Elk River Falls

Pisgah Game Lands, North Carolina, USA

About Elk River Falls

For Subscribers Only. See Membership Options.

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Elk River Falls was a moderate-volume 40ft waterfall that we ended up going a little bit out-of-the-way to visit, especially considering that we had based ourselves mostly in Asheville and in Brevard.

That was because this waterfall was very close to North Carolina’s border with the far northeastern tip of Tennessee.

Elk_River_Falls_013_20121019 - Elk River Falls
Elk River Falls

Much of the terrain around its very wide plunge pool was smooth rock.

Given how frigidly cold it was the Autumn morning that we showed up (it was 37F), we really didn’t do a whole lot more than take photos of it while keeping our faces and hands from going numb.

I’m not sure if this place would be a popular place to go swimming on a hot Summer’s day, but I could easily imagine such a scene.

As for timing our visit, the Elk River Falls and its basin was almost entirely in the morning shadow.

Elk_River_Falls_004_20121019 - Julie on the huge rock protrusion into the middle of the Elk River to get a direct look at the Elk River Falls
Julie on the huge rock protrusion into the middle of the Elk River to get a direct look at the Elk River Falls

I’d imagine that had we showed up later, we might have been looking against the sun, which would’ve made photography difficult at best.

There was a long rock that protruded out into the large plunge pool, and it was from here that we took our photos while being careful not to fall into the plunge pool (thanks to the rock sloping on both its sides).

The walk from the parking area was merely 10 minutes or so long.

It started off by rejoining some road before quickly branching downhill towards the right leading to the Elk River (i.e. don’t go left).

Elk_River_Falls_003_20121019 - Looking over the brink of the Elk River Falls towards its huge plunge pool
Looking over the brink of the Elk River Falls towards its huge plunge pool

There was access to the top of the falls, but the trail continued to descend towards that elongated rock where we could walk all the way to its end to look right at the falls (as you see pictured at the top of this page).

By the way, Elk River Falls also goes by the name Big Falls or Elk Falls.

Authorities

Elk River Falls resides in the Pisgah Game Lands near Banner Elk in Avery County, North Carolina. It is administered by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the USDA Forest Service. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website or Facebook page.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: elk river, avery county, pisgah game lands, tennessee border, north carolina, waterfall, big falls, blue ridge



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



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.