Elk River Falls is an open recreation area. As such it is not developed and the path is not…read moremaintained. Nevertheless the road into the parking lot is safe and easily passable by typical cars SUVs cans or trucks with either two or four wheel drive. There are no rest rooms or food so you must bring your own food and water. The path is firm and slopes upward gently becoming rocky with prominent tree roots. The 65 foot high big falls is spectacular. It is not a straight fall down. Many deaths have occurred as visitors attempt to dive from the top of the falls. Elk falls ranks in the top 3 waterfall related deaths. The rocks surrounding the first pool are beautiful but have a slippery surface. This park recently reopened after extensive restoration following Hurricane Helene. On the first day it opened there was a fatality of a falls jumper. Despite these challenges this park is a great example of the outdoors in nearly natural and breathtaking state.

The falls are closed as of late April 2026. Road is blocked about 2 miles out from town.read more

We had planned to hike Graveyard Field our first day in Asheville, but after sleeping in a little…read morelate and also getting over a recent back strain thought starting with Craggy Pinnacle may be better. It took us about 45 minutes to get there from Biltmore Village. I had read that parking could be an issue, but plenty of parking spots available on a late Monday morning in June. Usually when my husband and I are hiking I'm happy our kids aren't with us because I knew they would be complaining. However, this was one hike that I think they would probably enjoy and saw many families with big and little kids enjoying it. It's a pretty short way to the top (maybe 25 min tops) and while it was a nice little workout I didn't find it too difficult. The reward at the is a beautiful view of Asheville and the first thing I heard when we got up top was an adorable 4 year old boy saying "wow this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." It was picture perfect so we snapped some pics, enjoyed the view and headed down. Down was a little tricky and I was jealous of those who had walking sticks, but we made it down with no issues In fact, once down we felt like we needed a little more of a workout so added the nearby Craggy Gardens Trail, which was perfect. And after that we were ready for lunch so headed back to Asheville!

This hike is one of the best hikes to do any time of year. It is a short easy to moderate hike near…read morethe visitors center. The views are breathtaking and you meet great people and dogs along the way. I plan to do this hike again when the seasons change. If you need an uplight in your spirits or a stroll in nature this is your hike. Enjoy!

This is a cool hike…read more Wasn't strenuous at all, for those that are less able it's doable. The trail cuts through a former mica mine and you can still see the remains of it. The rocks and gravel leading up to the view are speckled with small and large chunks of shiny mica. Really exciting for kids and kids at heart. The trail leads to a beautiful waterfall with water shimmering from the mica flakes. Surprised I've never seen this spot before, good place to take out of town guests or the less athletic family members.

This was a wonderfully short hike to an exceptionally tall waterfall. My husband plans most of our…read morehikes and often combines many (sometimes too many) hikes in the same day. But to his credit he will often only do one difficult hike and several easy hikes. On this day we hiked Elk River Falls (fairly easy), Upper Creek Falls (challenging for me), and Tom's Creek which was the easiest and most pleasant of the three. The trail didn't have a lot of tree roots and ended at a nice viewing platform, or if you like you can climb a small hill to reach the base of the falls. Very enjoyable, especially for families with little ones.

This hike is NOT for the inexperienced. The hike itself deserves the highest rating- ONLY FOR those…read morewho are into high intensity, steep, rocky terrains. I'd suggest this for someone who enjoys camping between the return hike or is very experienced in outdoor endeavors. The falls are beautiful, although not in my opinion worth the 7.6 miles of uphill battle. There is a separate way to get here (0.5 hike from it's own parking lot) The trail connects to a beautiful "Greyson's Overlook" for an additional 2.2 miles. Overall- I made it and I'm still alive.

We had so many options to choose from when hiking yesterday that we just decided to pick one. How…read moredid we miss that this was rated hard?! I'm going to give you my most honest review possible because I think we did not have a clear vision of what to expect. Based off of other people's shoe choices at the top, I decided to wear my tennis shoes. Big mistake. My husband wore his hiking boots. Definitely ate crow on my choice of footwear. Wear hiking boots! The trail was overgrown much of the way. There were a few little rocky river areas to cross over. I managed those with the help of my husband. But my shoes were not appropriate for all of the rocky, muddy, slick areas. And there were many! There were a few trees to go over that had fallen into the pathway. I am a short girl, 5'1", and getting over them on the steep, slick trail was a feat! Also needed my husbands help for that. The trail was very overgrown in some areas, to the point that we weren't sure if we should continue, but we pressed on. There was some uphill in the beginning that had us begging for a little downhill relief. We got that... for awhile. Then, we paid the price for it on the way back. A whole lot of uphill on the way back! My knees, legs, and back were killing me on the way back and I definitely thought about bringing a child back pack to ride on my husbands back for our next hike. We aren't out of shape or inactive people. We enjoy hiking and try to do it often. We have a peloton at home that we do actually use. But this trail was 100% hard and more than we bargained for. I guess we figured that we made it on an accidental 9.5 mile hike the last time we were in town and would be fine. Wrong! Yeah, I'm old. 38. And my husband is 35. We aren't old old but we aren't 18 anymore either. (Thank goodness--that would make him 15! And no thanks to that.) At one point on the hike, we asked a couple that passed us if we were almost at the falls. They said about 15 minutes. I would guess it took us probably another hour to hour and a half to get there. We had to be very careful with my tennis shoes and the slippery rocky trail. Plus, climbing over the downed trees. I'm hoping maybe they were just high and time was confusing for them. I don't see any way they could've gone the mile and a quarter in 15 minutes. Regardless... we made it. The fall was beautiful. The hike kicked our asses. I would not do this hike again. Ever. But if you're down for a difficult, rocky, overgrown, steep hike.... Have at it! I will 100% stay out of your way. The waterfall was a nice treat. Be prepared to pray for the existence of an Uber Air to get back up. (Except those of you who are clearly far more trail savvy than us. I'm sure you will find it much easier than we did. And also... kudos to you!) Apx 7.8 miles of pure torture. Done and done!

