One thing which makes our beach trip even more special each year is that we take an extra day driving to and from the beach to search out waterfalls. You aren't going to believe this ---but this year, we saw 35 waterfalls (all but two of them were new). Okay---so you're scratching your head wondering how we could see that many waterfalls in just two days. We got lucky!!!!!!
Going, we saw EIGHT ---and coming home, we saw FIVE ---------------- UNTIL we headed up the mountain (Highway 441) leading from Cherokee, NC to Gatlinburg, TN. We don't usually go that way due to the traffic, but this year (on Mother's Day) ---we decided to take that beautiful trip over the Smoky Mountains toward home.
What we didn't know at the time was that, due to LOTS of recent rains, there would be many wet-weather waterfalls coming down those mountains... Once we saw ONE ---we knew there would be many more. We stopped and took pictures at TWENTY TWO different places, of gorgeous waterfalls and cascades. If we missed one, we turned around and went back. Our poor GPS didn't know what to think!!!! ha....
That will probably never happen again---but seeing that many beautiful waterfalls made Mother's Day one of my all-time favorites!!!!! Thank God for all of the recent rain in this area. Today, I'll show you some of the waterfalls we saw BEFORE we headed over the mountain... (I'll show you some of the 22 sometime--but I promise not to show ALL of them... ha ha)
Above is a waterfall we saw not far from Fontana Village, NC along Lake Cheoah. It's name is Cheoah Falls. Below are more. Be sure and click them to enlarge.
This is Sweet Branch Falls. This one is located not far from Cheoah Falls.
We drove south into South Carolina and back into the woods not far from Westminster, SC. in Oconee County.. Here is where we found another Fall Creek Falls... (Remember that there is a special Fall Creek Falls near us in Tennessee also.) The picture above is Fall Creek Falls. It's pretty but I'm partial to "our" Fall Creek Falls in TN.
This is Upper Fall Creek Falls. which I don't think is as pretty as the lower falls.
Not far from Fall Creek Falls (also in Oconee County, SC) , there are FOUR waterfalls on Brasstown Creek. This is in the Sumter National Forest. The waterfall above is Brasstown Cascades, a 50 foot beauty.
This gorgeous waterfall is named Brasstown Veil (35 feet). It is below Brasstown Cascades.
The third waterfall in this series (35 feet high) is named Brasstown Sluice. The base of the falls is a great swimming place for folks in summer.
This waterfall, called Little Brasstown Falls, is actually ABOVE the other three --and harder to get to. (Ask George--who got his feet wet!!!!! ha).. This waterfall is 40 feet high. Don't you think that these four Brasstown waterfalls are pretty??? We hope to return there sometime.
On our way home from the beach, we stopped by the Dupont State Forest, south of Brevard, NC. There are four of the most gorgeous waterfalls we have ever seen here. We have been there before but only saw two of the four. So we decided to go back!!!!! Above is the first waterfall there, appropriately named Triple Falls. You can see three different cascades dropping down the mountain. This is one that we saw previously.
This is High Falls, also appropriately named. High Falls drops 120 feet. We saw this one previously also.
This is Bridal Veil Falls, one which was new to us this time. Isn't it pretty???? I sat on the rocks below this waterfall just enjoying its beauty.
This is Upper Bridal Veil Falls. This is the location used in "Last of the Mohicans" when the main characters were fleeing from the Indians . They walked UNDER the waterfall to hide. If you ever get a chance to visit the Dupont Forest, please do so. There are plenty of hiking trails in addition to these gorgeous waterfalls.
Finally, on our way from Maggie Valley to Cherokee, NC----we just happened to see this waterfall above. This is Soco Falls, a double cascading waterfall. It is right off of the road--so we just 'lucked' upon it.
Well--if you are still reading, these are the 13 waterfalls we saw BEFORE heading over the mountain. Tomorrow ---I'll show you the other 22...... HA HA HA.... No I won't!!!! I'm afraid I'd lose 99% of my followers if I did that...
Have a wonderful day!!!
Hugs,
