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March 3, 2016

How to Enjoy Sliding Rock With No Crowds

35 Comments/ 5160/ 1

If you have followed along with me on my move to North Carolina you have watched my fascination with waterfalls grow.  I have always had an affinity for the water and even though I am not a swimmer I love to be near any kind of body of water.  It is soothing and restorative for me.  Finding ourselves living in the Land of Waterfalls has been amazing and we are trying to carve out time to go see as many as we can in our new home county of Transylvania.

We had the opportunity this week to enjoy a visit from two of our college friends who are now retired and doing volunteer work with the National Park System. They are currently in King’s Mountain Military Park in South Carolina and so they gave us dates when they were free and we worked out a time for them to come visit us.  Karen and Tom Hartley are having the time of their lives traveling from park to park and sharing the history of each place with visitors.  Their responsibilities vary from place to place but it seems that they are enjoying each place and what it has to offer. Karen is chronicling their adventures at her blog Sharing Horizons and I know she would love to have you stop over sometime.

Tom and Karen Hartley

Tom and Karen Hartley

We were thrilled that they chose to come see us and planned an afternoon of hiking and seeing waterfalls. Well, the weather had other ideas and with rain coming intermittently and threatening to do a lot of storming we had to revise our itinerary a bit.  We still managed to show them Connestee Falls  and Looking Glass Falls and decided to go take a little bit of a drive to see the infamous Sliding Rock.Sliding Rock

Sliding Rock is part of Looking Glass Falls and is located outside of Brevard in the Pigsah National Forest.

Who doesn't visit Sliding Rock in the pouring rain?

Who doesn’t visit Sliding Rock in the pouring rain?

The appeal of this place is that the waterfall is a gradual sloping one over rocks that eventually end in a 7-8 foot plunge pool at the bottom. Sliding Rock 3 The natural slide makes it the perfect spot to cool off in the summertime as you can imagine.  Sliding Rock 5Simply walk up one side and then slide on down into the pool of cool water at the bottom.  Sliding Rock 10

Rules mandate that the slider slide in a seated position and and the $2 fee for entry during the season helps to support the park and pay for the lifeguard that is on duty during various hours.

Tom reliving his days of lifeguarding.

Tom reliving his days of lifeguarding.

I can only imagine how busy this place gets.  There is parking in a lot above the feature as well as along the road on US Highway 276.  The slope itself is about 60 feet and rumor has it the water is pretty cold even in the winter time.Sliding Rock 11

Obviously the best time for viewing the waterfall from either of the two platforms is in the winter months when it is raining.   We encountered one other visitor and his dog while we were there so it was the perfect time for viewing if not for sliding.  Sliding Rock 4

If you are ever in the area you definitely need to make this a stop on your trip. There are even restrooms and changing areas for those adventurous folks who want to join in the sliding fun.  I would just suggest you do it in the summer months and not in March in the rain although the crowds will be much greater.

To get to Sliding Rock you will need to travel north from the intersection of U.S. Highway 276, approximately 7.7 miles north of the intersection of 276, U.S. Highway 64, and NC Highway 280 in Brevard, North Carolina. You will pass Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock will be on the right hand side of the road.

Oh and did I mention that we did a bit of window shopping in Brevard and ventured into Downtown Chocolates?  Yum. chocolates

I would love to hear if any of you have been here before.  Don’t forget to let me know in the comments and help support our Comments for a Cause this month—The Women’s Prison Book Project.

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brevard Connestee Waterfall Downtown Chocolates King's Mountain Military Park Looking Glass Waterfall North Carolina Pigsah National Forest Sharing Horizons Sliding Rock Transylvania County travel waterfall
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35 Comments

Leave a comment
  1. Darlene
    March 03, 2016 at 06:33 am

    The waterfalls are fabulous. It is nice to visit sites like this in the rain because you get the place to yourselves!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 03, 2016 at 07:34 am

      I know–I think we found the perfect time to visit them. Just not good for taking selfies due to rain head. 🙂

      Reply
  2. C. J. Hartwell
    March 03, 2016 at 09:19 am

    How beautiful!
    We have a sliding rock in Arizona — always terribly crowded except in the winter, when it’s at its most beautiful. But it’s the perfect spot to escape the heat of summer, hence the crowds. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 03, 2016 at 09:24 pm

      I can imagine it is swamped during the hot season out there but rightfully so. It looks like a lot of fun on a hot day.

      Reply
      1. C. J. Hartwell
        March 04, 2016 at 10:23 am

        Yes, it is! We went there quite a bit when I was young – it wasn’t near so crowded then. I was always terrified at first, but you take the plunge, you’re hooked!

        Reply
        1. Beth Ann Chiles
          March 18, 2016 at 02:24 pm

          How nice to have someone else who did this as well. I am afraid I am not brave enough but kudos to any of you that did! I applaud you!

