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    Glen Falls Trail

    4.9 (17 reviews)

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    R B.

    Wonderful hike! We took the Chinquapin Trail leg to the views. Definitely worth a visit. Lots of streams to cross on the way. Super fun.

    Jamarcus & Richard's Hiking Club - June 10th, 2017. This is the 3rd out of 5 waterfalls on this trail.
    Richard R.

    FIRST, I want to thank my friend Jamarcus T. for selecting this waterfall trail as our monthly hiker's club destination for June of 2017. I'd come here once before on the way home from Asheville in 2011, but threatening weather discouraged us from hiking and we never returned. SECOND, I want to say Glen Falls now ranks in my top three favorite waterfall hikes in the South! THE EXPERIENCE After you find the parking area, the hike itself is roughly 1 mile to the last fall, all of which is downhill (2 miles round trip). The trail breaks off several times to other trails leading to other lesser falls along East Fork Overflow Creek. One trail in particular places you at the crest of the first large fall where you can get a window seat view of the valley below. The valley view is beautiful, but I was not prepared for the size and beauty of the first large waterfall we came to along the main trail. It was impressive to say the least and made for some excellent family photo opportunities. There is an observation deck, but our group climbed over and around the barriers to walk directly out to the base of the fall. One of our teenagers discovered quickly that waterfalls are slippery and you need to be very careful as he went careening down a slippery slope, but thankfully he landed on a small island of plants that stopped him from sliding further (which would have been deadly had he continued sliding). The next waterfall (known as the middle fall) was my favorite and it was different than the first in that it was very accessible. The first was a plunging drop around 70 feet while the second was more of a cascading waterfall over several shale ledges @ around 60 feet tall. The ledges also made it easy to climb and explore. Our group spent the most time at this waterfall and several didn't want to leave. The last fall at the trails end was around 15 feet and plunges into a small shallow pool of water. Directly in front of the fall is a huge fallen tree trunk you could use as a ramp to the base. All by itself it is a nice waterfall, but kinda looses its awesomeness in comparison to the other two falls. If you are short on time or energy, this one could be skipped. While the hike to the last fall was easy, what goes down (in this case) must come back up and that easy hike 'in' becomes far more difficult 'out'. It is said the elevation drop is around 700 feet from the parking area to the final fall. That's a fairly decent leg workout, but I would do this hike again and again and again. It is by far one of the most rewarding hikes around. FINAL THOUGHT I love hiking and I love waterfalls, but I particularly love it when one trail rewards you with multiple waterfalls and scenic overlook venues. Hikes like this are highly valuable to me, not only for their peaceful serenity, but also as wonderful destinations to impress out-of-town guests. The drive from Atlanta to these waterfalls is barely 2 hours, which makes for an amazing day trip or even a weekend getaway. Aside from this gorgeous trail, there are also several roadside overlooks and nearby waterfalls that require almost no hiking. You could easily add any of them to your daytrip itinerary. Three excellent additions you should consider when visiting Glen Falls are Mud Falls, Dry Falls and Sky Valley or Blue Valley Overlooks. ENJOY!!! ----- OTHER GREAT MULTI-WATERFALL TRAILS include: * High Falls Trail | Dupont State Forest, NC * Rainbow Falls Trail | Gorges State Park, SC * Angel Falls Trail | near Helen, GA 2017/103

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    Jamarcus T.

    What an amazing find! Out waterfall hunting on a beautiful Saturday, Glen Falls was on my agenda for the day. Although i'm all over the georgia hiking scene, i'm just getting into North Carolina, and i'm loving what i'm seeing! Coming from highway 106, follow it north (if you're leaving the state of GA) until you see holt road. There's a often missed sign that points to Glen Falls, which leads you down Glen Falls road, which is about a 1 mile gravel trail. No worries here though, because this gravel trail is very well driven, and my honda accord took it in stride. Parking can fit about 10 or so vehicles and parking also marks two trail heads. One of those trail heads is the Glen Falls trail, which is a 1 mile in and out trail (i.e. 2 miles round trip). The other trail is the Chinquapin trail, which I didn't do today. Glen Falls will lead you down to a total of 5 viewing areas, and three absolutely beautiful cascades that each drop about 60 feet on what is the eastern fork in the blue valley area. Stops one and two are okay falls, and I really thought to myself "did I drive all the way to North Carolina for this???" Relax though, because once you hit overlook three, which gives you these wonderful twin falls, things just get better and better from there! Overlook four gives you a really nice, full waterfall that looks like a large sheet of water covering the rock face, and the fifth overlook leads to a nice little pond of water where the water empties out into. It's your own private area that's actually much more calm as far as power and intensity go. The trails themselves aren't really marked at all, outside of the trail head, but overlooks 1 through 4 all are very common sense, easy to follow trails, based on stairs and man made features. Those trails are also natural dirt trail (minus the initial gravel portion before you hit overlook 1). Going from overlook four to five was kinda annoying to me, because the trail was choked with big roots, and I was constantly watching my foot placement for fear of twisting an ankle. You do sometimes get the sense that you're losing the trail here, but when you think that, just keep an ear out for the falls. Does it sound like you're getting closer? You're not lost. If it's getting further away...yea, you're lost. The good thing is Glen Falls is a well hiked trail, and I saw several kids, parents, older adults on the trail. Before you take Glen falls on though, just keep in mind it's an all down hill trail, which is excellent going in, but coming out will make you work. Just make sure you can handle the huffing and puffing. Another excellent North Carolina Fall that doesn't disappoint the falls lover in you, and can be easily found if you're looking in the right place. As always, no cell phone service (I had AT&T), there are restrooms, and you may want to bring some extra socks because some of the trails get wet. Get out there and enjoy!

