Upper Little Moore Cove Falls

Transylvania County, North Carolina

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height: Not recorded
Location: Transylvania County, North Carolina
Access status: Partial guide: off-trail Class III bushwhack on an unofficial path beyond the Forest Service trail
The walk: About a mile each way
Ground & access: Official trail, then an unofficial steep path, then a Class III bushwhack around a small cliff. Not suitable for children or inexperienced hikers. Rocks are slippery.

NC Waterfalls: Upper Little Moore Cove Falls

Upper Little Moore Cove Falls, NC
Photo credit
Photo: Will Thomas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Upper Little Moore Cove Falls is a series of small falls and slides about 22 feet high on a branch of Moore Creek in Pisgah National Forest. NC Waterfalls rates it for experienced off-trail hikers only. Follow Moore Cove Trail toward Moore Cove Falls. About 100 feet before the Moore Cove Falls viewing deck, take the path on the left, cross the creek into a small clearing, then cross the creek that flows from Little Moore Cove Falls and climb about 200 feet to a view of that falls. Continue up the fairly steep path for just over 0.1 miles to a small creek crossing. Less than 100 yards past it, where the path swings left to follow the creek upstream, leave it at a small dip in the outside berm (GPS 35.312497, -82.778996). Descend toward the sound of water, work around a small cliff and follow its base to the falls. Return the same way.

Plan your visit

Moore Cove Trail from US 276, side path to Little Moore Cove Falls, then a steep unofficial path and a short off-trail descent to Upper Little Moore Cove Falls

NC Waterfalls gives the hike distance as about a mile. The Forest Service gives Moore Cove Trail as 0.7 miles.

Official trail, then an unofficial steep path, then a Class III bushwhack around a small cliff. Not suitable for children or inexperienced hikers. Rocks are slippery.

Where to start

Moore Cove Falls parking area on the right of US 276, 6.7 miles north of the US 64/US 276/NC 280 junction near Brevard, just before the Looking Glass Creek bridge. Published trailhead coordinates: 35.30508, -82.77439.

Timing & water

Year-round trail. The Forest Service warns not to go above Moore Cove Falls or into the area upstream of it; this route leaves the trail before Moore Cove Falls on a different branch.

Before you go

No fee or reservation is mentioned.

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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