WaterfallNear Me

Discovery Falls

Transylvania County, North Carolina

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height
Not recorded
Location
Transylvania County, North Carolina
Access status
National forest; forest road and unofficial path
The walk
About 0.5 miles each way
Ground & access
Gated forest road, then an unofficial but easy to follow path that steepens near the falls.
NC Waterfalls: Discovery Falls directions

From the junction of US 64, US 276 and NC 280 near Brevard, drive north on US 276 for 10.3 miles and turn left on unpaved FS 475B (Headwaters Road). Drive about 1.6 miles to a sharp left curve and park on the outside of the curve at the forest management sign. Walk past the gate on FS 5043 for about 0.2 miles to a wide wooden bridge. Just before the bridge a path turns right and follows the tributary upstream along its left bank (facing downstream) for about 0.25 miles to Discovery Falls, a cascading waterfall about 50 to 65 feet high. The path gets steeper near the falls. Return the same way.

Plan your visit

FS 475B hairpin pullout to gated FS 5043, then the side path before the first bridge to Discovery Falls

NC Waterfalls gives about 0.5 miles one way. Waterfall Hero gives a 1.0 mile round trip, half on the forest road and half on an unofficial path.

Gated forest road, then an unofficial but easy to follow path that steepens near the falls.

Where to start

Pullout on the outside of the hairpin curve on FS 475B, 1.6 miles from US 276, at the gated FS 5043 and interpretive sign. Published trailhead coordinates: 35.32641, -82.80176.

Timing & water

The tributary can run low. Best after rain. Kevin Adams notes he last hiked this path in 2015.

Before you go

No fee is mentioned. The land is Pisgah National Forest, Pisgah Ranger District.

Visitor information
Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore North Carolina

Waterfall location

Transylvania County, North Carolina.

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