Our Favorite Hikes

Triple Falls Area (Little River)

 

Triple Falls Trail, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768    (35 minute drive)

 

Take Spartanburg Hwy (NC 176) toward Hendersonville,

After 4.7 miles, turn left on Blue Ridge Rd (past the flashing yellow light).

Follow for 2.2 miles into Flat Rock and turn left on NC 225 (Greenville Hwy)

After 4.1 miles, turn left onto Little River Rd 

Continue on to Crab Creek Rd

turn left on Staton Rd 

Hooker Falls and Triple Falls are on right, sharing same parking lot.

High Falls access is just past Hooker Falls, on left or you can access it by continuing on above Triple Falls.

 

Triple Falls - steep climb to start (439' in half a mile), beautiful falls, goes to the base of High Falls. 1 mile trail

 

High Falls Access - goes to the top of High Falls and a covered bridge, Grassy Lake. Elevation gain at High Falls is 511' but you knocked out 439' of that on the Triple Falls Trail if you come up that way.

 

Hooker Falls - very short walk (~0.8 mi round-trip) down to a single fall. Swimming hole.

 

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Grassy Falls Trail via the Imaging Lake Road access area. Its about a 20 minute drive. The trail is a pretty walk through the forest and you can hear water gurgling nearby but you can't see it except in a couple of places until you get to the falls. 60’ fall. Nice picnic spot or place to sit and relax

 

follow directions for Triple Falls, 

but turn left off of Staton Rd onto Lake Imaging Rd (8.6 miles)

go 1.4 miles to parking

 

 

Bridal Veil Falls (DuPont) 

Moderate (~4.4 mi) depending on route; you can walk behind part of the falls. 

 

 

Fawn Lake: Tammy’s swimming hole (35 minute drive)

3051 Reasonover Rd, Cedar Mountain, NC 28718

 

1.3 mile loop in DuPont area, 20 minutes from Mountain Thyme.

 

follow directions to High Falls Access and then keep going to the end of Staton Rd

turn left onto Reasonover Rd

turn left into parking lot

 

Moore's Cove Falls trail - fairly easy hike (~1.4 mi round‐trip) with about 400' of elevation and following a pretty forest stream up to a nice fall (50’ fall).  US-276, Brevard, NC 28712

NC 225 (Greenville Hwy) to Little River Rd (1 hour drive)

to Crab Creek Rd to Penrose 

left on 64 (H’ville Hwy)

continue straight onto 276 (Pisgah Hwy) passing Looking Glass Falls (20 miles)

 

Sliding Rock - just past Moore's Cove Falls trail (1 mile trail)         (1 hour drive) 

This is a great stop especially if you have kids or are a kid at heart. This is a natural water slide where the river flows down a sloping 60' boulder face into a deep plunge pool, with the water having smoothed the rock face to the point where people slide down it like a sliding board. Lifeguards are on duty, and changing rooms/restrooms are open 7 days a week from 10 AM-6 PM from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. This area is heavily used between the hours of 12 noon and 4 pm.

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Corn Mills Shoals 

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/north-carolina/corn-mill-shoals

 

Start at Corn Mill Shoals Parking area on Cascade Lakes Road and travel this scenic trail until reaching the Big Rock Trail. Shortly after, connect to the Little River Trail which leads to Burnt Mountain Trail. There are beautiful views of the falls to observe on the way, just after turning left onto the Little River Trail - looks like about halfway in. The whole trail is 4.4 miles with 515’ gain.

 

 

Saluda

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Pearson’s Falls & Glen (Saluda, NC) - (15 minute drive)

 

A  very easy  trail -  about 0.5 miles round-trip in a botanical-preserve setting. It's a short, scenic, gentle stroll rather than a long hike, but it leads to a 90-foot waterfall, which is spectacular. The setting is very picturesque—lush glen, wildflowers, mossy rocks. There’s a small entrance fee because it’s in a private preserve. Dogs are not allowed.

