Hello friends! It has been quite a while since I've gotten to share any adventures, but
and I finally ventured out for a weekend away again. After enjoying Asheville, North Carolina, and the surrounding area so much last autumn, I wanted to get to experience it during the summertime, as well! Things get awfully steamy here in Atlanta this time of year, so the trek a bit further north and into the mountains was just what I needed to cool off and recharge with some major outdoors time.
As usual, this type of trip for me was all about getting out and exploring new places. We hit some amazing hikes on our last visit, but there's so many great trails and waterfalls that I wanted to see some different spots this time around. Each one is truly deserving of its own post, so today I'll just share our first stop to do it justice!
After looking at the map and consulting ashevilletrails.com, I landed on Whitewater Falls as a perfect first stop on our trip. Right off the main road, this trail is easy to access in more ways than one. Plenty of parking, well-marked, and a very short hike to some amazing views.
If you want more exercise, you can easily continue on the forested trail, but for a quick stop to stretch your legs after being in the car or if you have little ones with short attention spans this was perfect. There was a picnic area right at the trailhead, and benches along the way if you need to stop or just want to take in the scenery and sounds of nature.
Within just a few short minutes, we were already rewarded with a great view of nearby Lake Jocassee on the way to the falls.
Not long after that, you catch your first glimpses of the falls! Though sometimes disputed, apparently this is the highest set of falls this side of the Rockies. As usual, I'm not quite sure the photos do it justice.
The views from the top of the trail are awesome, but a set of stairs leads down to an even better vantage point to take it all in.
As long as you don't have any issues with stairs, this is what awaits below...
Absolutely gorgeous set of falls! It was fairly quiet when we got there, so besides seeing a few people on the way up and down the trail, we mostly had the viewing deck to ourselves. Plenty of time to snap photos and just enjoy nature's beauty. We couldn't have asked for a much better day to enjoy the time.
enjoying the vantage point.And the obligatory selfie because we tend to travel alone a lot, haha!
Definitely worth a stop if you're ever in the area! This was right near Cashiers and Highlands, North Carolina, so lots of other places around to make a day (or more) of it. This part of the USA is amazing for hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. We made another stop not far from this one, so stay tuned for the next installment...