You can't pay for views like this, and good news is... you don't have to!…read more Rough Ridge Overlook is a local *and* tourist hot spot for some of the best views in the state! I went there with some GFs for nature and the views, and it didn't dissapoint. Definiteluy put this spot on your map when planning a trip to Grandfather Mountain.

Not Too Bad Of A Hike. Very Rewarding Views At The End! Slippery When Wet. Wear The Proper Shoes!read more

Loved it!! Beautiful falls and swim hole. I can't wait to be back. Water shoes for when you get…read moredown to the water hole are recommended. It's a nice hike with lots of roots in the way so you need to be careful. But definitely worth it!

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce UPPER CREEK FALLS to Yelp!…read more If you are a hiker and lover of waterfalls, then you just might want to spend an entire weekend in the Newland, NC area. The mountains surrounding this area are a treasure trove of sights and sound for your soul to behold. Amongst them is the highly popular Upper Creek Falls. Now let me be honest, you're gonna burn some calories on this trail so don't let the short 1.5 miles round trip distance fool you! There is SIGNIFICANT elevation gain that will surely bring a little heavy breathing to your lips and sweat to your brow. However, the payoff is tremendous. **** The creek consists of multiple waterfalls, cascades and swimming holes, but the largest waterfall requires venturing to one of the lowest points on the trail to fully view. It will require detouring off the main yellow blazed trail and mountain-goating it down a steep side trail, then back up to the main trail before continuing the loop back to the parking area. According to ALLTRAILS, the loop starts at an elevation of around 3,215 feet and drops as low as 2,790 feet for a gain of approx. 425 feet in 3/4's of a mile. My personal trail tracker logged 436 feet of gain. The lowest point of the trail leads to a wonderfully exposed area of stone that almost acts as a raceway for the creek. The topography is such that you can walk on an island of stone that splits the creek in two for a short distant before rejoining and continuing its descent. I can only imagine how many more waterfalls are below this point as the creek continues its slide down the mountain another 460 feet over the following mile according to topography maps. *** FEATURES 1) There are two trailheads, but each links to the other. The trailhead on the left side of the parking area behind the information board leads first to the top of the main waterfall before crossing the creek and descending towards the base. You can get some terrifying pics on the dry stone near the crest, but don't drift too close to the edge! 2) Once you cross the creek, look to the left to spot a faint trail leading back up the mountain. Follow it and you will be rewarded with a gorgeous 15 foot waterfall. Here locals us the fall as a slide, complete with a rope to help you get back up to the top of this ultra-smooth cascade. 3) There is a fairly deep pool of water here and opposite of the climbing rope is a tire swing to launch into the pool. 4) Continue down the trail until you see side trails leading to the base of the largest waterfall. WARNING: The side trail is steep, but worth it to view the larger fall in its entirety. 5) As you continue down the trail it will once again cross the creek. This crossing is most likely tricky in high water and probably not advisable. It was only at average flow when I visited and I still got my feet wet doing my best jump. It is here you will discover another small pool of water and a large area to camp out on the stone outcrop. Even though this is the lowest point on the trail, it is actually an overlook of the mountains below. Very open and majestic. 6) Once across the lowest creek crossing, the trail switchbacks up the mountain OR you can find the shortcut trail that goes straight up the center! But fair warning, it's a leg burner! This portion of the loop will return to the parking lot on the opposite side of the upper creek trail. In total I logged 1.5 miles after visiting the sliding falls, main falls and lower raceway/overlook. *** FINAL THOUGHTS Upper Creek Falls in my opinion is 5+ stars despite its difficulty because of the multiple points of interest along the loop. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this waterfall to avid hikers! While I personally would have thought it to be too much for kids and elderly... we saw SEVERAL older couples in the area above the main falls as well as a school bus load of 6 to 12-year-olds trekking along the lower falls trail well ahead of their parents. There was also a very large family of about 20 members (all age ranges) picnicking at the lower overlook, so I guess its safe to say its doable for all ages and skill levels. If you have any energy left, to the northeast are: - Grandfather Mountain - Big Lost Cove Cliffs - Harper Creek Falls - Gragg Prong Falls - Huntfish Falls And to the southwest are: - Linville Falls & Linville Caverns ENJOY! 2021 / 116

