Wanting Glass Falls is barely 60 toes tall and 10 toes extensive. However with an amazing quantity of water falling over a rocky cliff right into a shallow pool and surrounded by lush greenery, it’s probably the most lovely waterfalls in North Carolina.
And it’s one of many few accessible waterfalls.
Wanting Glass Falls is the preferred waterfall in Pisgah Nationwide Forest. It’s typically tough to seek out parking. However in the event you snag a parking spot, the quick stroll to the scenic overlook will definitely make you smile.
Proceed studying to find out about tips on how to park safely, tips on how to attain the waterfall’s base, and particulars concerning the accessibility.
Map of Wanting Glass Falls
The right way to use this map | Click on the icon within the top-left nook to open the Map Legend, then click on on any of the legend gadgets to show extra info. You probably have a Google account, click on the (very faint) star on the finish of the map’s title to avoid wasting this map to your account, then entry the map out of your smartphone throughout your journey.
Pisgah Nationwide Forest
The five hundred,000-acre Pisgah Nationwide Forest boasts among the greatest out of doors recreation and scenic drives in North Carolina. Northwest of Asheville, the nationwide forest consists of iconic locations like Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell, the very best level east of the Mississippi.
Close to Brevard, the nationwide forest consists of the scenic route alongside U.S. Freeway 276 – the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway – to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The route consists of a number of waterfalls, mountain climbing trails, and picnic areas.
Forest Heritage Nationwide Scenic Byway
The Forest Heritage Nationwide Scenic Byway by way of Pisgah Nationwide Forest is among the most lovely scenic drives in western North Carolina. The loop route follows an previous logging railroad alongside U.S. Freeway 276 from Pisgah Forest towards Waynesville, turning onto N.C. Freeway 215 to Rosman, after which returning to Pisgah Forest alongside U.S. Freeway 64.
The primary 17 miles of the route are designated a nationwide scenic byway due to its historic high quality. The route passes the Cradle of Forestry in America, the location of the nation’s first forestry faculty.
Nevertheless it’s additionally a scenic route connecting out of doors recreation. The 2-lane street winds previous Wanting Glass Falls and Sliding Rock, two of the preferred waterfalls within the space. And it connects Brevard guests to the Blue Ridge Parkway close to Mount Pisgah. Summer season and autumn are the most effective instances of yr to get pleasure from this drive.
The complete route takes about 2 hours to drive. The nationwide scenic byway route takes about an hour out and again.
North Carolina Waterfall Byway
The 98-mile North Carolina Waterfall Byway is a scenic route alongside U.S. Freeway 64 between Murphy and Rosman. Dozens of waterfalls populate the two-lane freeway, many inside a ten-minute stroll from the car parking zone.
Learn Extra | Highway Journey on the Scenic North Carolina Waterfall Byway
Once I wrote a street journey itinerary, I prolonged the route into Brevard to incorporate DuPont State Leisure Forest and Pisgah Nationwide Forest. The 140-mile street journey on the scenic North Carolina Waterfall Byway options 25 waterfalls and 5 locations the place you may spend the night time.
Greatest Time to Go to
Wanting Glass Falls is a kind of waterfalls with sufficient water quantity to remain churning year-round. However except for the quantity of water that spills over the cliff, there are different elements to contemplate about visiting.
Spring lastly ascends into the nationwide forest about mid-Could. That is my favourite time of yr to go to the waterfall as a result of the timber are a deep, vibrant inexperienced with new leaves. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless too chilly to dip your toes into the water.
By July, the water is about as heat because it ever will get – nonetheless chilly, however you’ll be snug splashing round within the shallow pool on the waterfall’s base.
Autumn usually descends into the world about mid-October. This may be essentially the most scenic time of yr to go to as a result of the waterfall is surrounded by timber that showcase spectacular colours.
On bitter chilly winter days, the waterfall will typically freeze. It by no means freezes stable, however sufficient ice creates a surprising winter scene. For sure, it’s best to gown very warmly.
Attending to the Waterfall
Are you prepared for a scenic drive? Attending to Wanting Glass Falls is easy, and it’s one of many prettiest drives in North Carolina.
