Douglas Falls
Encyclopedia
Douglas Falls are a 60 foot waterfall
located in Buncombe County, North Carolina
, USA. It is on a tributary of Waterfall Creek which flows into the Ivy River, and it is within the Big Ivy section of the Pisgah National Forest
. The stream flows off the slope of Craggy Pinnacle, starting just below the Blue Ridge Parkway
. It is surrounded by a forest of very large Eastern Hemlock
trees, which are dead following attack by the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. Visitors should be very careful when visiting this falls, as the dead Hemlocks will start to decay and fall within the next few years.
, a Supreme Court Justice and author of Of Men and Mountains: The Classic Memoir of Wilderness Adventure.
on F.R. 74. Visitors may follow an easy .55 mile path to the base of the falls. The trail continues up the mountain and becomes difficult after reaching the falls, eventually connecting with the Mountains to Sea Trail just below Craggy Pinnacle. From there, hikers can go in either direction to reach the Parkway; going right takes leads to the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center. Many hikers hike down to Douglas Falls from there.
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
located in Buncombe County, North Carolina
Buncombe County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 206,330 people, 85,776 households, and 55,668 families residing in the county. The population density was 314 people per square mile . There were 93,973 housing units at an average density of 143 per square mile...
, USA. It is on a tributary of Waterfall Creek which flows into the Ivy River, and it is within the Big Ivy section of the Pisgah National Forest
Pisgah National Forest
Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is completely contained within the state of North Carolina...
. The stream flows off the slope of Craggy Pinnacle, starting just below the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
. It is surrounded by a forest of very large Eastern Hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
trees, which are dead following attack by the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. Visitors should be very careful when visiting this falls, as the dead Hemlocks will start to decay and fall within the next few years.
Natural history
The falls are located on a tributary of Waterfall Creek, which eventually flows into Carter Creek.History
Douglas Falls was supposedly named for William O. DouglasWilliam O. Douglas
William Orville Douglas was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. With a term lasting 36 years and 209 days, he is the longest-serving justice in the history of the Supreme Court...
, a Supreme Court Justice and author of Of Men and Mountains: The Classic Memoir of Wilderness Adventure.
Visiting the falls
The trail to the falls is located at the far end of a parking lot 4.7 miles from Walker FallsWalker Falls
Walker Falls is a 45-foot cascading waterfall in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Its ease of access makes it a popular destination for Waterfall Hunters...
on F.R. 74. Visitors may follow an easy .55 mile path to the base of the falls. The trail continues up the mountain and becomes difficult after reaching the falls, eventually connecting with the Mountains to Sea Trail just below Craggy Pinnacle. From there, hikers can go in either direction to reach the Parkway; going right takes leads to the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center. Many hikers hike down to Douglas Falls from there.
Nearby falls
- Cascades Waterfall - 1.4 miles further down the trail from Douglas Falls, the trail crosses Waterfall Creek at Cascades Waterfall, a steep sliding waterfall above and below the trail. Visitors are encouraged to be extremely careful, since the crossing is extremely dangerous. It is generally regarded as not worth the hike just to see the other falls, but the other scenery along the trail and a connection to the Blue Ridge Parkway makes it see some use. Very large trees grow along this section of trail.
- Walker FallsWalker FallsWalker Falls is a 45-foot cascading waterfall in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Its ease of access makes it a popular destination for Waterfall Hunters...
- Glassmine FallsGlassmine FallsGlassmine Falls is an ephemeral waterfall in Buncombe County, North Carolina, on Glassmine Branch, near Dillingham, North Carolina.-Geology:When it flows, the falls slides down the rock face of Blackstop Knob Mountain down to the North Fork Swannanoa River. The flow is not constant and can...
- Mitchell FallsMitchell FallsMitchell Falls is a waterfall located on private property in Yancey County, North Carolina on the slope of Mount Mitchell, the highest mountain in the Appalachian Mountain chain, and highest point in the eastern United States...
- Setrock Creek FallsSetrock Creek Falls-Geology:The falls is located at the base of Mount Mitchell, the tallest mountain in the United States east of the Mississippi River, on Setrock Creek, a small tributary of the South Toe River, which itself is a tributary of the French Broad River. The creek falls over multiple steep to...
- Roaring Fork FallsRoaring Fork Falls (Yancey County)Roaring Fork Falls, also called Roaring Creek Falls, is a waterfall in the Pisgah National Forest, in North Carolina.-Geology:The falls is located on Roaring Fork, a tributary of the South Toe River, which itself is a tributary of the French Broad River. The creek is located in a forest that's...
- Whiteoak Creek FallsWhiteoak Creek Falls-Geology:The falls is located on Whiteoak Creek, a tributary of the South Toe River, which itself is a tributary of the French Broad River.-Height:There are multiple cascades, slides and drops...