What a gorgeous park, even in the winter time…read more Since it's winter when I visited, I can't review all of the incredible summer time water sports but I know this park can get busy then. Winter was in incredible time to visit, easy parking, a chance to chat with the staff at the visitor center, and walk around. The lake is beautiful. I've heard that this area did get some hurricane/ storm damage but everything needed to drive around is up and running! Make a plan to visit next time you're nearby. It's about 1 hour drive from downtown Asheville.

This has the look of one of those parks formed around a dam. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for…read morehydroelectric power, but artificial lakes always feel like they're lacking a certain mystique. This park had an impressive visitor center and restrooms were open even after it closed, though neighboring water fountains were not functioning on a hot summer day. The trail I selected was rugged and had occasional waterside views, most notably on a footbridge that offered a mountain vista. Cell service was not great for me, and while I'd hoped to do a zoom meeting on the run I had to return to more urban areas. But if you actually want to get unplugged, the people on boats here appeared to be having a good time.

Awesome state park with plenty of parking, pull offs to play in the creek, and tons of hiking…read moretrails. Dog and kid friendly, no bathrooms available. Lots of wildflower blooms and creekside hiking. Great spot for a picnic and sunning by the water.

Great park to take kids for easy access to wade and swim in a mountain stream. Has trails. Picnic…read morearea is very limited and located too close to porta-potties. Just go for the water!

Beautiful! Stopped here on our drive to Asheville…read more It's a nice walk to the waterfall, and next time I'd love to plan to spend a little more time at the falls.

Wow! What a great falls and impressive set of stairs and tower that were rebuilt since the…read morehurricane. We hiked up the stairs and then back the long trail down. I think that is the best way to see it. There was a TikTok couple hogging the best picture spot of the falls and a large group making a lot of noise at the upper falls. Would have been a bit nicer but we were at the time of day when the afternoon folks are out hiking, so a bit of our fault. But this is a don't miss falls hike near Asheville!

My wife stumbled across Wandering Llamas while researching things to do during our annual spring…read morebreak adventure. We spent two nights in the fox den treehouse which is located in one of the llama pasture areas. The "treehouse" is a elevated wooden shed like structure that has been refurbished into a pleasant little hideaway in the Smoky's. The treehouse has a nice deck to sit and enjoy the mountain view. There's also a nice swing chair and firepit to enjoy as well. The treehouse has electricity with a small electric heater to take the chill out. The treehouse was very clean and the bed unbelievably comfortable. The treehouse is a one and only. If you are renting here you have the treehouse and llamas all to yourself. The property owner and host (Sandy) lives on the property and is available if you are in need of anything. Sandy is very personable and will spend time sharing of herself with her guests. On the llama walk each person usually gets there own llama to walk with. Sandy accompanies you and can answer any llama related question you may have. The walk is at a very leisurely pace and lasts about two hours. The llamas are easy to walk and well behaved. Contrary to popular opinion of some the llamas did not spit at one another. One thing to be aware of if staying in the treehouse is there is no running water and only a fancy bucket of a toilet in an outhouse under the treehouse. This didn't bother us, but for some that don't care for "roughing it" I could see it as a drawback. (There is a gas station about a mile away that we used the bathroom at. We are members of the YMCA at home. There's a Y a few miles away and with the Y reciprocity program we were able to go there to take a hot shower. The Wandering Llama was an awesome get away experience for us and Sandy is a great host. We appreciate her sharing her llamas.

A super fun, unique outing if you are spending time in the Smoky Mountains, about a 1.5 hour drive…read morefrom our cabin in Sevierville. We booked the 2-hour wine and cheese tour because it was the only tour that had open spots left (we booked about a week ahead). We skipped the wine and cheese part due to our concerns about COVID (the food is served in their open gazebo, so it's relatively safe - we just prefer taking extra precautions and had already eaten lunch just before we got there), but the llama hike alone was well worth it. The walk, about 1.5 hours total time, is along the gravel road, which is a little hilly, but manageable if you're fit (not so much if you have small kids that don't do a lot of walking). Most of the time was spent relaxing in an open field - very socially distant from the other eight people in our group - where we fed the llamas and took lots of pictures. The llamas are super friendly and so soft! Though Sandy (the owner) provides animal crackers and strawberries for the llamas to enjoy during the middle of the hike, definitely bring your own -- we brought graham crackers and sliced apples to feed them throughout the walk, and the llamas LOVE to eat! Sandy is very friendly and welcoming and took pictures of everyone during the hike, which she emailed to us later. A great highlight of our trip!