Beautiful Day Hikes Along Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway

The North Carolina mountains are well known for their impressive and breathtaking hikes. And not without reason! But so many people focus on a few “big name” hikes rather than sticking in one place and fully exploring all the amazing things – one particularly area is around Brevard, NC about an hour from Asheville. Looking Glass Rock and Blue Ridge Parkway are big things to do in the area, but there are so many other hikes, waterfalls, and things to see! All these hikes are located on Forest Heritage Scenic Byway and are some great hikes near Asheville, NC.

Table of Contents
1. Looking Glass Rock Trail
2. Living Waters Hike
3. Moore Cove Falls Trail
4. Cradle of Forestry Trails
5. Wildcat Falls Hike

Looking Glass Rock Trail

Looking Glass Rock is arguably the best known hike in this area of the North Carolina Mountains. Just off mile 5 on Forest Heritage Scenic Byway (visit this post for specifics about visiting in different seasons too!), Looking Glass Rock Trail is a minute down Forest Service Road 475 on the left. It is a 6.5-mile out-and-back hike that gains 1730ft (527m) in elevation over several switchbacks and inclines. It’s also an easy trail to stay on considering there are few signs. This fairly strenuous hike rewards visitors with a massive view of rolling mountains and trees for as far as the eye can see. Keen eyes may even be able to see the Blue Ridge Parkway in certain spots (I absolutely couldn’t but good luck!).

The parking area for Looking Glass Rock Trail fills up quickly on the weekend, especially if the weather is nice. This trail is often busy throughout the year, but it is less busy early in the day, so head out early for the fewest people! If you do head out later in the day and miraculously run into few people on the trail, they will probably all be at the summit. People enjoy sitting and eating lunch/a snack for a while before heading down. Plan for at least four hours on Looking Glass Rock Trail unless you are a skilled hiker.

The beginning of the trail starts gently – you’ll walk through some wildflowers and soon cross the bridge. There is a lovely tiny stream with a small cascade, but don’t be lulled into a sense of contentment (I was). The trail winds up slowly a little bit more (about a mile total), then BAM! Switchbacks. And switchbacks. And oh look, here’s a bit of a straight incline. If you have any sort of knee/leg pain or injury (me!), I highly recommend trekking poles. After 15-16 switchbacks, it will be considerably more straightforward. Surprisingly, the switchbacks only last about 0.5-mile.

A 0.5-mile later (two miles in), there will be a break in the trees next to the trail and you’ll see a bare rock face – hello helipad! It’s used as a rescue pad for injured climbers, but you can take a break here if needed. You can also take a trail to the left by the helipad to view Lower Looking Glass Rock Overlook. You are well over halfway to the peak at this point!

Back on the main trail, you’ll take a turn right (after 0.4-miles) then left (0.1-miles later) and see another flat/bare rock area for back country camping. For the next 0.3-miles, it’s a straight hike to the top. You’ll actually hit the peak before the view, so you will descend for a very short period before the trees break away. Enjoy the views before heading back the exact same way!

The top has some very steep areas, so I was pretty scared to walk around or get too close. Just keep in mind your shoe traction, the weather, and the risk when you are looking for views at the top. I got too close to the edge for my personal comfort and can’t recommend that!

Unnamed Hike – Living Waters

The trail by Living Waters near Balsam Grove understandably doesn’t have a name. It’s on private property, and the church hasn’t named the path (if you aren’t religious, don’t worry – no one usually bothers visitors or tries to talk about religion). Luckily, they allow visitors to visit the trail (and waterfalls along it!). The popular French Broad Falls and Mill Shoals are at the very beginning of the easy 0.3-mile trail – in fact I think many simply see them and leave. Those who stay should make it down to Cathedral Falls (aka Bird Rock Falls). Continuing down the trail, visitors can see several other small cascades, the lovely river, a rock cove, and maybe even a tall, thin fall at the end above Cathedral Falls (depending on water levels).

There are several ways to get to this trail. If you start at the junction of the Blue Ridge Parkway and NC 215, head south about nine miles. Living Waters will be on the right. If you start from the junction of NC 215 and US-64 in Rosman, head about eight miles north. Living Waters will be on the left. Don’t be alarmed by the Private Property signs. They are mostly there to indicate you are entering the property at your own risk, but they still allow visitors. Make sure to park where there is roadside parking, not in their lot. Be careful if you have a low car, as you will likely scrape or bottom out in some places.

There is a clear trail in the trees by the parking area. When you reach it, walk to the riverfront and turn to the right – ta da! French Broad Falls and Mill Shoals are beautifully cascading. The trail looks a bit scary after a few steps, but I had no issues (and to my knowledge, neither has anyone else). Just be careful, and don’t continue if you feel unsafe. The trail is so short, putting the things you can see as mile markers is nearly impossible. You’ll see tons of small cascades along the river and a cute cavern area – when I went there was interesting graffiti on the walls. There are some points where you can slowly trek down closer to the river, but visitors will very quickly see the top of Cathedral Falls (aka Bird Rock Falls) at the end of the trail. The rocks are usually quite wet and slippery, so be mindful. You can also take the scramble down to the base of the falls if you are comfortable doing so.

