Waterfalls near a city

Waterfalls near Charlotte, North Carolina

By The Waterfall Guide editorial teamLast verified November 6, 2026

Charlotte's nearest falls in this guide is closed. High Shoals Falls, 53 miles away as the crow flies in South Mountains State Park, has no open route to the water. On Nov 4, 2026, NC Parks said the entire High Shoals Falls Trail and the waterfall viewing areas remain closed after Hurricane Helene. The closest fully open falls on our list is Hickory Nut Falls, about 82 miles straight-line, inside the ticketed Chimney Rock attraction.

6 waterfallswithin 100 mi straight-line

Lower Catawba Falls cascading over rock ledges in Pisgah National Forest near Old Fort, NC — Catawba Falls · Korlandella, CC0

Linville Falls pouring into Linville Gorge off the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina — Linville Falls · P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0

Long-exposure view of High Shoals Falls dropping into a rocky pool in South Mountains State Park, NC. — High Shoals Falls · Matthew Blouir, CC BY 2.0

6 waterfalls within 100 miles of Charlotte

Distances are straight-line miles, by our math, from the US Census internal point of Charlotte, NC, not driving distances, so check a route before you go. Each card links to a full guide with fees, parking and current status.

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Compare the waterfalls near Charlotte

Waterfalls within 100 miles of Charlotte (straight-line; status checked October 27, 2026 to November 6, 2026)
Waterfall	Distance	Status	State	Height	Trail	Difficulty	Fee / permit	Swimming
High Shoals Falls	53 mi	Closed	NC	80 ft	2.7 mi loop (closed)	Strenuous	Free day use	No
Linville Falls	80 mi	Partly open	NC	150 ft	1.6 mi round trip (Erwins View)	Moderate to strenuous	No fee listed	No
Hickory Nut Falls	82 mi	Open	NC	404 ft	1.4 mi round trip	Moderate	$17 adults, $8 ages 5 to 15	No (no designated area)
Catawba Falls	84 mi	Open	NC	205 ft	3.5 mi loop	Moderate	No entry fee listed	Not recommended
Crabtree Falls	85 mi	Closed	NC	60 ft	3 mi loop (hiking prohibited)	Moderately strenuous	Free	No rule found; don't climb the rocks
Elk River Falls	94 mi	Open	NC	65 ft	0.5 mi walkway		None listed	No (FS says stay out of the water)

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How the list breaks down

Our guide has six falls within a 100-mile straight-line circle of Charlotte, all in the North Carolina mountains to the west and northwest. We count only falls we have published, not every waterfall near the city. Four of the six can be visited now. Measured as the crow flies, they are Linville Falls (partly open) at 80 miles, Hickory Nut at 82, Catawba Falls at 84 and Elk River Falls at 94.

The other closure is Crabtree Falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway, 85 straight-line miles away. The NPS road status page of Nov 3, 2026 said hiking at Crabtree Falls is prohibited because of Helene damage. Linville, also on the Parkway, is partly open. Its spur road from milepost 316.4 was listed open on Oct 27, 2026. The visitor center is gone, lost to Helene, and NPS lists the campground and picnic area as closed.

For falls elsewhere in the state, see our North Carolina waterfalls guide.

Two closures: South Mountains and Crabtree

High Shoals Falls is an 80-ft falls on the Jacob Fork, per NC Parks. Its 2.7-mile loop is rated strenuous and is closed in full. The rest of South Mountains State Park is open, with no day-use fee. NC Parks' June 9, 2026 update says debris removal ended in spring 2026 and the recovery project is in planning and design. No reopening date has been set.

Crabtree Falls drops 60 ft over a rock cliff, per NPS, between Parkway mileposts 339 and 341. When open, it is a 3-mile loop that NPS calls moderately strenuous. NPS has not announced when hiking will resume. Its trail page, last updated in 2024, still reads as if the trail were open, so go by the newer road status page.

Do not go around a closure at either site. NC Parks cites "continued hazards" at the High Shoals viewing areas.

Hickory Nut Falls: a ticket and a 1.4-mile walk

Hickory Nut Falls drops 404 ft, a height NC Parks and the Chimney Rock operator agree on. The trail sits inside the Chimney Rock attraction, so you need a ticket. As listed on Nov 4, 2026, a 1-day ticket is $17 per adult and $8 for ages 5 to 15. Children 4 and under are free, and prices change by season.

