Moore Cove Falls is a 105-foot tiered plunge waterfall in Pisgah National Forest, Transylvania County, North Carolina, a short hike from US 276 north of Brevard. The water drops over an overhanging bluff, and the easy trail ends at a platform where visitors can walk behind the falls.
The falls
Lidar data shows two main tiers of about 20 and 60 feet with cascades between them, adding up to about 105 feet. Trail guides and earlier surveys put it at 50 feet. The bluff overhangs, leaving room to stand behind the water. Wikipedia notes the flow can shrink considerably in dry spells.
Getting there
The trailhead is on US 276 in Pisgah National Forest, about 5 miles north of the Pisgah Ranger District visitor center, with paved roadside parking for about 18 vehicles and no facilities. It is about 2 miles past the national forest gate, marked by a roofed wooden sign. The yellow-blazed trail (trail #318) is 1.4 miles round trip with about 240 feet of gain, rated easy, about 20 minutes each way. The first 150 feet are moderately steep, then the path eases, crossing wooden bridges and boardwalks. The Forest Service closes the area within a quarter-mile of the falls from sunset to sunrise. A May 2025 update from Explore Asheville, issued after Hurricane Helene, lists the trail as open.
When to go
Flow is strongest during spring runoff and after rain. In spring the shaded trail has jack-in-the-pulpit and trillium, and ferns line it all year.
On site
A wooden platform sits at the base, and visitors can step off it onto rock and sand to walk behind the falls; the rock there is wet and slippery. Three people died in falls from the top of the waterfall, in 2007, 2016 and 2017, after leaving the trail on unofficial paths; visitors are asked not to climb to the top or upstream. The trail is pet friendly.
History and name
The cove is named for Adam Q. Moore, who owned the land. In 1891 it was sold to George W. Vanderbilt for $155, and it later became part of Pisgah National Forest.
Nearby
Sliding Rock is about 0.5 mile away, and Looking Glass Falls and Avery Creek Falls are each about 1.3 miles. Brevard is about 6 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.