Cover Falls
Cherokee County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Cherokee County, North Carolina
- Access status
- New land trust preserve trail opened June 2026; no dogs
- The walk
- About 1 mile return (the half-mile trail one way)
- Ground & access
- Natural-surface trail with a footbridge and a steep switchback section; Mainspring rates it intermediate to difficult and warns it is slippery and muddy in places.
Cover Falls is a steep spray-cliff waterfall on Britton Creek in Andrews, on the 57-acre Cover Falls Preserve bought by Mainspring Conservation Trust in 2024 and opened with a ribbon cutting on June 5, 2026. NC Waterfalls describes the trail: about 30 feet beyond the gate bear right, pass under a power line in a little over 0.1 mile, cross Britton Creek on a footbridge 0.2 mile later, then switchback steeply up for 0.2 mile to the falls. Mainspring gives the height as 30 feet; NC Waterfalls measured about 55 feet.
Plan your visit
Lillian Brittain Cover Trail from Cover Falls Road to Cover Falls
Mainspring Conservation Trust and NC Waterfalls both give the trail as a half mile one way; the return figure doubles that. A 1.3 mile loop is planned for a later phase.
Natural-surface trail with a footbridge and a steep switchback section; Mainspring rates it intermediate to difficult and warns it is slippery and muddy in places.
Where to start
Mainspring: from the US 74 stoplight by the Andrews rest area take Beaver Creek Road 0.3 mile, right on Stewart Road 0.5 mile, left on Cover Falls Road 600 feet to trailhead parking on the right. Park in designated areas only; parking is limited, so carpool and respect residents. Trailhead GPS 35.215525, -83.82353 per NC Waterfalls.
Timing & water
Open year round as a preserve. Closed-toed shoes recommended; the trail is slippery when wet.
Before you go
Free preserve owned by Mainspring Conservation Trust. Foot travel, fishing and swimming at your own risk are allowed. No dogs. Stay on the trail.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Burgan Creek FallsPublished route from a forest road gate with two easy creek crossingsGraham County, NC3.1 miN
- Lower Bald Springs FallsPartial: gated road walk, then bushwhack, creek wade and creekwalk; no trailClay County, NC6.9 miS
- Bald Springs FallsOff-trail bushwhack and creekwalk; access road gated after HeleneClay County, NC6.9 miS
- Rainforest FallsNational forest; bushwhack, creek walk and wadeClay County, NC7.0 miS
- Nelsons FallsMacon County, NC7.3 miE
- Sassafras FallsNational forest trails; long backcountry hikeGraham County, NC8.5 miW
- Leatherwood FallsRoute and parking researchedClay County, NC8.9 miS
- Handpole Branch FallsPartial: very difficult, trail ends above the fallsGraham County, NC9.0 miNE
- Inside Passage FallsPartial: faint path and creekwalk; railroad crossing permission not statedGraham County, NC9.4 miNE