 

 

Green River Cove Trail (Saluda, NC) -   (18 minute drive)

~6.5 mi out-and-back, moderate difficulty, ~350 ft of elevation change. The trail offers views of the Green River, forested canyon walls, and creek/river edge walking.

• Follows the river the whole way, so don’t need to do entire length to enjoy

 

 

Little Bradley Falls Trail (also in Green River Game Lands), Saluda, NC  (13 minute drive)

Length: About 1-2 miles round trip (~1.1 miles one-way is reported). 

Difficulty: Moderate — includes several creek crossings and some rock/scramble sections.

Highlights: Stream-side hike culminating at a ~40-50 ft waterfall with a pool — a nice reward.

This is one of the top trails in the area, in our opinion.

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North Mills River Recreation Area (in Pisgah National Forest)  (40 minute drive)

• The hiking here is alongside the river/creek environment, paralleling the river for most of the way, with many spots to stop and take a break while enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

• Good for mid-difficulty hiking: more scenic, more natural, with river crossings in some cases.

• Wear good hiking shoes, especially if you might cross shallow water.

 

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Green River and Bear Branch Loop

• Length: 8.3-mile loop Difficulty: Moderate

• Estimated Time: ~3.5 to 4.5 hours

• Location: Starts off Green River Cove Road near Wilderness Cove Campground

 

North Pacolet River Walk and the Missing 40 Trail are the primary hiking paths exploring the river gorge in Saluda, North Carolina. Exploring the North Pacolet River area around Saluda features beautiful, rugged terrain and waterfalls. Key highlights and specific trails include:

• Missing 40 Trail: A popular 1-mile loop (accessed via Pearson's Falls Road) that follows the convergence of Joles Creek and the North Pacolet River, featuring two unassisted water crossings and views of Pacolet Falls. 

• Norman Wilder Forest: A 222-acre preserve just between Saluda and Tryon with trails that feature drip falls, steep cliffs, and views across the North Pacolet River valley. Trail details are available via Conserving Carolina.

 

 

Melrose Falls:

• Trail type: Out-and-back Length: 0.5 miles Difficulty: Moderate

• Parking: Located off of 176 in the "Twin Bridges" Area

This moderate, 1/2 mile trail is owned by Pacolet Area Conservancy and parallels the North Pacolet River.  After about one-tenth of a mile, the trail splits. The main trail stays to the left while the trail to the right goes a short distance to an impressive rock outcrop and the railroad tracks. After about .4 miles the trail splits again. The upper trail leads to a rocky cliff area overlooking the 50+ foot  Melrose Falls. This area is very beautiful but please use caution (especially if hiking with children)- there is a steep drop here which could cause serious injury or death. (2 people have died in the last 10 years, and another seriously injured).

​If you wish to get to the base of the falls it is not recommended to climb down from this point but to hike back to where the trail forks and take the lower trail.

 

Big Bradley Falls Trail

• Trail type: Out and back Length: 1 mile each way   Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

• Parking: Located off of Holbert Cove Road

​This 1 mile trail goes through the Green River Game Lands and takes you to a rock outcropping with a view of the 75 foot Bradley Falls. Please stay on the trail. DO NOT try and climb down to the base of the falls or to get a closer viewpoint. It is extremely dangerous and has claimed the lives of seven people since 2000. The trail crosses Cove Creek without the assistance of a bridge so expect to get wet. Blue blazes mark the trail. 

 

“In Town”

 

Bell Park

Bell Park just opened in November 2024, and is two trails through 69 acres of nature preserve  in the tranquil forests on the edge of the Green River Gorge. It is only two miles from the house (heading toward Flat Rock and Hendersonville). Parking is limited on the park's side of the road, but there is a large overflow lot across Spartanburg Hwy. Both hikes start at the gate by the parking lot and follow a gravel trail down a mild grade. The path then splits with the blue trail going 0.3 miles out to an overlook by the Green River and the red trail climbing up to the top of the preserve through beautiful forest while you can hear Bell's Falls below where the creek tumbles into the larger Green River. The red trail is 1.5 miles long, but a good workout due to elevation change. There are two loops in the red trail.

