Waterfalls near Highlands, North Carolina

How the list breaks down

Add Whitewater Falls, 11 straight-line miles away toward Cashiers, and you have the four falls close to town. Everything else on the map is 28 to 49 miles from Highlands as the crow flies. That outer ring takes in north Georgia, three Forest Service stops near Brevard, DuPont State Recreational Forest, the Qualla Boundary and the Smokies.

Our count of 18 includes only waterfalls we have researched and published. The Forest Service names other roadside drops in the Cullasaja Gorge, among them Quarry Falls and Cullasaja Falls, that have no page here yet.

Closures reach the outer ring in Georgia, DuPont and the Smokies. Helene repairs have closed the parking area, picnic area and bathrooms at Panther Creek Falls in Georgia (Forest Service, updated April 17, 2026). For now, only intermediate and advanced hikers may use its trail. DuPont's closures page (Oct 27, 2026) still shows the base stairs and Turkey Knob bridge at Triple Falls & High Falls shut.

Over in the Smokies, Laurel Falls has had its whole trail under rebuild since NPS closed it on January 6, 2025. NPS expects it back sometime in 2027, per its listing of Oct 27, 2026.

Bridal Veil and Dry Falls: two walk-behind stops on US-64

Bridal Veil Falls is the nearer of the pair, 2 straight-line miles from Highlands. You park at pull-offs on the old US-64 loop, on either side of the falls. That old roadbed passes behind the water, and it is now closed to cars and open to people on foot. The Forest Service warns the path can be wet or icy and very slippery.

Height figures for Bridal Veil disagree. Wikipedia gives about 45 ft, while a Forest Service page says 120 ft.

Dry Falls, 3 straight-line miles out, has its own Forest Service lot on US-64. The Highlands Chamber lists the paved walk at about 0.2 mile, with several flights of stairs and 49 ft of ascent. If stairs are a problem, the Forest Service describes an accessible walkway from the lot to an overlook.

Plan Dry Falls around crowds and phone signal. The Forest Service reports very heavy use midday and on holidays, and it suggests mornings or evenings. Recreation.gov warns that cell service at the site is limited, so buy the $3 day pass before you head into the gorge. There are no restrooms and no potable water, per the Forest Service.

Glen Falls: three cascades and an uphill return

Glen Falls sits 3 miles southwest of Highlands in a straight line, at the end of a gravel road off NC-106. The trailhead lot is small. Neither the Forest Service nor the Highlands Chamber lists a fee.

The Chamber gives the three drops as about 70, 60 and 15 ft. Turning back at the upper-falls deck makes a walk of about 1 mile round trip. Continuing to the lowest falls doubles that to about 2 miles. The Chamber rates the full hike moderate and lists 784 ft of ascent. The trail descends on the way in, so that climb comes on the walk back to the car.

Of the four falls close to town, this is the only one where the Forest Service names a swimming hole. It sits at the third falls, and the agency calls it family friendly. The same Forest Service page flags very slippery ground around the falls, so keep children close. An undated Laurel Magazine listing says parts of the trail have washed away, though the Forest Service alerts page showed no closure on Oct 28, 2026.

Toward Cashiers: Whitewater Falls at 11 straight-line miles

Whitewater Falls sits 11 straight-line miles east of Highlands. Its upper falls drop 411 ft, a figure the Forest Service and Wikipedia agree on. From the lot, a paved walk to the upper overlook runs about 0.5 mile round trip. Below that, 154 wooden steps lead to a lower overlook, and you climb all of them again on the way back.

The fee ties Whitewater to Dry Falls. The latest official figure we found is $3 per vehicle per day, from a 2024 Forest Service fee proposal. That proposal would raise it to $5, but we found no final approval. A $15 annual pass is good at all three sites that share it: Whitewater, Dry Falls and Whiteside Mountain.

Recreation.gov says parking is not guaranteed, and vehicles left outside designated areas may be fined and towed. Restroom listings conflict between Recreation.gov and the Forest Service, so plan as if there are none.

The outer ring: 28 to 49 straight-line miles

Georgia accounts for six outer-ring falls. Panther Creek, 28 straight-line miles away, is the partly open one: about 7 miles round trip while its rec area lot stays closed. Toccoa Falls, 33 straight-line miles out on a university campus, is a 186-ft plunge at the end of a 100-yard graveled path. Entry is $2, and it may close around holidays and university breaks.

High Shoals Falls, 34 straight-line miles southwest near Hiawassee, GA, is in the High Shoals Scenic Area. Explore Georgia lists a 1.2-mile trail to observation decks at two falls, with free admission and parking. It is open, as far as we can tell, per the Forest Service alerts page of Nov 6, 2026.

Anna Ruby Falls is 36 miles off as the crow flies and charges $6 per person aged 16 and up. The two farthest Georgia stops sit at opposite ends of the effort scale. Raven Cliff Falls (42 straight-line miles) takes a 5.2-mile round trip and $5 per vehicle. Helton Creek Falls, 45 straight-line miles out, needs only a 0.2-mile stroll that the Forest Service rates easy.

Toward Brevard, three Forest Service stops lie 29 to 30 straight-line miles away. Looking Glass Falls is a roadside view with no fee listed. Moore Cove Falls takes 0.7 mile of trail by the Forest Service's figure, and the agency grades it easy. Sliding Rock is a natural water slide whose 2026 staffed season ended on Labor Day, so it has no lifeguards now.

DuPont's Triple Falls & High Falls, 34 straight-line miles away, are partly open, as noted above. Tree work was also set to close the High Falls kiosk path for a day on Nov 6, 2026, with Nov 10 as the rain date.

Visit Cherokee lists two falls on Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians land as free: Soco Falls at 30 straight-line miles and Mingo Falls at 33. In the Smokies, Grotto Falls, 45 straight-line miles out, needs a $5-a-day parking tag. Drive in soon: the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which reaches its trailhead, shuts to vehicles after November 29, 2026. Closed Laurel Falls sits at 49 straight-line miles.

Our North Carolina waterfalls guide maps the state's other falls, including those past the 50-mile straight-line radius.

Waterfalls near Highlands: FAQ