Watauga Falls is a waterfall on Watauga River in Johnson County, Tennessee, in the Blue Ridge region, with a total height of about 24 feet. It lies about 9.3 miles north of Banner Elk and roughly 23.9 miles east of Johnson City as the crow flies.
At 24 feet it is on the modest side for Tennessee, where the typical waterfall with a recorded height stands around 30 feet; it ranks 196th of 332. The tallest single drop is 16 feet. The water comes down as a tiered waterfall, falling in several distinct steps one after another. It falls in 2 drops.
The Blue Ridge is the highest part of the southern Appalachians, a range of forested peaks and coves with oak, hickory, tulip poplar and hemlock and spruce-fir on the summits, in one of the wettest climates in the East. Steep mountain streams drop over granite, gneiss and quartzite ledges, giving the region hundreds of waterfalls.
There are 4 recorded waterfalls in Johnson County. Trash Can Falls, an 85-foot tiered waterfall, is about 4.7 miles away across the state line in North Carolina. Twisting Falls, a 30-foot block waterfall, is about 4.9 miles away. Splash Dam Falls, a 25-foot tiered waterfall, is about 6 miles away.
Watauga Falls is located at 36.2901° N, 81.9245° W. The listing is based on the World Waterfall Database, one of the sources compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in its inventory of waterfalls and rapids of the conterminous United States. The creek name is confirmed against the federal Geographic Names Information System. The position was verified on aerial imagery. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.