -- we recommend parking at the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Trailhead.

From here, hike one mile along the Wildcat Rock Trail.

You can also hike past the falls and continue on a much more difficult hike to Wildcat Rock (4-miles round trip) or trek the 10-mile round trip trail to Bearwallow Mountain.

How To Find Little Bearwallow Falls & Wildcat Rock

The address for Little Bearwallow Falls is 3823 Gerton Highway, Gerton, NC 28735.

From downtown Asheville, take I-240E to U.S. 74 Alternate East. The winding narrow road gets a little motion-sick-worthy.

Park at the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Trailhead. Walk across the street where you will see the Wildcat Rock Trailhead.

Uncorked Asheville Tip: While you are out this way, head to downtown Chimney Rock for a beer at Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery.

Chimney Rock State Park is also right over here along with the Trombatore Trail.

One of the most popular hiking areas and waterfalls near Asheville that we avoid during peak tourist season, don't miss Hickory Nut Falls At Chimney Rock State Park.

Chimney Rock is the quietest and cheapest in the winter. You will need to pay to enter.

You can take an easy trail to the 404-foot waterfall. Parts of The Last of the Mohicans were filmed at Hickory Nut Falls and Bridal Veil Falls at DuPont.

Although Chimney Rock labels the 1.4-mile out and back as 'moderate,' it's a pretty easy waterfall hike for the entire family. There are also picnic tables along the way.

How To Get To Chimney Rock

The address for Chimney Rock State Park is 431 Main St, Chimney Rock, NC 28720.

From downtown Asheville, take I-240E to U.S. 74 Alternate East. The entrance to Chimney Rock State Park will be in the middle of town on your right.

For Asheville waterfalls, don't miss the one at Biltmore Estate, which is part of a dam.

Located at Bass Pond, you can pick up multiple trails to see this waterfall. You will need a ticket/pass to enter Biltmore Estate.

You can either start at the Azalea Garden Trail (1-mile each way) or take the Deerpark Trail, which is around 3.5 miles.

For the Deerpark Trail, before you turn toward the Biltmore Home, go through the gate in the fence, hook a left on the path, and then turn at your first right, which will bring you to beautiful Bass Pond.

Biltmore Estate Address

The address for Biltmore Estate is 1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803. We like to park at the Lagoon.

One of the easiest waterfalls in Asheville to visit and hike, don't miss this beauty at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest along the Hard Times Trail.

Located immediately before The North Carolina Arboretum, we love hiking and mountain biking on the Bent Creek Experimental Forest trails.

Did you know that along with Lake Powhatan, they even have a waterfall? It's part of the dam for the lake, but I'm counting it just like Biltmore.

This is one of the easiest Asheville waterfall hikes for families to visit.

Although there are tons of trails around this area, we prefer to park around the Hard Times Trailhead.

From Hard Times, you'd want to pick up the Hard Times Spur. This easy Asheville waterfall hike is only about .5-mile each way.

For a short loop after the falls, we hopped on the Homestead Trail. You can also trek the entire Hard Times Loop Trail, which is about 6-miles.

How To Get To The Bent Creek Experimental Forest

The Hard Times Trailhead address and parking lot are 375 Wesley Branch Rd, Asheville, NC 28806.

Take I-26E to Exit 33/NC 191. Turn left onto NC 191. Turn right at the light for Bent Creek Ranch Road. Take a slight left onto Wesley Branch Road.

Uncorked Asheville Tip: On the weekends, the parking areas fill up. We tend to park in designated areas along the road.

Grab grinders for lunch at Apollo Flame Bistro or burritos at Papa's & Beer.

Head to Lake Louise Park in Weaverville to check out the dam-created waterfall at Reems Creek. This historic dam once powered a water mill.

You will have to cross West Lakeshore Drive from Lake Louise Park to access this less than .25-mile ‘trail’ to the falls.

You’ll spot the red water wheel fairly quickly as well as hear the falls on your loop.

The dam’s falls are 15-feet tall. This is the perfect spot for pictures and is great for families. Stroll the rest of Lake Louise, which is a .61-mile loop.

Lake Louise Address

Lake Louise Park is located at Lake Louise Dr, Weaverville, NC 28787.

There are public lots around the lake. The falls are across from the pond at West Lakeshore Drive.