Cove Creek & Moore Creek Waterfalls

Looking Glass Falls | Cove Creek Falls | Moore Creek Falls | January 2023

Our last full day in Asheville was supposed to be another rainy day. Remembering how much we enjoyed our rainy day waterfall hikes earlier that week motivated us to seek out some more. We chose a few in Pisgah National Forest, South of Asheville off of US-276, and set off in that direction.

To help us find a lot of these waterfall hikes (and there are a lot in the area) we used the local hiking club, Carolina Mountain Club, which sponsors MANY hiking challenges in the North Carolina Appalachians. The Waterfall Challenge specifically has 100 waterfalls in Western North Carolina, and we found a shared map that really helped us plan our day trips. We probably won’t visit the area enough to finish ALL 100 waterfalls…but we’ll try our best.

When we entered the national forest, we initially missed our turn to the first hike, but it turned out alright because just up the road was Looking Glass Falls, an impressive waterfall right off the highway. We pulled over and enjoyed the view from the upper lookout, then walked down to the base. This ended up being our favorite waterfall of the day — a little unfortunate that it was the only one that didn’t include a hike, but we were glad we stopped to see it. The size, shape, and coloration of the rocks surrounding it made it a satisfying sight to behold.

Next, we backtracked to Davidson River Road and drove to our next trail, taking us to Cove Creek Falls. Normally, one could park at a group campground near the actual trailhead, but the road leading to the campground was gated, but that (usually) doesn’t stop foot traffic! We walked the road back as it lead us through a valley, following the creek. Along the way we could hear smaller waterfalls and cascades in the creek, but the trees and bushes blocked most of our view. Once we made it to the trailhead, we started following a long contour around the ridge.

At first, we were a bit concerned as the contouring trail lead significantly away from the creek, but after rounding a bend, we could actually see and hear the roar of the waterfall from quite a distance, assuring us that the falls would be worth the effort and that we were on the right way. There just wasn’t a clearing in the trees to give that great of a view from afar. Eventually, we made it to the end of our well-maintained trail, which ended at the top of the waterfall. Cool, but besides seeing the power of the rushing water before it crashes over the edge, the top of a waterfall just isn’t as good a view as the base. But looking to the side, we could see a well-worn path that lead down to the base of the falls, and not being able to pass up a better view, we followed that.

This trail, as Curtis put it, gave us some serious Hawaii trail PTSD. It was narrow, muddy, steep, and the only markings were pink surveyors tape tied to tree branches. And like most Hawaiian trails, it was surrounded by trees with thin trunks which aid well in helping to keep your balance as you walk down the treacherous slope. Additionally, the evergreen and waxy looking mountain laurel really added to the tropical illusion. The base proved to be worth it though, and we enjoyed wandering around on the rocks, admiring the falls from different viewpoints. Altogether, this hike (including walking the road) was 3 miles long, and you can see our Alltrails recording here.

Once we were finished here, we returned to US-276 and drove to one more trailhead for today right off the highway, for Moores Creek Falls. This hike was only 2 miles round trip and followed the creek through the valley all the way back to the falls. When we initially reached the falls, it didn’t really impress us quite as much as the last two. It just didn’t have the same size or amount of water falling as the others. But once we figured out how to get down and behind the waterfall, it made the exertion for this hike worth it! You can see the Alltrails recording for this hike here.

To wrap up our day, we continued driving US-276 up to the ridge where we stopped at the Blue Ridge Parkway to see the only lookout which was still accessible (the road was closed in both directions from here). We then finished the drive down the other side of the ridge, up to Canton, then East on I-40 back to Asheville. And what do you know, it didn’t start raining until later that afternoon, making us even more glad we didn’t stay home all day!

And that wrapped up our time in Asheville — we had such a great time exploring in the national forests surrounding the city, we didn’t realize until now that we hadn’t actually done anything in Asheville. But there’s still so much we could do in Western North Carolina, I wouldn’t be surprised if we returned someday to explore more! Come back later to find out where we went next!