Winter is a hard time for hiking in North Carolina, and no, not because of the weather. I mean, it has been really cold, but it’s not that big of a deal. The real problem is that while we rarely get snow or ice, the National Park Service closes down the Blue Ridge Parkway for months at a time (just in case? I guess). Because of this, we can’t get 99% of the peaks on our SB6K Challenge list. So, we’ve been doing mostly waterfall hikes to work on the Carolina Mountain Club’s Waterfall 100 Challenge.
If you don’t know that that is, it’s a list of 100 of the “best” waterfalls in North and South Carolina, within 100 miles of Asheville. “Best” is really subjective, but so far we’ve been really impressed with the falls on this list. We’re up to #23 at the moment and it’s been such a fun journey. It’s been really cool to see these falls when most people don’t. Some of them have been frozen, we got to hike to one in actual snow (crazy for NC), and we almost always have the falls to ourselves. The dogs like this part best, because it means they can run and play and rock hop and not disturb anyone.
Here are some of our favorites so far!
Rainbow Falls – Brevard, NC
Catawba Falls – Old Fort, NC
Courthouse Falls – Balsam Grove, NC
Moore Cove Falls – Brevard, NC
Tom’s Creek Falls – Marion, NC
Little Bradley Falls – Saluda, NC
Tom’s Spring (Daniel Ridge) Falls – Brevard, NC
Crabtree Falls – Grassy Creek, NC
Rainbow Falls (SC) – Marietta, SC
Cedar Cove Falls – Brevard, NC
Do you hike with your dog in the winter? Do places shut down in the winter where you live? I’d love to hear all about your winter adventures in the comments.
And be sure to follow along on Instagram as we tackle the Waterfall 100 and SB6K challenges.
Thanks for reading,
25 Comments
Waterfall hikes are always so much fun! Love all your photos – absolutely beautiful! We’ve never taken the cats on a waterfall hike before. I’m just unsure of how they would react. We took them to the beach once, and they were terrified. All I can guess is that the sound of the waves was scary. They don’t mind boats though, so go figure. Anyway, we will try out a waterfall hike sometime for sure!
Thank you so much! We LOVE waterfall hikes. They’re all so different and so beautiful and make for the best pictures! I wonder how your cats would like them. Maybe a smaller, quiet waterfall would be good to start out with. I know even my pro hiking pups get a little freaked out by super big, loud waterfalls sometimes, so they keep a safe distance from them. I love that your cats love the boat. That’s so awesome. Thanks for reading!
I LOVE Roxy’s little face. She is stood there cosy in a jacket and the rest of the dogs look brave (but jealous I’ll bet!!)
What places you have seen and such excitement for all the dogs. How much fun is this 🙂 Thank you for sharing your amazing trips. (Bravo photographers too!!)
Hehe thank you! Roxie makes the cutest little faces! LOL
I am so lucky to have the 4 best hiking partners a girl could ask for. They’re always up for an adventure and they make every hike so much fun! Glad you enjoyed following our waterfall hunting adventures!
aw! that’s cool to have so many waterfalls so close to you! FUN!! I think there may be 1-2 in my area… will maybe go pay them a winter visit. thanks for inspiring.
We are really lucky to have falls that are drivable from where we live. They aren’t necessarily close (2-3 hours away at minimum), but it’s always worthwhile to get to escape the city and find solace and beauty in nature. I hope you do go check out your local falls. I bet you will be glad you did!
I am absolutely loving these photos!! The dogs look SO happy and so do you! Nothing better than chilling in a hammock too!
I wish we had waterfalls like this around where I live!
Thank you for the tour!
Thanks Joely! We’ve been having a blast checking off waterfalls on this list. That snowy waterfall hike and hammock hang at Little Bradley may have been one of my favorites. We really need to start bringing our hammock on all of our hikes! You should do a google search for waterfalls near you, you may be pleasantly surprised. These are all 2-3ish hours away from us, but it’s well worth the effort when you’re standing in front of these beautiful falls!
Those waterfalls are beautiful! In the first one (Rainbow Falls), it looks so cold. Is that snow? It looks like it could be up here in Nova Scotia, Canada. I didn’t know North Carolina got so cold. purrs
Yes, it’s been a pretty cold winter here. Or at least it was for a while. The day we hiked to Rainbow Falls,I think it was about 15 degrees F. It was pretty cold, but well worth it to see the falls partially frozen and covered in snow and ice! It make it even more beautiful!
There is something so calming about water, and waterfalls just add that magic to it. This is something I miss doing is hiking and visiting these magical places but hopefully one day will be able to do. Thank you for sharing these stunning photos which are making me day dream
There truly is something magical about the sound of moving water. Be it waves or a trickling stream or a powerful waterfall.. ahh, it never disappoints! I hope you get to hike some more someday too. They continue to make some of these beautiful places increasingly more accessible to people of all fitness levels and abilities, so don’t rule it out! I’m sure with some Googling, you can find some gorgeous places that are easier to get to than you think. In the meantime, I’m happy to help you live vicariously 🙂 Thanks for reading!
These are just amazing — relaxing, exhilarating – sometimes downright scary! I wish we had the beautiful scenic areas around here like that….we like to do low key hiking — but this is making me want to do more!
I always love to hear that we inspire people to get out and hike more with their dogs. I bet you have some cool hiking destinations near you. We travel 2-3 hours at a minimum to get to these falls. Where are you located? I’ve become quite good at finding great hiking options if you ever want some ideas!
These photos are amazing! We have some waterfalls in our area and they are really lovely to see any time of the year.
Thank you so much! We just love waterfall hikes, especially in the winter when our access to peaks (our other favorite destination) is often limited. Happy to hear that you have some awesome falls near you too! Happy hiking
What beautiful photos! I feel like I’m there! What a wonderful adventure for the entire pack!
I really like the hammock photo in the winter! I haven’t tried that one yet. I love waterfalls in winter. We have gone up to the Porcupine Mountains in the winter and looked at the frozen waterfalls. Loved your photos!
Oh awesome. What a great challenge. 100 Waterfalls?! If anybody can do it I know you and your furry crew can. I remember seeing a few of these candid shots on IG. Hmm…never been on a winter hike however I’ll live vicariously through you. I love all the pics but my fav is the one in the hammock and the of the crew in Catawba Falls, Old Fort NC. Safe travels to the rest of your destinations!
I have to admit that I am a wimp when it comes to cold (despite growing up in Upstate New York), so I stay bundled up inside, but you give me some heat I’ll be out there! I think my one dog would bark at a waterfall and then swim in it. This is on our bucket list!
Your dogs are too cute in their coats! All of the waterfall photos are absolutely breathtaking, and the one in winter is probably my favorite. Your dogs are fearless! I bet they’re up for anything.
Your photos are just spectacular. It is fun hiking vicariously. I love waterfalls (we have Niagara Falls not too far). My husband and daughters all love hiking. Unfortunately I have bad knees at the moment and Kilo the Pug is only keen in spring and fall dry conditions and only if there are no other dogs and it is not too long. He is more of a sprinter around the block and surf the couch kind of guy and he LOVES private agility or lure activities. We’ll be following along on Insta.
I love waterfalls. I do know there are some beautiful waterfalls in SC. When I was in my 30s, I could hike to see them. I wouldn’t be able to do it now. I’ll enjoy them through your experiences and photos.
These waterfalls are incredible. We don’t have many where we live. I’m surprised NC has so many waterfalls! I’ve never hiked a frozen fall, that looks like fun. Beautiful photos!
Love & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Wow! These are some exceptional hikes which seem possible doing in winter. Your pictures are so inspiring and your dogs are exceptional! 🙂