14 Prettiest Waterfalls Near Boone And Blowing Rock

Are you looking for a list of the best waterfalls near Boone and Blowing Rock? We have you covered with the best waterfalls in the area!

Boone and Blowing Rock are two town near the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. Try our North Carolina Waterfalls Road Trip, that takes you across the state to see some of the most breathtaking waterfalls across the state.

Boone and Blowing Rock are popular destinations year-round. Many of these waterfalls near Boone are accessible year-round. From waterfalls along the Blue Ridge Parkway offering popular holes to cool off during the summer, to beautiful waterfall hikes through fall foliage to beautiful ice-covered roadside waterfalls near Blowing Rock this list has it all!

14 Prettiest Waterfalls Near Boone And Blowing Rock

Hebron Falls 

For those adventurous hikers looking for a series of waterfalls near Boone, you will want to check out popular Hebron Falls. Located off of the Blue Ridge Parkway on mm 297 along the Boone Fork Trail, this is one of the most popular spots in the summer.

To reach the falls, you will want to keep right when the trail forks. There are tons of large boulders that take you the rest of the way to the trail. There are tons of wading ponds and multiple waterfalls along the 3.5 mile trail.

If you are visiting in summer make sure to bring swimsuit, as you can swim in wading ponds between boulders, sunbathe on the rocks or enjoy a picnic lunch. Best of all you are just a 20 minute drive from Boone, where you can view everything from small waterfalls, to double falls cascading over the boulders – not straight down over a cliff as you often think of waterfalls! 

These waterfalls are the perfect place to enjoy a picnic lunch, or cool off in the water. Most all are family friendly, however, a few are strenuous hikes. But all are worth the trek! Don’t forget to check out our list of Best Things to Do In North Carolina!

Crabtree Falls

Many in the high country area refer to Crabtree Falls as one of the prettiest waterfalls near Boone. Located off the Blue Ridge Parkway at mm 339.5 ( about an hour south of Boone), you will find the start of the trailhead to reach the waterfall. The trail is 2.5 miles and is known as Crabtree Falls Loop, as is one of the best waterfall hikes in the area. A visit here is the perfect spot for a day trip to Asheville. 

The Crabtree falls is a picturesque 70 foot waterfall, and absolutely needs to be on your list of Blue Ridge Parkway waterfalls near Boone! You will know you are getting close to the fall when you hear the roaring sound from the trail! This hike is gorgeous during the summer, spring when the wildflower are out, or during the fall with the changing of the leaves.

And if it has been a rainy week you are in for a treat as even more water will be cascading over the rocks. Just be prepared for a muddy trail! For an even closer look at the falls you will want to cross the creek bed along the rocks, just make sure you have on hiking boots.

Green Mountain Creek Falls

If you are looking for waterfalls near Blowing Rock, Green Mountain Creek Falls is just 8 miles from downtown on HW 221. Best of all, it is perfect for those looking for a non-strenuous waterfall hike as this one can be seen right from the road! Meaning it is great for those with small children or those in wheelchairs.

There are pull-offs on both side of the road for cars passing by that want to stop. The waterfall itself is 20 feet high, and a rock pond below the falls. The best part is this waterfall near Blowing Rock.

Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls, is located at MM 271.9 along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is just 15 miles drive east of Boone. Inside Jeffress Park overlook, along the Cascades trail, you will find one of the magical waterfall trails near Boone.

At just under a mile loop, to reach the falls be prepared to climb up and down stairs to reach the waterfall. There are two trials that lead to the waterfall, for the shorter trail stay to the right at the fork.

This is a great mid-day stop on your itinerary of the best waterfalls on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are several picnic spots with tables and grills making it a popular spot during summers for families. There are several viewpoints of Cascade falls as you ascend and descend the stairs.

Silvervale Falls

Silvervale Falls is another one of the waterfalls near downtown Blowing Rock that can be seen from the roadside. And best of all the waterfall is 80 feet high!

Be warned however, it is not the most photogenic of the falls as graffiti is painted over the rocks. The falls located off of HW 321 and Waterfalls road on the lefthand side of the road. There is a small parking area to pull into where you can enjoy this waterfall year round.

Glen Burney Falls

Glen Burney Falls, is located just outside of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The best part about stopping here is there are three waterfalls. The cascades, Glen Burney Falls, and Glen Marie Falls.

You will find all three waterfalls near Blowing Rock on the 3.1 mile roundtrip hike. This hike is steeper and more strenuous than others near the area.

The first waterfall you will come along is the Cascades, a little waterfall that is hidden by trees. Stay on the path as the rocks are unsafe off the path. Next, you will pass Glen Burney Falls, the large fall that pours over a large rock face, making several falls in one. There is an observation platform at the top that overlooks the gorge.

Finally you will come upon Glen Marie Falls, where the best views come from the base of the falls. You can even get in the water at the tide ponds below. This waterfall hike is not recommended for small children.