          Reply
  3. josh
    March 03, 2016 at 09:50 am

    Sliding rock looks like fun! We’ve managed to visit a couple of NC waterfalls, look forward to visiting more. Mmmmm chocolate!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 03, 2016 at 09:23 pm

      You need to come see me and we can go find some more waterfalls! And yes–this chocolate is major yum.

      Reply
  4. Minnesota Prairie Roots
    March 03, 2016 at 10:01 am

    This is just so beautiful, Beth Ann. Makes me wanna come visit.

    Question about that sliding: Do sliders simply slide on their butts? Or do they sit on something? How deep is the water?

    I like being around water, just not on it. I can’t swim either.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 03, 2016 at 09:22 pm

      You are always welcome here—anytime you guys decide on a road trip. As for the sliding part I have looked at videos and it appears just on your butts! https://youtu.be/Mc8luqt19Jc The water in the pool is 8 feet or so.

      Reply
  5. kimicalreaction
    March 03, 2016 at 10:47 am

    We go to Grandfather Mountain outside of Blowing Rock for the Scottish Highland Games in July. I think it’s about 40 miles from there – that whole area is amazingly beautiful!

    I’ve been down the rock slide at Big Canoe in N. Georgia – very similar to your photos. It was scarier than it looked!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 03, 2016 at 09:19 pm

      Oh I love Grandfather Mountain—it is so beautiful. I need to get back there and walk across that bridge!

      Reply
  6. Jessie
    March 03, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    Oh that looks fun! Beautiful too! Some of my favorite hikes have been in rainy weather, less people more rainbows! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 03, 2016 at 09:19 pm

      That is so true, Jessie—-and rainbows are always a wonderful thing to behold. I can always wear a raincoat !

      Reply
  7. Sandy KS
    March 03, 2016 at 02:20 pm

    Wow that place is beautiful. I love to visit places like that with no crowd. I can take in the beauty so much easier.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 03, 2016 at 09:18 pm

      It definitely is very crowded in the summer and I am sure a lot of fun is had but I really did love being here with no one else around.

      Reply
  8. poemsandponderings
    March 03, 2016 at 05:32 pm

    “Peace like a river…”

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 03, 2016 at 09:17 pm

      Perfect caption for part of this area, Jake. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  9. Gibber
    March 03, 2016 at 07:57 pm

    Looks like great fun despite the rain!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 03, 2016 at 09:17 pm

      Definitely!

      Reply
  10. Rorybore
    March 03, 2016 at 09:51 pm

    That would be soooo much fun!! I bet I could even stand the water in March since I am used to Northern Canadian lakes and rivers. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 04, 2016 at 07:07 am

      Oh I bet you could! Brrr.

      Reply
  11. rarasaur
    March 04, 2016 at 12:26 am

    How fun! I’m not really a water person so I wouldn’t slide down may likely, but what fabulous pictures. 😀

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 04, 2016 at 07:07 am

      I wouldn’t slide either but I would cheer everyone else on!

      Reply
  12. judithhb
    March 04, 2016 at 11:36 pm

    Thanks Beth Ann for taking us to yet another place of which I had never heard. I love the travelogue that this blowing world offers me. And of course, great photos as always.
    I love

    Reply
  13. judithhb
    March 04, 2016 at 11:37 pm

    This blogging world not this blowing world. Although this afternoon we have a gusty North Wester blowing making thee trees and the leaves sing.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 18, 2016 at 02:23 pm

      It is so windy here today and very unusual for us so I know what you mean! Blowing not bloggy. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Karen
    March 06, 2016 at 06:56 pm

    Such a fun day! Thanks for hosting us and showing us around.

    Reply
  15. Brevard, North Carolina - Sharing Horizons
    March 08, 2016 at 09:16 am

    […] Beth Ann has a wonderful blog, “It’s Just Life,” which she has been writing for nine years.  She started when she and Chris lived for a time in Australia.  She wrote a blog post about our visit and you can read her perspective here. […]

    Reply
  16. donnahup
    March 09, 2016 at 11:28 am

    I have such great memories as a kid sliding down this rock! I would love to do it again.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 09, 2016 at 07:33 pm

      Well if you come see me sometime in the summertime we will go and I will let you slide. I will watch and document it ! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Marci B
    March 09, 2016 at 05:41 pm

    Dang! I’ve got to get back to that chocolate store!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      March 09, 2016 at 07:13 pm

      We stopped by again on Sunday and I got some Easter goodies. 🙂

      Reply
      1. Marci B
        March 10, 2016 at 08:18 am

        Will it last to Easter?? It would never last in this house…..

        Reply
        1. Beth Ann Chiles
          March 10, 2016 at 04:22 pm

          Oh no—most of it was to give away but we do still have a couple of pieces left. 🙂

          Reply

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