WATerfAlls
Transylvania County, or “The Land of Waterfalls” as it’s sometimes called, is home to dozens and dozens of cascades within its border. Experts point to geography and rainfall amounts as reasons for the large number. Transylvania’s elevation ranges from slightly more than 1,200 feet in the county’s southwest region to more than 6,000 feet on top of Chestnut Bald in the northwest. At 80 inches of rain a year, the county also has one of the highest average rainfalls east of the Pacific Northwest. The waterfalls have had their practical uses in the past. Gristmills took advantage of waterfalls to produce power, while secluded waterfalls provided fresh water and secrecy for moonshiners. Today, the county’s waterfalls have also been used as backdrops in movies. Triple Falls in DuPont State Recreational Forest can be spotted in the movie “The Hunger Games,” while the forest’s Bridal Veil Falls may also be seen in “The Last of the Mohicans.” For an interactive waterfall finder, go to
»22 Autumn in Transylvania County, 2013
visitwaterfalls.com/adventure/waterfalls.html. A waterfall map is also available at the Visitor Center on East Main Street in Brevard. The following are some of the best known waterfalls in the county: Looking Glass Falls A spectacular and accessible waterfall, Looking Glass is about five miles on U.S. 276 from the Brevard entrance to Pisgah National Forest. Parking is ample with stairs to an observation deck. Moore Cove Falls The parking area for the falls is one mile above Looking Glass Falls on U.S. 276. A 0.7mile trail leads to the 50-foot-high falls. Hooker Falls Drive south from Brevard on U.S. 276 about 10 miles to Cedar Mountain, turn left on Cascade Lake Road and proceed 2.5 miles to Staton Road (Old DuPont Road), turn right and drive about 2.5 miles to the bridge over Little River. A parking lot in DuPont State Recreational Forest is just to the left. Hooker Falls is on an easy trail from the lot.