Cullasaja River falls (6 falls)

7/13/2013 - went back up to do this drive again.  The water level wasn't as high as last weekend, but still higher than normal.  This time I did the walk down to Dry Falls and there have been major improvements made.  It's now a concrete paved walk, with several sets of steps and handrails all the way down.  Much better than it used to be!

7/6/2013 - with all the rain we've had lately, I just HAD to get out and see how it affected these falls.  The change was SPECTACULAR!

5/26/2013 - drove up US 64 out of Franklin to get videos of the falls along the Cullasaja River

8/6/2011 - since most of the falls I still want to see in Georgia require a hike to get to, and since it's so darn HOT right now...my sister and I decided to range out a little further and check out some falls in North Carolina.  Several times over the last few weeks, people have asked me if I've seen the falls in the area of Highlands, NC.  I decided to check them out.  Talk about spectacular falls, wow!

We started by driving north on US 441 to Franklin, NC and then east on US 64.  When we got to Highlands we just kept driving east on several different roads and found some gorgeous cliffs and a couple of waterfalls we weren't originally looking for.  From Franklin, along US 64, there are 4 waterfalls that are right by the road and only one of them requires a short hike to see, though even that one can be viewed from a new wheelchair accessible overlook deck.

The first falls is Cullasaja Falls.  The main falls is the most visible, but the upper falls can just be glimpsed through a "hole" in the trees along the road.  Most websites say these are 7.7 miles from the exit where US 64 turns east away from US 441, but my odometer put it closer to 7.9 miles.  The road is very narrow all along here, and there is a paved pull-off beside the guard-rail, but it's small, maybe room for 4 or 5 cars at most.  On the day we were there it was hot, and there were lots of sighseers out, so the parking was tight and busy.

GPS: 35°7'3"N 83°16'14"W

 

After heavy rain, July 2013

 

 

This falls is a small one that I just happened to a catch a glimpse of, so I went back and took photos and a video.  There's a small pull off just past it, so you have to walk back down the road to see it.  And there is NO verge, so you also have to keep an eye on the traffic.

I didn't get this one after the heavy rain...too much traffic to stop.

GPS: 35.11530°N 83.26710°W

 

 

 The next falls is Bust Your Butt Falls (aka: Quarry Falls & Drift Falls).  This is a popular swimming hole, and it's supposed to be possible to slide down the falls - but if you look closely at the configuration of the falls, you can see how it got it's name!

This falls is about 2.5 miles further east from Cullasaja Falls and again there is a small parking area along the guard rail.  This one has several names, but the best known one is "Bust Your Butt Falls"!  There's a steep, eroded trail down to the base of the falls - but we didn't have the nerve to try it.
GPS: 35°5'34"N 83°15'56"W

After heavy rain, July 2013

 

 
The next falls is Dry Falls.  This is a VERY popular spot, and there is a large parking area and what looks like a newish, wheelchair accessible viewing deck.  There's also a switch-backed trail down to the falls and you can walk under them.  The trail is more or less paved with macadam, but it's also rough and eroded away in places.  The walk down has been completely redone and it's now concrete paved all the way down.  Much better!   It's not too difficult a walk though, and well worth it to get behind the falls and look out through them.  It was very wet there, but my understanding is that in times of low rainfall it's actually dry behind the falls...hence the name.

This falls is about .9 miles beyond Bust Your Butt Falls and is well marked with a brown and white Forest Service sign.  There is a composting toilet facility, but the day we were there it smelled terrible, even from a distance.

The second photo is my sister waving from behind the falls.
GPS: 35°4'4"N 83°14'18"W

I couldn't do the hike down to get closer for the video, didn't think my sore leg could stand it...so I took the video from the easy access view deck up at the parking

After heavy rain, July 2013

 



 

The next falls is Bridal Veil Falls and this one is not on the Cullasaja River as are the first three.  This one is a side creek that flows down to the river, and is on the other side of the road.  There's a sizable, but unimproved parking area on the falls side, and there's a short paved road that allows you to drive behind the falls - similar to Dry Falls, except you don't have to leave your car.  This one has far less water, since it's a smaller creek.  It's easy to miss the parking as the falls is sandwiched between two sharp curves, but if you miss the parking you can just take the drive under the falls back to the parking.

This one is about .8 miles from Dry Falls.
GPS: 35°4'18"N 83°13'44"W

 

After heavy rain, July 2013

 

 
After Bridal Veil Falls we continue to and through Highlands.  US 64 makes a turn to the north here, but we just kept going straight through town on Main St.  This then turned into Horse Cove Rd, then into Bull Pen Rd.  Bull Pen Rd. switch-backed down the mountain into a high valley that ran along a spectacular line of distant white cliffs.  You can various glimpses and views of these cliffs for quite a long distance as you drive.

Directions and Information: from Clayton, GA

• north on US 441 to Franklin, NC
• east on US 64, along Cullsaja River valley