    Nicki K.

    Highlands, NC has great waterfalls. I'm learning about them. Plus it's not too far from GA so the trip is worth it. If you travel Highway 106, you will take a sharp turn into Glen Falls Road, which is a gravel road. There is limited parking. However, you could park along side of the road. I was surprised to see two trails but hey, I'm here for Glenn Falls cause I'm obsess with waterfalls. It's 2 miles, round trip. It is easy going to the waterfalls but coming back will be a challenge since you are going downhill. There are 5 waterfalls in all. The first two were okay. I wanted more. Once we got to the third waterfall, it was amazing! You could get up close and personal! Once you get closer to the last waterfall, which is going towards a lagoon, the trail is harder cause of tree roots. Look, I have to be careful since I sprained my ankle the last time I went hiking and am still recovering. I tripped over a tree root! My ankle did start irritating going back because taking short cuts haha but it was a great workout!! I definitely had a great time! Thanks Jamarcus T for hosting another great Hiking UYE! 78/2017

    Duck 1.

    This is a hike to different stops to see the waterfall! It was very nice, but not sure exactly how many miles it was. The stops to see the waterfalls was breathtaking it's a must see!

    Great place to go visit during these times. Beautiful scenery. The parking is not free so make sure you pay the government. But the walk around is enjoyable.

    Rochele T.

    Lovely short hike! The place is very quite and it has a beautiful fall. All the way it has a path with stairs so it's very safe! It's important to comment that this is a downhill Trail so if you are not in good shape, you might suffer a little bit to go up! We went to the bottom of the fall and we went up in 1 hour with our Shihtzu with us!

    Hailey P.

    A lot of hiking and quite a few steps, but the falls were very cool to see.. there is 3 different areas you can hike to to see the falls.

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great hike w great views. Pretty waterfalls. Hike down, hike back up to finish. Easy hike that's rewarding.

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    6 years ago

    You get to see a few great waterfalls in the same area, but prepare for the mile walk uphill back to the parking lot.

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    5 years ago

    These falls are worth the hike. Expect a tough hike back up the mountain, but you get to see numerous falls.

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    Review Highlights - Glen Falls Trail

    If you travel Highway 106, you will take a sharp turn into Glen Falls Road, which is a gravel road.

