Whitewater Falls is a 335-foot tiered waterfall on the Whitewater River in Nantahala National Forest, Jackson County, North Carolina, just north of the South Carolina line. It pours over the Blue Ridge Escarpment in two big drops and is one of the most visited waterfalls in the state, thanks to a short paved path to its overlook.
The falls
The Whitewater River drops about 120 feet, then another 215 feet, in a broad white horsetail. A lidar measurement puts the total at about 335 feet; the Forest Service gives 411 feet, along with the claim that it is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies, which other sources consider exaggerated. Below the falls the river keeps dropping, about 1,500 feet in 3.5 miles, to Lower Whitewater Falls in South Carolina.
Getting there
From Cashiers, take NC 107 south for 9.3 miles, turn left at the sign and continue 2.3 miles; from US 64, NC 281 south reaches the entrance in 8.5 miles. The site is open all year from dawn to dusk. Parking is $3 per vehicle per day or $15 for an annual pass that also covers Dry Falls and Whiteside Mountain.
A paved path of about a quarter mile leads to the upper overlook and is wheelchair accessible. From there, 154 wooden steps descend to a lower overlook with a straight-on view. A steep half-mile spur continues down about 600 feet to the river and the 85-mile Foothills Trail.
When to go
Spring brings the heaviest flow. October is peak fall color and also the busiest time.
On site
Whitewater Falls has claimed more lives than any other waterfall in North Carolina: at least 15 people have died here since 1995, most after climbing on the rocks above or beside the falls. In 2020 a hiker and a volunteer rescuer searching for him both died, and in April 2022 a 3-year-old girl was swept over from the top. Stay on the trails and overlooks, and never climb onto the rocks near the river above the falls.
History and name
In the 1960s and 1970s Duke Power bought much of the land downstream for Lakes Jocassee and Keowee, part of the history of the Foothills Trail that now links the falls with the South Carolina side.
Nearby
Laurel Falls is about 0.3 mile away, and Lower Whitewater Falls about 2 miles downstream in South Carolina. Big Falls is about 2.1 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.