Sidepocket Falls
Transylvania County, North Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- 49 ft (15 m)
- Location
- Transylvania County, North Carolina
- Access status
- Partial guide: rough unmaintained path below Stairway Falls; route last described in detail in 2003
- The walk
- Distance unknown; Sidepocket Falls is about 0.5 miles below Stairway Falls
- Ground & access
- Difficult and not for novices. Faint path, steep descent and rock climbing beside the river. Avoid in high water.
From the Grassy Ridge parking area in Gorges State Park, take Rainbow Falls Trail into Pisgah National Forest and take the unofficial side path on the left down to Stairway Falls. An older NC Waterfalls page describes a hard-to-follow fisherman path continuing downriver from Stairway Falls to Sidepocket Falls, with no good way down from the ridge; the author descended at a cascade and climbed rocks up to the falls. The route description dates from 2003.
Plan your visit
Rainbow Falls Trail from Gorges State Park, side trail to Stairway Falls, then a rough fisherman path downriver to Sidepocket Falls
An older NC Waterfalls page gives only the half mile between Stairway and Sidepocket Falls. The distance from the trailhead to the Stairway side trail is not published.
Difficult and not for novices. Faint path, steep descent and rock climbing beside the river. Avoid in high water.
Where to start
Grassy Ridge parking area in Gorges State Park, off NC 281 south of US 64.
Timing & water
Current condition of the path below Stairway Falls was not confirmed; the most detailed account is from 2003.
Before you go
NC State Parks lists no day-use fee for Gorges State Park.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Stairway FallsState park trailhead; unofficial side path in the national forest39 ft (12 m) · Transylvania County, NC0.4 miN
Windy FallsPartial guide: unofficial route to the top of a dangerous falls; trail name not in the current park trail list197 ft (60 m) · Transylvania County, NC0.5 miS- Hen Tail FallsTransylvania County, NC0.7 miS
- Rooster Tail FallsTransylvania County, NC0.7 miS
- Rainbow FallsMarked trail from Gorges State Park; steep, popular hike128 ft (39 m) · Transylvania County, NC0.8 miNW
- Standing Up Rock FallsTransylvania County, NC0.9 miS
- Turtleback FallsState park trailhead; national forest trail13 ft (4 m) · Transylvania County, NC0.9 miNW
- Drift FallsPublic trail to a boundary view; falls on private land33 ft (10 m) · Transylvania County, NC1.1 miNW
- Indian Camp FallsPartial: state park trails, a creek ford and an unmeasured bushwhack; no published distanceTransylvania County, NC1.2 miNE