Waterfall Wednesday continues today with a long distance view of Bearwallow Falls which is located in Gorges State Park which is one of the great parks located in North Carolina. Chris and I visited Gorges State Park on a wintery day so the foliage in my pictures is not green and lush but it really allowed us to see the waterfall without trees and leaves in the way so maybe that was a good thing.
Bearwallow Falls viewing is pretty easy from the platform constructed in the park but it allows a view of only a portion of the falls from what I can understand. I think what we could see was the lower portion of the falls and even if it was not the complete falls it was still pretty spectacular.
It was a nice hike to view the falls with a great parking area and picnic shelter in the parking area for those who wanted to start or end their hike with a little picnic.
You can almost hear the water, can’t you?
The trail to the viewing deck is a little over a mile and a half and it isn’t too overly vigorous. On our ascent to return to the parking lot we did take advantage of the bench that was along the way and it allowed us to spy this tree.
How about a little closer look?
How about one with less leaves in the way?
I think the woodpeckers had a great time with this tree and if we had not stopped to take a little break we probably would have missed it. You just never know what you are going to find when you take your time, right?
Gorges State Park is a beautiful park to explore. It boasts many waterfalls, river gorges and rock walls. The visitor center is a very informative place that includes a lot of hands on exhibits including a man made waterfall. I loved walking around looking at all of the informative plaques and exhibits. It is obviously a great destination for school groups as there are a myriad of things for them to do in the center itself before even hitting a trail. The park is 7,500 acres and has a lot of great hiking trails and picture perfect spots. If you are around Sapphire, North Carolina this would be a great stop on your trip.
19 Comments
Leave a commentThat was one over-active woodpecker! Lots of beautiful scenery in your new state. Thanks for sharing. I like the borders/frames on the photos, too. It really gives them a finished, professional look.
Thanks,Laura. There is some have to see here we won’t ever have time to see it all but we will try.
Gorgeous – haven’t been there yet. My friend wants to visit and go to Rainbow Falls which is in Gorges State Park I think but I think it’s a pretty steep so it’s something I have to work up to!
There are quite a few in there but this one was so easy with the viewing platform. You can’t get very close using this trail but I imagine there might be other ways to access it. Yes–I need a few more million hikes under my belt before I attempt some of the tougher ones.
Those are some really big woodpecker holes. I am loving this series. Waterfalls are peaceful and powerful and plain beautiful.
They are, aren’t they? I have a few more to come. The tree was an unexpected bonus.
What a beautiful place! I’ve only seen one waterfall (in person), and it was from a fairly long distance.
That must be one tasty tree to the woodpeckers!
I am not even sure what kind of tree it is—I need to check that out, don’t I? It was fun to look at all the holes.
What gorgeous surroundings you have! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for stopping by, Katy. Come visit me sometime!
Ah, the great outdoors!!
Yep. It’s everywhere!
Let’s hope it continues to be for a long, long time!!
Another great NC destination piece! What a beautiful reminder of the power of gravity a waterfall is. Happy exploring! 🙂
Thanks, Josh. It is a beautiful state from one edge to the other.
I can’t wait to go back to these falls near my father in law’s trailer camp this summer and capture them with my big girl camera!! I love that sound of the rushing water – all the power and awe of nature. Also, you usually do have to do a bit of a hike to get to a good viewing spot, so you get extra time in Nature, which is always ok by me.
Agree–nature is a good thing to get lost in occasionally.
Beautiful place to visit and hike and yes, if only we’d take more time to stop and smell the roses!!
I am trying got slow down enough to do that but it is not always the easiest thing to do. There is always something calling my name.