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canyonwalkerNorth Carolina Travelog #22
Nantahala National Forest - Fri, 22 Sep 2023. 4pm
I mentioned two blogs ago that we were headed to visit the tallest waterfall in the eastern US. Well, we're here now. It's named Whitewater Falls, and it's in the Nantahala National Forest of North Carolina, on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains. An easy trail* leads about 1/2 mile from a huge parking seemingly built in anticipation of hundreds of simultaneous visitors. Today we saw, like, 7.
Obviously the 411 foot tall drop here is not all in one single falls. There are multiple tiers and cascades. And there's no trail to get closer to the falls.
As far as record setting waterfalls go, this "Tallest in the eastern US" waterfall leaves me feeling meh. I mean, it's beautiful, and I enjoy the beauty in which I walk. But it's not "One for the record books" awesome. The thought again of that ginormous parking lot out front, seemingly built for the throngs of people flocking to see this nominally superlative waterfall, makes me chuckle.
BTW, I starred "easy trail" a few paragraphs up because while this trail goes gently uphill on the way in, there's also a descent of 154 stairs down to lower the viewing platform we visited. That means the return trek starts with climbing 154 stairs. Ugh. It's not that 154 stairs are hard; just that it's been a long day already so I'm going to have to take them slowly.
Nantahala National Forest - Fri, 22 Sep 2023. 4pm
I mentioned two blogs ago that we were headed to visit the tallest waterfall in the eastern US. Well, we're here now. It's named Whitewater Falls, and it's in the Nantahala National Forest of North Carolina, on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains. An easy trail* leads about 1/2 mile from a huge parking seemingly built in anticipation of hundreds of simultaneous visitors. Today we saw, like, 7.
Obviously the 411 foot tall drop here is not all in one single falls. There are multiple tiers and cascades. And there's no trail to get closer to the falls.
As far as record setting waterfalls go, this "Tallest in the eastern US" waterfall leaves me feeling meh. I mean, it's beautiful, and I enjoy the beauty in which I walk. But it's not "One for the record books" awesome. The thought again of that ginormous parking lot out front, seemingly built for the throngs of people flocking to see this nominally superlative waterfall, makes me chuckle.
BTW, I starred "easy trail" a few paragraphs up because while this trail goes gently uphill on the way in, there's also a descent of 154 stairs down to lower the viewing platform we visited. That means the return trek starts with climbing 154 stairs. Ugh. It's not that 154 stairs are hard; just that it's been a long day already so I'm going to have to take them slowly.
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Date: 2023-10-06 12:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-06 01:46 am (UTC)