Fallingwater Cascades is a tiered waterfall of about 110 feet on Fallingwater Creek in Botetourt County, Virginia, just below the Blue Ridge Parkway near Peaks of Otter. A short loop trail from a Parkway parking area drops to the cascades and climbs back out.
The falls
Lidar measurements indicate that the creek drops about 110 feet in four distinct steps; earlier surveys listed 200 feet, and regional accounts describe the cascades as more than 100 feet. The creek flows among large rock outcrops covered in rhododendron and large hemlocks.
Getting there
The trailhead is at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 83.1, where trail reports listed the route as open in September 2026. The Parkway charges no entrance fee. Trail guides place the loop at 1.6 miles and rate it moderate, noting that the cascades sit 260 feet below the parking area and that the climb comes on the way back. Alternative trail listings record the loop as 1.3 miles with 446 feet of gain. Soon after leaving the parking area the trail enters Jefferson National Forest.
When to go
Trail conditions are best from March through October. Flow depends heavily on recent rain, ranging from a torrent to a trickle, so the cascades are at their fullest after wet weather.
On site
The loop follows the cascades rather than ending at a single overlook. Dogs are allowed on the Parkway on a leash no longer than six feet. In May 2016 a 20-year-old hiker who had gone ahead of his group was found dead in a small pool at the bottom of the trail; fire officials could not say whether trauma or drowning caused his death. Hikers should stay on the trail and off the wet rock beside the cascades.
History and name
The Fallingwater Cascades Trail and the neighboring Flat Top Trail were designated together as a continuous National Recreation Trail in April 1982.
Nearby
Apple Orchard Falls is about 3.8 miles away, Sprouts Run Falls about 6.1 miles and Lace Falls about 11 miles. The Flat Top Trail, which begins nearby at milepost 83.5, leads to the highest of three prominent peaks in the area.
Distances are straight-line.