Highlands NC: Gorges State Park

I was born and raised in Western North Carolina, and have been on a lot of hikes in this area. The "holy trinity" of waterfalls in Gorges State Park (Turtleback Falls, Bust Your Butt Falls, and Rainbow Falls) is one of my favorite places in the entire country, and definitely worth checking out. But make sure to come during the summer, and bring your bathing suit.

First waterfall on tap: Rainbow Falls

The trailhead to Gorges State Park was going through construction the last time I was here, and I'm pretty sure they are putting in a new visitor's center. As of summer 2011, there is a huge parking lot with restrooms and a large trail map. From the trailhead, take the Rainbow Falls trail, which is about 3 miles round trip. The trial is a nice length to give you a little workout without being exhausting, and takes you through a beautiful area of shaded forest. The first waterfall you will come to is Rainbow Falls, which is one of the most photographed waterfalls in WNC. You can swim at the bottom of the waterfall, and if you are careful, can climb up on a ledge (about 20 feet from the water) to the left of the waterfall and jump in.

Like these guys

After Rainbow Falls, keep following the trail for another few minutes and you will hit Turtleback Falls. This is an awesome place to swim, and you can slide down the waterfall into a deep pool of water of pretty frigid water. There are also lots of rocks where you can sun after you freeze yourself in the river.

Turtleback Falls

After you've had your fill of Turtleback Falls, you can choose to wander back to the *forbidden* Bust Your Butt Falls. Keep following the trail on the right side of Turtleback Falls a few minutes and you will see a fence with a "No Trespassing" sign posted on it. Go around the fence (if you don't mind possibly getting a ticket for trespassing, that is) and make your way down to the river. Even if you don't want to slide down the falls into the water, there is a great swimming hole to chill out in or rock hop around. This area is private property, although it used to be open to the public a decade or so ago, and I'm not sure if park rangers patrol the area. So, proceed at your own risk.

Forbidden!!!

Driving directions from Brevard: Take the Asheville Highway past Rosman and up into the mountains around Highlands (US 64). Keep your eyes open for signs directing you to Gorges State Park. Enjoy!