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    Secret Falls

    Secret Falls

    5.0(3 reviews)
    4.3 mi

    Wanna know a secret???…read more There are waterfalls all over this region of the South just waiting to be discovered. Many are known and many more are unknown. While I've been hiking this area for nearly a decade, I only recently heard about this waterfall for the first time last year (2019). A well kept local secret indeed... but y'all dun let the wrong yelper discover this waterfall and the secret is about to be let out! [ THE DRIVE ] There are a shocking amount of natural waterfalls located on private property throughout this area. Thankfully this is not one of them and it can be enjoyed by all. The gravel road to the trailhead is known as Big Creek Road. Since we were coming from the King Creek Waterfall area near Tamassee SC, GPS lead us to the eastern end of Horse Cove Road, which is also known as Bull Pen Road closer to the Chattooga River (where you pass over a cool old iron bridge). I tell you these details because if you happen to follow our driving route on a week after heavy rainfalls, you are likely to see a great number of unnamed waterfalls off in the woods. We counted 5, and only one of them was a named waterfall on Google maps (Scotsman Falls). [ THE EXPERIENCE ] We traveled along Walking Stick Road until it took a sharp right turn towards Big Creek Road. On the day we visited, there was a locked gate blocking the drive onto Big Creek Road, so we parked in a small little niche near the gate and walked about 200 yards to the Secret Falls trailhead (which is marked with a narrow sign). The trail was very muddy, but the descent was slow and steady for the majority of the half mile hike. However, it gets considerably steeper as you approach the portion of the trail leading to the base of the falls. Here you will see poorly maintained wooden timbers actings as steps.They were so poor in fact, that we opted not to use them and walked alongside them. The waterfall was raging from all the recent rain, which limited some of our photo opportunities. It is a gorgeous waterfall with picturesque cascades both above and below it. The cascades below comes as the river takes a sharp left turn just past the pool of water at the base of the falls. Accessing the upper waterfall area is easily done by using a small obvious trail off to the left just before the wooden steps. A downed tree forces you to scramble over it and around large rhododendrons that are bent over from the weight of the fallen tree. Once through the brush, you will be directly on top of the falls, so be careful and exercise good judgement. [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Hiking Distance: 1.3 miles Difficulty: Easy and family friendly (but can be muddy) Creek Crossings: YES (3) Elevation Gain: 255 feet Waterfall Height: Approx 45 feet Access to top of falls: YES Access to base of falls: YES Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: YES RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES if gate is open. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] THE SECRET IS OUT!!! This is a great waterfall for an easy family adventure. We came in the winter, but seems this would be a great picnic spot where kids could play in the water for hours in the summer. The drive to nearby Highlands, NC is only about 6.5 miles away for plenty of food options and even more waterfall adventures. Near Highlands are a number of GREAT waterfalls with very short hiking distances including Ranger Falls, Bust Yer Butt Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Cullasaja River Falls and our personal favorites: Glen Falls, Dry Falls, Mud Falls and Estatoah Falls (which is hidden just next to the Sky Valley Scenic Overlook). ENJOY!!! 2020 / 4

    I was somewhat surprised that there are not more reviews of this trail/waterfall. I believe that…read morethe real name of this falls is Big Shoals Falls. In his book on NC waterfalls, Kevin Adams referred to it as Secret Falls and the name seems to have stuck. For years, there was no official trail to this waterfall and the one unofficial trail which existed traversed private property. I've been visiting the area for thirty years and this (October 2021) was my first visit to this waterfall. Bottom line: It is awesome. Truly one of the more beautiful waterfalls that I've been to. I have to disagree with the previous reviewer: IMO, this trail is in horrible shape. Granted, reviews like these are entirely subjective. But I would definitely not bring young children or dogs here. When I visited, the trail was really in bad shape. The first part of the hike was fairly easy. But the farther you go, the worse the trail becomes. Erosion had taken a terrible toll. There are many rutted and washed-out areas. Some were so bad that hikers have bypassed the trail completely. The final descent to the base of the falls was the worst. Wooden steps had been constructed. But the erosion was so bad that much of the soil behind the steps had washed out making the steps all but unusable. There are two water crossings on the trail. One was a couple of planks stretched across a small branch. The other was on a split log over a somewhat larger stream. Neither was too difficult. Then again, the faint-of-heart would probably not care for either one. Trekking poles helped me on both. I was not able to find a path to the brink of the falls. I tried one crude path which seemed to be incredibly choked with rhododenron. So I gave up on getting to the top of the falls. There is a much smaller cascade downstream of the main falls. As with the brink, I could not figure out how to get to it. I visited early in the morning and had the place all to myself. The lighting wasn't terrific. I'm not sure what time or sky conditions are ideal for photography. I drove in on Rich Gap and Big Creek Roads off of Hwy 28 south of Highlands. It wasn't too bad of a drive in my 2WD F-150. But I believe that the drive out on Walking Stick Rd to Horse Cove Rd east of town was easier. If you love waterfalls, definitely put this one on your must-see list. But be aware of the fact that the hike is a challenge. Not so much due to elevation change (which is moderate) but, rather, due to the overall condition of the trail.

    Photos
    Secret Falls - Have to walk over this water

    Have to walk over this water

    Secret Falls - Cross the tree

    Cross the tree

    Secret Falls

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    Bust Your Butt Falls - Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Bust Your Butt Falls

    2.5(2 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    Just a bunch of rocks in the river. Not worth the long curvy road trip. Don't waste your time.read more

