Crabtree Falls

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina, USA

About Crabtree Falls

For Subscribers Only. See Membership Options.

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Crabtree Falls (not to be confused with the one in Virginia) was probably the prettiest of the waterfalls we saw that were directly accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

What this 70ft waterfall on Big Crabtree Creek had going for it was its rippling texture amidst a plethora of Autumn colors.

Crabtree_Falls_027_20121019 - Crabtree Falls
Crabtree Falls

Indeed, as you can see in the photo above, it was another one of those waterfalls that Julie liked because it had “character.”

And apparently we weren’t the only ones partial to this waterfall, because it was certainly popular despite the upside-down 2-mile round trip out-and-back hike.

Despite its modest trail length, I swore it felt a lot longer than that, especially since it was all downhill on the way there and all uphill on the way back.

I don’t think the two miles included the extra ten minutes of walking from the visitor center parking lot to the Crabtree Meadows campground (where the actual trailhead began).

Crabtree_Falls_043_20121019 - Direct look at the Crabtree Falls surrounded by golden leaves near the peak of Autumn
Direct look at the Crabtree Falls surrounded by golden leaves near the peak of Autumn

Most people (like us) didn’t know about the closer trailhead parking by the campground, but then again, there wasn’t that many parking spaces there anyways.

In any case, there’s far more parking spaces by the visitor center (see directions below).

Experiencing the Crabtree Falls Trail

There was also the option to do a longer loop hike (making the round trip distance 2.5 miles instead of 2), but we met some folks who did it and they didn’t recommend it.

I guess given the amount of uphill walking on the way back to the trailhead, I don’t blame them for not desiring to prolong the physical challenge without other obvious benefits (i.e. natural attractions) other than meandering in a tranquil forest.

Crabtree_Falls_005_20121019 - Julie on the trail between the visitor center parking lot and the actual trailhead for Crabtree Falls
Julie on the trail between the visitor center parking lot and the actual trailhead for Crabtree Falls

The trail got a bit rockier and uneven the further down we went, but for the most part, it was just like most dirt trails.

There was a footbridge in front of the Crabtree Falls offering nice views.

If there’s not a whole lot of foot traffic on the footbridge and you’re not aspiring to be a professional photographer, it’s possible to use that bridge as a pseudo tripod (to save you from the trouble of lugging a tripod on this trail).

In addition to the footbridge, we (like several others) scrambled closer to the falls from both sides of the stream to experiment with different compositions.

Crabtree_Falls_017_20121019 - Julie approaching the Crabtree Falls
Julie approaching the Crabtree Falls

We definitely weren’t in any hurry to leave considering the tranquil, picturesque scenery with the Autumn colors and this pretty cascading waterfall with character before us.

Besides, we still faced a moderate uphill climb back to the trailhead so we didn’t mind delaying the painful part of the hike.

Overall, it took us over 90 minutes to do the hiking and photographing starting and ending at the visitor center.

Authorities

Crabtree Falls resides in the Blue Ridge Parkway near Grassy Creek in Yancey County, North Carolina. It is administered by the National Park Service. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: blue ridge, parkway, yancey, crabtree, north carolina, waterfall, national park, asheville, little switzerland



Visitor Comments:

Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...

No users have replied to the content on this page


Share your thoughts about what you've read on this page

You must be logged in to submit content. Refresh this page after you have logged in.

Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:

If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...

No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall


Have you been to a waterfall? Submit a write-up/review and share your experiences or impressions

Review A Waterfall

Nearest Waterfalls

The Waterfaller Newsletter

The Waterfaller Newsletter is where we curate the wealth of information on the World of Waterfalls website and deliver it to you in bite-sized chunks in your email inbox. You'll also get exclusive content like...

  • Waterfall Wednesdays
  • Insider Tips
  • User-submitted Waterfall Write-up of the Month
  • and the latest news and updates both within the website as well as around the wonderful world of waterfalls


How To Build A Profitable Travel Blog In 4 Steps

Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.