Laurel Creek Falls

Laurel Creek Falls is one of the easy waterfall hikes near Boone located on the Watauga River. Don’t let the knick name “Trash Can” Falls fool you, this waterfall is beautiful and pristine. It is names after old parking site that used to house trash cans. This waterfall is just 5 miles from downtown Boone, with another fall located just a quarter mile away.

Just minutes from Boone, this waterfall is popular with local university students as the waterfall cascades through rock faces with deep and flat swimming hole near the top. You can also jump into the water from several spots along the trail. You will be surrounded by boulders with a gorge type waterfall. Best of all the trail is just under 1/4 of a mile.

Hunt Fish Falls

You can find the Hunt Fish Falls along the Mountains to Sea Trail, 30 miles south of Boone in the town of Newland. While it is over an hour from Boone, this small waterfall also doubles as a popular swimming hole on Lost Cove Creek. The huge boulders upstreams makes for a gorgeous setting for this waterfall.

The trail that brings you to Hunt Fish Falls is less than a mile long downhill trail is a popular spot for primitive camping, and family picnics. It is worth noting that you do have cross the creek to reach the falls. You can also access Gragg Prong from this trail.

Linville Falls

Located about 30 miles southwest of Boone, Linville Falls is one of the best waterfalls near Boone and the Blue Ridge Parkway. At MM 317 you will find the visitors center where 350,000 people visit the “Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians” each year. And if coming from Asheville you are just 66 miles north.

On the trail you will find four different overlooks along the gorge that showcased this famous 90 foot waterfall through the 12 mile Linville Gorge with towering cliffs. There are several trails of various difficulties to view the falls from the easy Erwins View visitor trail to the more difficult Linville Gorge Trail.

This is one of the waterfalls you will want to plan on spending most of your day here to see everything in the area. From the upper falls overlook, Erwins, Plunge Basin and Chimney views along with the bridge and Linville River.

Compression Falls

Compression Falls or Twisting Falls is one of the waterfalls near Banner Elk on the North Carolina and Tennessee border. Located inside Cherokee National Forest, on the Tennessee side you will reach this 30 foot high fall on a mile long trail near Elk Park, and is only open May until October. Perfect for those taking a road trip during the summer.

The trail here is often hard to find, but those who preserver will find a series of waterfalls each increasingly difficult to get too. There is a rope that adventurous climbers use to reach the top of the 35 foot main waterfall to swing off of into the deep pond below.

Otter Falls

Otter Falls is one of the waterfalls near Banner Elk, located about 8 miles from the resort town of Seven Devils. We put together this amazing list of things to do in Banner Elk for you to check out before you go!

This is one of the newer falls in the area, as it was opened to the public in 2015, with an observation deck built in 2017 for viewers who take the 1.2 mile roundtrip hike to the waterfall.

At just over half mile to the Otter Falls on Valley Creek, this 20 foot waterfall flows over large moss covered rocks. You can climb up the observation area for an even better view of the falls. It is a beautiful waterfall to photograph.

Crab Orchard Falls

Crab Orchard Falls is located just 20 minutes from Boone in nearby Sugar Mountain on a 1.5 mile roundtrip well maintained hike. While technically private property, the Valley Crucis Conference Center allows waterfall goers to park in the parking lot and use the trail.

Start down the wooden boardwalk, and you will see signs for the trail to the Crab Orchard Falls. There are several area to view the falls from alongside the large boulders, as well as lush forest surrounding the falls. In the summer it is filled with wildflowers. The best part is the hike out is all downhill!

Elk River Falls

Just under an hour from Boone, you will find Elk River Falls on the North Carolina side of the Tennessee border. Another of the short waterfall trail hikes, this 1/3 mile hike features one of the Pisgah National Forest waterfalls. This is the perfect waterfall to pair with a trip to nearby Compression Falls.

This 50 foot waterfall, also known as Big Falls cascades over a rock face into an oval swimming pool, with plenty of lower pools to swim in. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy one one of the big rocks while cooling off in the water. There is a wide flat rock area to sunbathe and view the waterfall from. During summer and weeks the shallow pool area becomes very crowded with families! Dogs are welcome here.

Gragg Prong Falls

Gragg Prong Falls is located just 25 miles south of Boone, and about a 45 minute drive. Located inside the Pisgah National Forest, there are actually two waterfalls here on Wilson Creek National Scenic River. You can manage to see both falls on a three mile hike, for both the lower and upper falls.

The trail here follows along the creek bed, crossing over the creek several times. So be prepared to get your feet wet crossing the creek several times along the trail.

The best part about these falls is the large swimming hole located under the fall, making it the perfect place to cool down on those warm summer days. There are plenty of rocks to leave your dry belongings. These two falls are great to pari with nearby Hunt Fish Falls for a full day of exploring Boone waterfalls.