From wherever you begin, head towards Brevard. At Pisgah Forest, an unincorporated city, U.S. Highways 276 and 64 meet in a four-way intersection. Proceed alongside U.S. Freeway 276 towards the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Professional Journey Tip | Cease on the Pisgah Nationwide Forest Ranger Station alongside U.S. Freeway 276 and ask about present circumstances on the waterfall. You could discover that giant crowds restrict parking or that the waterfall is much less spectacular than traditional.
It’s a 5.6-mile drive to the waterfall that usually takes about quarter-hour. It could actually last more on summer season days and autumn weekends when the throngs of vacationers and leaf peepers crowd onto the two-lane street.
There isn’t any admission price or day-use price to entry this waterfall. It’s open twenty-four hours a day all year long.
Safely Parking
Parking is essentially the most tough facet of visiting Wanting Glass Falls. There are restricted parking areas on the proper aspect of the street when touring towards the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The licensed parking begins on the nationwide forest signal saying a waterfall forward. This parking space is across the remaining curve earlier than the waterfall. It’s a graveled space, extensive sufficient to drag off safely however with no sidewalk. I counsel warning strolling alongside the parking space to the waterfall.
Sadly, there are not any alternate options if no parking areas can be found. Parking alongside the street’s shoulder is prohibited and harmful.
There’s a giant pull-off a few quarter of a mile previous the waterfall. Nevertheless, I might not suggest strolling again to the waterfall alongside the street’s shoulder. There’s solely barely sufficient room for security. This pull-off space is used for turning round after visiting the waterfall.
When you discover parking, the forest service rangers ask that you just pull off the street. The parking space is nearly twice as extensive as a typical parking house, permitting loads of room to park off the street and for passengers to exit the car safely.
Professional Journey Tip | Would you wish to know the way I discover parking on busy days? Pay attention to among the distinctive automobiles parked on the waterfall. Then, drive a few quarter mile towards Brevard to a big pull-off. Anticipate one of many automobiles you noticed parked on the waterfall to go by. You’ll have a few 50/50 probability of attending to the parking spot earlier than one other driver heading in the other way.
Viewing the Waterfall
Wanting Glass Falls is the simplest waterfall to see in Pisgah Nationwide Forest – and one of many best spectacular
waterfalls to go to within the nation. In truth, you may see the highest of the waterfall from the street.
One of the simplest ways to view the waterfall is from the underside. A concrete staircase descends 95 steps to the rocky river on the waterfall’s base.
No official trails or boardwalks are on the backside, so that you’re left to navigate the world at your personal threat. It’s not tough to stroll across the waterfall’s base, particularly if the water stage is low.
Learn Extra | The 15 Greatest Waterfalls in Brevard, NC + Path Data and Parking
Easy, moist river rocks are extraordinarily slippery, although. Everytime you go to a waterfall, I like to recommend a pair of trekking poles to assist cross the shallow elements of a river.
There are a number of boulders and patches of floor the place you may simply perch. And there are a number of good locations to hold a hammock if you wish to expertise a waterfall like I do.
Wanting Glass Falls is in a slim ravine surrounded by towering cliffs and timber. This limits the daylight and oblique gentle on the waterfall, which implies the most effective time to see it’s from an hour after dawn till an hour earlier than sundown.
Photographing the waterfall is a unique story. About 3 p.m. is the most effective time of day to seize images of the waterfall with daylight.
Accessibility
Sadly, no parking areas at Wanting Glass Falls are marked for disabled customers. That is much more unlucky as a result of the one ramp for wheelchairs to get onto the concrete sidewalk is on the final parking house closest to the waterfall. If one other car is parked there, it will likely be very tough to carry a wheelchair onto the sidewalk.
Nevertheless, in the event you’re lucky sufficient to get that parking house, it’s straightforward to see the waterfall. It’s one of many few waterfalls of this magnitude to have an accessible overlook.
The overlook has a wire mesh beneath the handrail to stop anybody or something from falling off. This enables individuals in wheelchairs a reasonably good view of the waterfall.
