Wanting Glass Falls is barely 60 toes tall and 10 toes large. However with an incredible 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 most well-liked waterfall in Pisgah Nationwide Forest. It’s generally troublesome to search out parking. However should you snag a parking spot, the quick stroll to the scenic overlook will definitely make you smile.
Proceed studying to find out about learn how to park safely, learn how to attain the waterfall’s base, and particulars concerning the accessibility.
Map of Wanting Glass Falls
Tips on how 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 data. In case you have a Google account, click on the (very faint) star on the finish of the map’s identify 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 a few of the greatest outside recreation and scenic drives in North Carolina. Northwest of Asheville, the nationwide forest contains iconic locations like Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell, the very best level east of the Mississippi.
Close to Brevard, the nationwide forest contains the scenic route alongside U.S. Freeway 276 – the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway – to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The route contains a number of waterfalls, mountain climbing trails, and picnic areas.
Forest Heritage Nationwide Scenic Byway
The Forest Heritage Nationwide Scenic Byway by means of Pisgah Nationwide Forest is likely one of the most lovely scenic drives in western North Carolina. The loop route follows an outdated logging railroad alongside U.S. Freeway 276 from Pisgah Forest towards Waynesville, turning onto N.C. Freeway 215 to Rosman, after which returning to Pisgah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 positioning of the nation’s first forestry faculty.
But it surely’s additionally a scenic route connecting outside recreation. The 2-lane street winds previous Wanting Glass Falls and Sliding Rock, two of the most well-liked waterfalls within the space. And it connects Brevard guests to the Blue Ridge Parkway close to Mount Pisgah. Summer season and autumn are the perfect occasions of 12 months to take pleasure in this drive.
Your 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
After 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’ll be able to spend the evening.
Greatest Time to Go to
Wanting Glass Falls is a type of waterfalls with sufficient water quantity to remain churning year-round. However apart from the quantity of water that spills over the cliff, there are different components to think about about visiting.
Spring lastly ascends into the nationwide forest about mid-Might. That is my favourite time of 12 months to go to the waterfall as a result of the bushes are a deep, vibrant inexperienced with new leaves. But it surely’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 realm about mid-October. This may be probably the most scenic time of 12 months to go to as a result of the waterfall is surrounded by bushes that showcase spectacular colours.
On bitter chilly winter days, the waterfall will generally freeze. It by no means freezes strong, however sufficient ice creates a surprising winter scene. Evidently, you need 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. It’s possible you’ll discover that giant crowds restrict parking or that the waterfall is much less spectacular than typical.
It’s a 5.6-mile drive to the waterfall that usually takes about quarter-hour. It will possibly last more on summer time 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 probably the most troublesome facet of visiting Wanting Glass Falls. There are restricted parking areas on the precise facet of the street when touring towards the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The licensed parking begins on the nationwide forest signal asserting a waterfall forward. This parking space is across the ultimate curve earlier than the waterfall. It’s a graveled space, large sufficient to tug off safely however with out a sidewalk. I counsel warning strolling alongside the parking space to the waterfall.
Sadly, there aren’t any alternate options if no parking areas can be found. Parking alongside the street’s shoulder is prohibited and harmful.
There’s a massive pull-off a few quarter of a mile previous the waterfall. Nonetheless, I’d not advocate 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.
If you happen to discover parking, the forest service rangers ask that you simply pull off the street. The parking space is sort of twice as large as a typical parking area, permitting loads of room to park off the street and for passengers to exit the automobile safely.
Professional Journey Tip | Would you prefer to understand how I discover parking on busy days? Be aware of a few of the distinctive vehicles parked on the waterfall. Then, drive a few quarter mile towards Brevard to a big pull-off. Anticipate one of many vehicles 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 wrong way.
Viewing the Waterfall
Wanting Glass Falls is the best waterfall to see in Pisgah Nationwide Forest – and one of many best spectacular
waterfalls to go to within the nation. In reality, you’ll be able to 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 realm at your individual danger. It’s not troublesome to stroll across the waterfall’s base, particularly if the water degree is low.
Learn Extra | The 15 Greatest Waterfalls in Brevard, NC + Path Data and Parking
Clean, 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’ll be able to 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 bushes. This limits the daylight and oblique gentle on the waterfall, which implies the perfect time to see it’s from an hour after dawn till an hour earlier than sundown.
Photographing the waterfall is a special story. About 3 p.m. is the perfect time of day to seize photographs 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 area closest to the waterfall. If one other automobile is parked there, it is going to be very troublesome to deliver a wheelchair onto the sidewalk.
Nonetheless, should you’re lucky sufficient to get that parking area, it’s simple 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 folks in wheelchairs a reasonably good view of the waterfall.