Fall North CAROLINA Waterfalls Wrapup
This year, we had an amazing time exploring the waters of the Western North Carolina mountains. Brevard was our cozy home base, just like during our unforgettable Spring Waterfalls adventure. We headed south and west, finding loads of stunning waterfalls with plenty of water and beautiful fall colors. It was so gorgeous that we almost couldn't take it all in! Looking back at the photos, we can't help but feel lucky to have experienced such a lovely place and to enjoy all the awesome gifts nature has to offer.
We kicked off our adventure on Friday evening at Living Waters Ministry in Transylvania County. This is where Shoal Creek meets the North Fork of the French Broad River, right behind the charming old mill, creating two beautiful waterfalls - Mill Shoals Falls (or French Broad Falls) and Shoal Creek Falls. It's such an easy and serene spot to appreciate the sound of rushing water and admire the picturesque mill. Our group captured some fantastic photos here before we moved on to explore other cascades and the stunning Cathedral Falls downstream. See the image above for a pic just below Mill Shoals Falls.
Cathedral Falls, also known as Bird Rock Falls, got its name from the many birds that used to nest on the towering rock cliffs on one side. With the incredibly high water flow, even the tiniest trickles turned into gushing streams, capturing our attention and filling our cameras with lovely shots. We had a blast clambering around on the rocks, searching for the perfect angles to catch the warm, late afternoon light through our lenses with just the right touch of fall color.
We chose to wrap up our adventure a bit early this first day and head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway to catch the sunset. As we raced up the hill, we found ourselves surrounded by fog and clouds, so we decided to make our way back down the mountain. We ended the day grabbing pizza in town (the only thing open), where we enjoyed some scrumptious, warm pizza together.
The following morning hinted at rain, so our group decided to drive a short distance to Dry Falls. This easily accessible yet stunning waterfall is always worth a visit. It's usually packed with people, but since we arrived before sunrise, we had the place to ourselves. With the water roaring, we quickly snapped our photos before the rain caught up with us. Next, we ventured to a lesser-known gem, Secret Falls, tucked away off the beaten path. Although the directions were a bit challenging, we eventually found it, and after a 30-minute hike, we were all in awe of one of the most beautiful waterfalls we'd ever seen. The light danced through the mist and rain, and the fall colors were just right to enhance our photos. This was a spot where it made sense to get right in the water, so a few of us took the plunge with excitement. 🙂
Secret Falls under heavy water deep in North Carolina Waterfall Country
Following our visit to Secret Falls, we hurried over to Silver Run Falls, another easily accessible waterfall just off the road. The high water levels made it difficult to reach the other side for different vantage points, but the falls were still gorgeous in the misty rain. Just as we were wrapping up, one of our group members received a call from a family member, informing them that their tent was wide open and rain was pouring in. We quickly packed up and rushed back to our campsite to salvage what we could before heading to the hotel for our photo processing session.
Taking a break from the rain, we all enjoyed lunch together and began focusing on the finer details of processing fall images in Lightroom and Photoshop. Balancing bold colors without detracting from the composition and the waterfall itself can be quite challenging. After a couple of hours, we rallied the whole group, ventured back into the rain, and headed to Looking Glass Falls. When you're in Brevard, you simply must visit Looking Glass. With the volume of water we encountered, it was absolutely roaring. We had to move 200 yards downstream just to escape the spray zone.
As the light began to fade, we decided to call it a day and headed to my favorite Mexican restaurant in town. We shared laughter and stories while enjoying a delicious, warm meal under a dry roof. Afterward, we were all grateful to snuggle into our dry beds, anticipating the possibility of damp weather the following morning.
To our surprise, the rain held off, and we made our way to Raven's Falls, which was probably the most spectacular waterfall of the trip for me. It's large, stunning, and offers a wealth of foreground interest for perfect compositions. We climbed and explored, searching for just the right angles. Some of us could have spent the entire day there. The area also features two other smaller cascades that are fun to photograph, and the so-called "Bridge of Death" provides a great spot for capturing a few more shots.
Unfortunately, it was time to wrap up our adventure and move on to our final destination, DuPont State Park, which boasts three fantastic waterfalls. As we arrived, the weather cleared up entirely, and we managed to spend just a few minutes at Hooker Falls before the sunlight became too harsh. At this point, the crowds started to gather, so we decided to wrap up our group activities and let everyone explore Triple Falls and High Falls on their own if they had the time.
We had an amazing weekend, managing to visit an impressive number of waterfalls thanks to the favorable lighting and rainy/cloudy weather. I've already seen some stunning images from our adventure, and I'm excited to see even more. It's truly remarkable to witness each person's unique perspective and creativity, even when focusing on something as specific as a waterfall.
If this adventure has captured your imagination and you're eager to create your own unforgettable memories, we'd love for you to join us on our next expedition! To stay in the loop and receive regular updates on upcoming adventures, don't forget to sign up for our newsletter. We can't wait to explore together and share the beauty of nature with you!
