| Looking Glass Falls | |
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 View of Looking Glass Falls from the creekbed, March 2012 | |
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| Location | Pisgah National Forest, Transylvania county, NC, North Carolina |
| Coordinates | 35°17′47″N82°46′06″W / 35.296338°N 82.768399°W |
| Type | Plunge |
| Total height | 60 ft (18.3 m) |
| Number of drops | 1 |
Looking Glass Falls is a waterfall in Western North Carolina, located near Brevard.
The name comes from nearby Looking Glass Rock, which resembles a wintertime mirror (or "looking glass") of sunlight, as water freezes on its sides and reflects the sun, and from the name of the stream from which the falls plunge, Looking Glass Creek.
The waterway is Looking Glass Creek, which flows through the Pisgah National Forest. [1]
The falls are open to the public and are accessible on the side of U.S. Highway 276, approximately 5.6 miles north of the intersection of 276, U.S. Highway 64, and NC Highway 280 in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina. The falls are just under 70' tall from top to bottom, with the main falls at 60'. It is an extremely popular waterfall, due to ease of access to the falls directly on the side of the road. There is a path that leads to the plunge pool. During the winter when the falls freeze solid, they are popular Ice Climbing destination. [2]
According to local Emergency Services personnel, there have been many injuries and deaths at the falls, mainly due to individuals who rock climb near the edge of the falls and accidentally fall in the plunge pool, or persons who jump in the plunge pool. In 1990, South African kayaker Corran Addison kayaked over the falls successfully, but injured his back in the process. [3] Persons who visit Looking Glass Falls should take care to respect both basic safety rules and the fragile environment that exist at the falls.
Transylvania County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census the population is 32,986. Its county seat is Brevard.
McDowell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,578. Its county seat is Marion.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for 469 miles (755 km) through 29 counties in Virginia and North Carolina, linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It runs mostly along the spine of the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 441 (US 441) on the boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, from which it travels north to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The roadway continues through Shenandoah as Skyline Drive, a similar scenic road which is managed by a different National Park Service unit. Both Skyline Drive and the Virginia portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway are part of Virginia State Route 48 (SR 48), though this designation is not signed.
U.S. Route 276 is a United States highway that runs for 106.4 miles (171.2 km) from Mauldin, South Carolina to Cove Creek, North Carolina. It is known both as a busy urban highway in Greenville, South Carolina and a scenic back-road in Western North Carolina. Despite its numbering, it does not intersect its parent route U.S. Route 76.
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 forest is managed together with the other three North Carolina National Forests from common headquarters in Asheville, North Carolina. There are local ranger district offices located in Pisgah Forest, Mars Hill, and Nebo.
DuPont State Recreational Forest, commonly known as DuPont Forest, is a 12,500-acre (51 km2) state forest, located in Henderson and Transylvania counties of North Carolina. The name originates from the fact that the DuPont company arranged the sale of the original tract to the state. Adjacent tracts have since been purchased and added to the state forest. Portions of the forest formerly contained a manufacturing facility for the production of X-ray film. The forest was used to shoot scenes from the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans as well as the 2012 box office hit The Hunger Games. On February 12, 2019, the forest added 402 acres (1.63 km2) from Conserving Carolina, part of a section called the Continental Divide Tract that connects with other public lands. 314 more acres was added to the forest in 2019.
North Carolina Highway 215 (NC 215) is a highway in western North Carolina that runs from the town of Rosman in Transylvania County to Canton at Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 74 (US 74). The portion from Canton to Rosman is a part of the US Forest Service's Forest Heritage Scenic Byway. It travels high into the mountains along a scenic stretch of the upper West Fork of the Pigeon River, and intersects the Blue Ridge Parkway at Beech Gap at an elevation of approximately 5,300 feet (1,600 m).
Looking Glass Rock is a pluton monolith in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, United States.
Linville Falls is a waterfall located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the United States. The falls move in several distinct steps, beginning in a twin set of upper falls, moving down a small gorge, and culminating in a high-volume 45-foot (14 m) drop.
Moore Cove Falls is a waterfall in Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina, located near Brevard.
Sliding Rock is a waterfall in Western North Carolina, located near Brevard, so named because visitors can slide all the way down the waterfall into the plunge pool below. The plunge pool is around 8 feet deep in the middle, with a strong churning river current, so users must be able to swim or wear a life vest. The water in the river and the plunge pool remains near 55 degrees Fahrenheit year round. Sliding Rock is a small slide-type waterfall on Looking Glass Creek, in the Pisgah National Forest, near Brevard, North Carolina. It has a gentle slope and is about 60 feet long, ending in a large, deep pool at the bottom.
Slick Rock Falls is a waterfall in Western North Carolina, located near Brevard.
Rainbow Falls is a waterfall in Western North Carolina, located near Brevard. The falls is located on the Horsepasture River. It is on Pisgah National Forest land just outside Gorges State Park.
Cedar Rock Falls is a waterfall in Transylvania County, North Carolina, USA.
Toms Creek Falls is a waterfall in the Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County, North Carolina, near the town of Marion.
Log Hollow Falls is a waterfall in the Pisgah National Forest, Transylvania County, North Carolina. It's a steep cascade with a couple of sections of free falling water. Visitors can drive to within 1/2 miles of the falls, and access them via an old Forest Service logging road, making it an easy destination. Despite this, the falls aren't very well known and receives few visitors.
The Forest Heritage Scenic Byway is a 76.7-mile (123.4 km) National Forest Scenic Byway, National Scenic Byway and North Carolina Scenic Byway that traverses through the Pisgah National Forest, in Western North Carolina. It features the Cradle of Forestry, waterfalls, trails and scenic vistas.
Big Rock Falls is a waterfall in Western North Carolina, United States, located on private property on Little Pisgah Mountain near Fairview, Buncombe County, North Carolina.
Headwaters State Forest is a 6,730-acre (27.2 km2) state forest, located in Transylvania County, North Carolina, along the South Carolina state line and is part of a larger 100,000+ acre conservation corridor that stretches some 80 miles along the state line. The name originates from the fact that the forest contains the headwaters of East Fork of the French Broad River. The North Carolina Forest Service primarily manages the forest for water and soil quality, as well as protecting rare species; however, primitive recreational uses are permitted.
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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