    Yes, BUST YOUR BUTT FALLS (also known as Quarry Falls) is a real waterfall located on the Scenic…read morestretch of Highway 64 near Highlands, NC. It sandwiched between gorgeous Dry Falls upstream and massive Cullasaja Falls downstream and is the smaller of the three at around 25 feet tall from top to bottom. Without people in the picture to show its size, it looks more like a cascade than a waterfall. Most of Hwy 64 is very narrow with the exception of the stretch of road near the falls where plenty of pull-offs for parking are available and even a grassy niche in the mountain capable of hosting at least 15 cars. But be forewarned, BYBF is a very popular swimming hole in the summer time. So while there are dozens of parking spaces, I'm sure they fill up quick when the temperatures outside are hot! It is said many use the rocks surrounding this multi-tiered waterfall to sun, picnic, and people watch. Many also slide down the lower tier of the falls when water levels are low or use a large boulder to jump-off into the pool at the base of the falls. NOTES: Our hike was within a few hours of recent rains, so the water level was high. It is advised NOT to slide on the waterfall in high waters, but using the "jump off" rock for the pool of water near the base is a popular activity in high waters. However, it is ALWAYS advisable to check water levels in the pool before diving in! [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Total Hiking Distance: 20 yards Difficulty: Easy and family friendly Creek Crossings: NO Elevation Gain: none Waterfall Height: 25 feet (approx.) WATERFALL ATTRACTIVENESS - 7 out of 10 TRAIL ATTRACTIVENESS - n/a Access to top of falls: YES Access to base of falls: YES Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: YES RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES (space for more than 4 dozen cars when combining all available nearby pull-offs) [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Whether you are just passing through and want to stop for a quick pic or you plan to spend the day playing in its waters, Bust Your Butt Falls is sure to please! What it doesn't have in height it more than makes up for in beauty and fun!!! ENJOY ;-) 2021 / 51

    Photos
    Bust Your Butt Falls - Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Bust Your Butt Falls - Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Bust Your Butt Falls - Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

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    Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Shadow of the Bear

    Shadow of the Bear

    5.0(5 reviews)
    9.4 mi

    Amazing to watch the shadow come around and morph into a bear! If you are in the area in mid-late…read moreOctober, make sure you check this out! Bear comes around 5:30 pm but definitely get there early as there is limited parking.

    Are you looking for something to do this fall? Have you ever heard of the "Shadow of the Bear" in…read moreNorth Carolina? This was highlighted in "Our State" magazine, I think last year but I could have saved the article from the year before, but this was one of those items on my "local" bucket list to see. I love the Shadow of the Bear in Cashiers! The "Shadow of the Bear" is visible for 30 minutes daily (on sunny days!) between 5:30-6:15 PM from mid-October through early November as the sun sets behind Whiteside Mountain between Sapphire Valley and Highlands, North Carolina. It's best seen on clear days around 5:30 p.m., with the show lasting for about a half-hour. The photos below are from 2022; I'm pretty sure we'll visit again this year. PS I agree with Ginger L. that the camaraderie with all the people standing on the side of the road to watch is an experience in itself. A note of caution, to view the bear, you park your car on the side of a road hugging the edge of a mountain and people crossing the road that has a curve around the mountain so use caution while driving through the area and walking along the road!!!! But its all worth the view!!!

    Photos
    Shadow of the Bear - Shadow of the Bear at the peek viewing while we were there.

    Shadow of the Bear at the peek viewing while we were there.

    Shadow of the Bear - Shadow of the bear

    Shadow of the bear

    Shadow of the Bear

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    Cullasaja Falls - Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Cullasaja Falls

    3.7(3 reviews)
    6.1 mi

    Like waterfalls but not the hike? This waterfall can be viewed from a VERY narrow pull off on Hwy…read more64. It's difficult to see it in its entirety due to vegetation, but there is a trail that leads you down to the base of the falls. It's extremely steep and it would still probably be difficult to capture the full size of this waterfall. Some sources say it is around 200 feet tall while others say it's closer to 250 feet. Just from what I could see from the road, I'd be more inclined to agree with the 250' estimation. It is quite long and dramatic, but then again I'm not exactly sure where the fall begins since the river has quite a few cascades before the first major drop. Cullasaja Falls is the last and largest waterfall along the Cullasaja River. The others include Dry Falls and Bust Yer' But Falls (also known as Quarry Falls). In the Cherokee language, Cullasaja mean the place of honey locust. It sits on the Western side of the Eastern Continental Divide, which means the flow of water will eventually find its way to the Gulf of Mexico. I found a pic of an old postcard of the falls I thought was pretty cool: http://www.moonshiner28.com/moonshiner28photos/Highlands/CullasajaPostCardMirror.jpg THE VERDICT If you are doing a tour of the local waterfalls, add this one to the list. It takes very little effort to view it and has excellent photographing opportunities from the roadway overlook. I would not recommend hiking down the steep trail if you have seniors or small children in your hiking party.

    Very hard to get a great view of it. What I could see through the trees is GORGEOUS. I did walk…read moredown a little bit to try and see it better but still didn't get to see it fully. It seemed too dangerous to climb down. It is right of the road.

    Photos
    Cullasaja Falls - Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Cullasaja Falls
    Cullasaja Falls - Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

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    Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

    Glen Falls Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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