Glen Falls

Directions: From the junction of US 64 and NC 106 in Highlands, drive 1.75 miles south on NC 106 and bear left at the sign for Glen Falls. Take Glen Falls Road, not Holt Road. Drive 1.05 miles to the parking area. Waterfall GPS: N35.03128 W-83.23829

About: Glen Falls is a spectacular series of cascading waterfalls that run for nearly 600 feet, almost perfect in their symmetry and beauty.

Glen Falls is located off a dirt road three miles south of Highlands off NC 106 south. The turn-off is marked by a U.S. Forest Service sign. Glen Falls is composed of three large falls dropping approximately 640 feet on the east fork of Overflow Creek in Blue Valley. The one-mile foot trail down to the falls is steep (and feels a lot steeper going back up).

Glen Falls trail offers panoramic views of the Blue Valley as well as spectacular views of a series of waterfalls known collectively as Glen Falls. The trail zigzags down a series of switchbacks, losing about seven hundred vertical feet in 1 mile as it follows the creek down the mountain’s side.

This is probably the most beautiful waterfall setting in the Highlands area – and one of the least visited since it’s not on the main highway and it requires a 1.5-mile roundtrip hike.

Difficulty: There’s climbing involved here, and you have to be confident about navigating uneven terrain.