The NC Waterfall Scenic Byway - Section 2 - Franklin, NC to Gorges State Park

“Life is like a waterfall. It is constantly moving forward and there is always an uneven flow to it.” - Unknown

“A river cuts through a rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence.” – Jim Watkins

The Story -

On Saturday, Ginger and I spent the day chasing waterfalls on The Waterfall Scenic Byway, a section of US-64 in North Carolina that runs between Murphy and Brevard. It is one of the sixty-two designated scenic byways in North Carolina. We stayed Friday night in the small town of Franklin in order to get an early start, enabling us to visit ten waterfalls in a single day! Yes, that’s right - ten waterfalls in one day! It does sound like a lot, and it was, yet the majority of the waterfalls we visited were either just off the road or accessed after only a short hike. With that said, by the end of the day, we still managed to hike almost ten miles, with the majority of our mileage coming from just three of the waterfall trails.

I have listed the waterfalls below in the order in which we visited them, starting from Franklin, NC and driving US-64 East, along with a brief description and more information on each including our rankings. I hope you use this post as an itinerary for your next adventure, perhaps modifying it as needed for time, ability, or preference.

Franklin, NC is a wonderful town to visit and an excellent starting point for a waterfall tour. We had dinner at an amazing French restaurant located in the back of a gas station. Crazy right, but it was incredible. There also is a popular brewery and several quaint shops along Main Street. I can even tell you where the local Goodwill store is if needed. Notice Ginger’s bright orange coat in some of the photos 😂

Cullasaja Falls - Overall Rank - #2nd

Cullasaja Falls was the first stop and it ended up being one of my two favorite waterfalls for the day. Ginger enjoyed it as well but ranked it a few spots lower on her list. The massive 250-foot waterfall can be viewed from the road but can also be viewed from the steep non-maintained trail located just beyond the guardrail. It is a short, yet very, very strenuous and technical trek to the base of the falls, and worth the burning legs and gasping lungs, at least for me. Standing at the base of the powerful waterfall, I felt at peace and a connection to nature that I haven’t experienced often.

Bust Your Butt Falls (Quarry Falls) - Ranked 8th

Bust Your Butt Falls, or Quarry Falls can also be viewed from the road but is a relatively easy rock hop to get a better view if desired. Upon close examination, you can see several ropes that are used to climb up the falls and surrounding ledge, hence the funny name! On a hot summer day, it is not surprising to find dozens of people sunning on the rocks, jumping in the pool, sliding down the cascade, and leaping from the ledge above. Ginger and I both ranked it 8th, but perhaps would be higher in the summer.

Scadin Falls - Ranked 4th

My friend and Highlands resident Lauren Rouser Smith recommended Scadin Falls but warned me in advance about the danger involved to access the waterfall. Her warnings were justified, as this waterfall has only one small unmarked parking space directly across from a dangerous blind curve. GPS coordinates (N35.08541, W-83.26736) are necessary to locate the unmarked trailhead and parking space. Proceed with caution, not only crossing the narrow road but also while viewing the waterfall from a steep ledge after a short hike. Those who are willing to carefully navigate the road and ledge viewing area will find a true hidden gem. Ginger and I both ranked it towards the top and likely would have been higher without the accessibility risk.

Ranger Falls - Ranked 3rd

We accessed Ranger Falls in the Cliffside Lake Recreation Area after a short two-mile hike, our first “extended” hike of the day. While not overly impressive, the waterfall is scenic and the easy hike is very pleasant. The recreation area has a large beautiful lake with a sandy beach and picnic tables along with kayak and canoe rentals in the summer. Ginger ranked Rangers Fall very high mainly because it was a great hike to a picturesque destination. I agree but ranked it in the middle.

Dry Falls - Ranked 6th

Next, we saw our first signs of civilization of the day, or other people, at the very popular Dry Falls. The parking area was crowded for good reason. Dry Falls is a large 100-foot easily accessible waterfall that normally you can walk behind without getting wet, mostly, hence the name. The area behind the waterfall unfortunately was closed on our visit, but the beauty and sheer power of this cascade were still on full display. Ginger and I both ranked Dry Falls in the middle, with it sliding some due to the vast number of people and the walkway closure.

Bridal Veils Falls - Ranked 9th

Not that long ago, you could actually drive your car behind Bridal Veil Falls! Not anymore, yet the 50-foot waterfall is still fun to walk behind, with a small cave located at the back of the cascade to explore as well. It fell to the bottom of our rankings at 9th, yet still is a neat waterfall deserving a stop.

Sequayah Falls - Ranked 10th

Sequoyah Falls is basically a waterfall formed from the dam of the Sequoyah Lake. While some might not consider it a true waterfall, it is still impressive and worth a stop due to the sheer length and amount of water flowing over the dam. We had fun exploring the roadside manmade cascade, yet ranked it last on our list. Like Bridal Veil Falls, it is located directly on the road and you cannot miss it. I enjoyed rock hopping down to the bottom and snapping a few pictures of the waterfall as well as the water running downstream.

Glen Falls - High & Mid - Ranked 7th

Glen Falls has three distinct waterfalls that could each have their own name. We hiked almost two miles to the glorious High & Mid Falls, bypassing the Lower Falls due to time restraints and some research we found suggesting the lower falls were not worth the effort. We definitely will return in the future when we have more time to form our own opinion. Glen Falls totals over 600 feet in height and is truly remarkable. I was surprised at our lower ranking of Glen Falls, I guess victim to the many other fabulous waterfalls on our day. It is still a must visit with gorgeous views, a fun hike, and ample photo opportunities.

Silver Run Falls - Ranked 5th

Silver Run Falls is a beautiful and an easily accessible fifty-foot waterfall with a collection pool perfect for swimming. We admired the beauty of the waterfall from several angles all the while imagining how fun it would be to come back in the summer and take a dip. Ginger ranked it somewhat higher than I did, again because of the pleasant short hike to reach it.

Rainbow Falls - Ranked 1st

Did we intentionally save the best for last? No, but wow, what an amazing ending to an incredible day! The 125-foot near-verticle Rainbow Falls at the Horsepasture River Basin in Gorges State Park is truly majestic and perhaps could be ranked as the top waterfall in all of North Carolina. If you have time for only one waterfall, Rainbow Falls would be an excellent choice. The moderate roundtrip five-mile hike to the waterfall and back was our longest trek of the day. Ginger and I both ranked it #1 even though it was our last stop on a long day.