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Ecusta Trail: pedestrian and cycling

Hendersonville - Caswell and Main Streets trailhead

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The Ecusta Trail is part of the Rails to Trails program, and is planned as a 19.4 miles long paved trail that follows the former Ecusta railroad corridor, connecting downtown Hendersonville with Brevard, passing through Laurel Park, Horse Shoe, Etowah, Penrose, and Pisgah Forest. Currently 6 miles are open, from downtown Hendersonville to Horse Shoe.

 

The Park at Flat Rock

Blue Ridge Road at Highland Lake, lots of paths through 67 acre park that was once a golf course but has been restored with lakes, wetlands, gardens, lawns, and a playground.

 

Jump Off Rock - 4501 Laurel Park Hwy, Laurel Park, NC 28739

A fabulous overlook looking west from Laurel Park, just west of downtown Hendersonville that provides one of the best panoramic views in Western North Carolina. On a clear day, four states are visible – North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. It’s also a popular spot to watch gorgeous sunsets. Throughout the year, Jump Off Rock is utilized for concerts, weddings, group yoga and family picnics.

 

There are three hiking trials at Jump Off Rock, varying in length and difficulty. The trails dip down and circumnavigate the rock. The Blue Trail is rated as an easy trail and takes about eight minutes. The Yellow Trail is rated moderate and takes around 15 minutes. The Red Trail is the most difficult and the longest.

 

from 255 (Greenville Hwy), turn left on Erkwood Dr. 

Take State St and Hebron Rd to Laurel Park Hwy in Laurel Park

 

 

Carl Sandburg House - Flat Rock, several trails including Glassy Mountain (workout)

 Not only is there the Sandberg House, Connemara, but it sits on 264 acres with wooded trails and pastures. There are 5 miles of hiking trails on the property, a small lake and the working goat farm once run by Sandburg’s wife, Lilian. 

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Black Mountain Area

 

Catawba Falls - 3074 Catawba River Rd, Old Fort, NC 28762 

 

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Towards Boone

 

Linville Falls (1 hour 50 minutes - an hour NE of Asheville, 45 minutes SW of Blowing Rock)

another pretty waterfall, this time on the Linville River where several thrust faults created the drops for the falls millions of years ago. The path followed the river down on this hike. Yesterday we walked upstream to reach the highest falls. Today, the river ran with us, dropping as it went. Our first view was of the top of a fall. There was a beautiful pool on one side of where we could stand, fed by two low falls, and then the river flowed into a narrow chute in the rock and fell about 45' but once the water was in the chute, we couldn't see that part. We hiked further downstream to where we could turn and look back, and then we could see the falls and the plunge pool. Continuing on, we reached a high observation point where we could look back to the falls from a distance and see the beauty of the gorge as well as the falls themselves.

 

Boone Fork River (2.5 hours north, just west of Blowing Rock off of 241)

the Boone Fork river One of the prettiest places I have ever been. I think it was my favorite hike of the entire trip a couple of years ago before we bought Mountain Thyme. It was so deeply peaceful, the kind of place where fairies are probably hanging out under the toadstools and dancing on the moss covered rocks. We hiked in from the car park along a very rocky and root covered trail at first and then it cleared to a nice dirt path. The Boone Fork was a gorgeous stream that fell through big boulders, medium rocks, and smaller cobbles. The light came through the canopy only in places, spotlighting the river or the bloom of a rhododendron (yes, blooming in July up here), and was a great spot for photography as well as just sitting on a rock and soaking in the peace. 

 

The Cascades trail in the EB Jeffress State Park (30 minutes northeast of Boone - 2:45 from H)

pretty and worth the walk, but did not compare with the DuPont waterfall trails from the Brevard area.