NC Parks lists the Hickory Nut Falls Trail as 0.7 mile one way and moderate. The operator calls it 1.4 miles round trip, with a small set of stairs at the base. It says most hikers take 45 minutes to an hour.

From November 1 to December 31, the gate admits visitors from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the park closes at 6 p.m. The trail shuts an hour before the park. The operator recommends reservations on busy weekends and holidays. On Nov 4, 2026, NC Parks listed three other park trails as closed: Weed Patch Mountain, Tunnel and Riverwalk. Hickory Nut Falls Trail was not among them.

Catawba, Linville and Elk River: no fee listed

Catawba Falls, near Old Fort, is a two-tier falls in Pisgah National Forest. A 3.5-mile loop reaches the 205-ft lower falls, then climbs 580 stairs to the 80-ft upper falls. Smokies.LIVE reported the upper viewing platform rebuilt in September 2026. The Forest Service lists no fee, but free trailhead parking is limited. Destination McDowell points to posted paid parking along Catawba River Road.

Linville Falls has an upper and a lower falls on the Linville River at Parkway milepost 316. NPS rates the 1.6-mile round-trip Erwins View Trail as moderate. The 1-mile Plunge Basin Trail, rated strenuous, recently reopened, WHKY reported on Oct 25, 2026. NPS has not listed the Linville Gorge Trail to the river as open, so check the road status page before you go. NPS lists no fee, and NPS does not list restroom status at the trailhead.

Elk River Falls, the farthest stop at 94 straight-line miles, is a 65-ft falls near Elk Park, per the Forest Service. A rocky 0.5-mile walkway reaches it in about 15 minutes. A Forest order keeps the area open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. There are no restrooms or potable water, and no fee appears on the Forest Service page.

Plan to stay out of the water

None of the six is a swimming spot. At High Shoals and Hickory Nut, NC state park rules allow swimming only in designated areas, and none is listed at either park. NPS calls swimming in the Linville River dangerous and does not allow it. At Catawba, steep, slippery rock lies near the upper falls.

Elk River carries the starkest warning. The Forest Service calls it one of the deadliest scenic attractions in Avery County. Deaths and paralysis have followed jumps from the top, the agency says, and it tells visitors to remain out of the water. Our waterfall safety guide covers plunge pools and slick rock.

Waterfalls near Charlotte: FAQ

What is the closest waterfall to Charlotte?

In this guide it is High Shoals Falls, 53 miles straight-line from Charlotte's Census point. Its trail and viewing areas are closed after Helene (NC Parks, Nov 4, 2026). The nearest falls you can fully visit is Hickory Nut Falls in Chimney Rock State Park, about 82 straight-line miles away.

Which waterfalls near Charlotte are closed right now?

Two are fully closed. High Shoals Falls has no reopening date from NC Parks as of Nov 4, 2026. NPS prohibits hiking at Crabtree Falls, per its road status page of Nov 3, 2026. Linville Falls is partly open: its campground and picnic area are closed, and NPS has not listed the Gorge Trail as open.

Is there a waterfall near Charlotte with no entry fee?

Three open ones list no fee. The Forest Service lists none for Catawba Falls or Elk River Falls, and NPS lists none for Linville Falls. South Mountains State Park charges no day-use fee either, though the High Shoals trail is closed. Hickory Nut Falls needs a Chimney Rock ticket, $17 per adult as listed Nov 4, 2026.

Which open falls near Charlotte has the shortest walk?

By trail data, Elk River Falls: about 15 minutes on a 0.5-mile rocky walkway, per the Forest Service, which says the path is not maintained as a trail. Hickory Nut Falls is next, at 0.7 mile one way. Linville's Erwins View Trail is 1.6 miles round trip, and Catawba's full loop is 3.5 miles.

Can you visit these waterfalls in winter?

Check before you drive. The Chimney Rock operator says Hickory Nut Falls can freeze top to bottom after a cold snap, and it may close the park on very icy days. NPS says winter weather can close sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which leads to Linville and Crabtree.

Can you swim at waterfalls near Charlotte?

Not on this list. NC Parks allows swimming only in designated areas, and none is listed at South Mountains or Chimney Rock. NPS does not allow swimming in the Linville River. At Elk River Falls, the Forest Service tells visitors to stay out of the water because of a strong undercurrent.

Sources

Facts for each waterfall come from its own guide, where every source is listed. The city sources are below.

State guides: North Carolina waterfalls. More cities.

Photos: Korlandella, CC0; P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0; Matthew Blouir, CC BY 2.0. Photo credits