As I mentioned, you may even see a small trickle above Cathedral Falls – I thought it was so cute!

The hike is really short as it ends there. I recommend this trail early in the morning as it gets busy later in the day. I got there at about 10am and spent over an hour taking photos – by the time I left, I was uncomfortably close to many people and had to wait to a few minutes for space to get out of the parking area!

Moore Cove Falls Trail

Moore Cove Falls Trail is popular simply because you can walk under the waterfall (against posted signage, mind you). While the waterfall is a nice attraction (particularly from the right angle), the trail itself is a pleasant jaunt too! The hike is an easy 1.4-mile out-and-back starting at a lovely wood bridge. There are no signs on the road for the hike, but there is a lot of parking and a board that will make it obvious when you’ve gotten to this trail. If you start at the beginning of Forest Heritage Scenic Byway, it is about 6.5-miles down the road on the right. Keep in mind, on busy days you will have to park quite a ways down the road.

Once you reach the bridge, you can cross it to start the journey. There are no difficulties or confusions along the trail I could identify – it’s quite straightforward. After a short hike through the woods, there is a viewing platform to see the waterfall. As I said, many people go past this point to sit in the cave and walk behind the waterfall.

P. S. The trickle that was Moore Cove Falls supports my theory that the rain from the week before had already moved on! Read about Wildcat Falls Hike if you are confused.

Cradle of Forestry Trails

Everything you need to know about visiting the Cradle of Forestry can be found on my post dedicated just to visiting it! But you’ll find a brief overview of the trails here. There are three trails, all slightly longer than one mile each: Forest Festival, Forest Discovery, and Biltmore Campus Trails. They are paved, ADA-accessible trails perfect for learning a bit of history, taking a quiet walk, and/or enjoying nature. It’s along the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway just four miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it’s quickly and easily accessed for most people.

The Forest Trails provide history on the area, forestry, old equipment used in forestry, and some citizen science-type activities, while the Biltmore Campus Trail winds visitors past seven very cool historic buildings (the area used to be a school). These trails are the only ones listed that require a fee ($6) to visit, but you can also walk through the visitor center and other educational areas for more fun and learning.

Wildcat Falls Hike

Usually I wouldn’t include a hike where I couldn’t find the “main attraction” myself, but I enjoyed this area despite my issues. And really, I think it must’ve just been my issues. Everything is straightforward and easy to find, except the falls in my case. But, I promise, plenty of people have followed these instructions and seen Wildcat Falls. I blame fear for my camera…*

The quickest trail to Wildcat Falls is 1.5 miles out-and-back, but can be extended significantly if you’d like to hike into the forest past the concrete bridge (more on that later). Wildcat Falls is 60-ft (18.3m) of a lot of water (assuming there’s been recent rain). It’s just one mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway on Forest Heritage Scenic Byway.

To get to parking for the trail, start at the intersection of NC 215 and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Go south for 0.8-miles until you see a small sign that says BR-1. It’s extremely easy to miss, so if you pass a steep road on the left, you’ve passed the trail head. There is only parking for one or two cars, plus the parking area is a roadside/basic camp spot, so there might not be space to park. In this case, drive another 0.4-miles down the road to the roadside parking area and walk back to the steep road. Alternatively, you can get to this area with Google Maps, but it’s a bit different. Either use the code 835R+69 Canton, North Carolina or search Flat Laurel Creek Canton. With the second search option, three spots should appear – choose the one right next to the Wildcat Falls marker! It should be slightly north of the Courthouse Valley Overlook marker.

Walk down the (unmarked) steep path, being careful not to disturb any campers or sites that may be there. At the bottom of the hill, turn right until the trees break and you see a stream – cross Bubbling Spring Branch – you shouldn’t have to get your feet wet. After crossing the trail clearly veers to the left. In about 0.25-miles, there will be two small falls on the right (one is above). Just past this area, there’s a concrete bridge. Theoretically, you’ll see the top section of Wildcat Falls from here! Just past the bridge on the left, there should be a steep trail that you can carefully take to see Wildcat Falls from below.

Once you’ve found the falls and taken time to enjoy, you can either return the way you came, or continue down the trail a bit. It gets very narrow in some sections, but it continues through the forest. It’s amazing to see how the forest has reclaimed the area so decidedly, as it used to be a logging area where cars and trains frequented. If you follow the trail all the way, it takes you about 3 miles to the Black Balsam parking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

*I’m convinced I went right after a period of light rain (even though it stormed the week before…shhh) because I could NOT find Wildcat Falls. I read all the instructions, walked up and down so many areas, and spent nearly two hours looking for it. I missed other falls and plans because I spent so much time looking!! So, while this guide is *supposed* to be how to get there according to, well, everyone, I don’t know! I feel insane because I did the same thing over and over so many times.

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