Elk River Falls — Attraction in Beech Mountain

Elk River Falls is located near Beech Mountain, Banner Elk and the small town of Elk Park, NC. It is the impressive falls (formerly called Big Falls) in Pisgah National Forest. The 50-ft. waterfall cascades over a rock cliff and into a picturesque oval pool. The trail to the top of the falls is an easy five-minute walk. You can safely stand on flat rock area and watch the waterfall plummet over the cliff. A short but steep trail takes below the falls.

From the boulders above the waterfall, you will see your next destination in front of the falls. Return to the trail and head downhill. It's a steep but short walk with steps and tree roots for hiking assistance. At the bottom, there's a long flat boulder that is perfect for sitting and picnicking. The currents in the pool directly in front of the waterfall are too strong for wading and have been deadly.

From what I've read almost every year, someone dies here while diving or trying to swim in the swift currents. Remember, do NOT get into the water above the waterfall since currents can take you over the waterfall. Do not dive from the rock cliff - that has been deadly for people getting entrapped by unseen boulders, tree logs and other objects underwater. Also, don't attempt to swim under the falls or climb the rock face. The waterfall creates very strong currents in the very 70 feet deep pool, pulling even strong swimmers under the water. There is a safe swimming area below the bigger pool past some other boulders.

Driving Directions:

Coming from Banner Elk, take NC Highway 194. Turn right (north) onto US Highway 19 E and go .7 mile to Old Mill Road on the right (at the small downtown area). Take the immediate left fork (opposite of the downtown strip) and go .4 mile and turn right onto Elk River Road. Go four miles to the end of the road. The road is paved except the last little bit - but in very good condition for all cars. There's a small parking area with a National Forest Service stake that marks the trail. Or use...

Our family ranging from 7 to 69 had a FAMTASTIC day at the falls. (See what I did there?)

We met a local at the trailhead who encouraged up to pop out and peek just barely at the top of the waterfall with extreme caution. He pointed us to the left of the sign where we walked over a board and did a short hike to the waterfalls bottom. If you haven’t seen waterfalls- it’ll take your breath away. We opted to avoid this entire pool as the warning signs and local warnings prepped us to know we’d find fun further fun below. Some families waded in- but this momma isn’t about to risk one moment with my little cubs when local reports say NO. While some families jumped down to the beach- my larger than life self knew I’d never make it out of there at 5’ tall. Enter another local to tell us to head up the VERY strenuous, root-y trail we had missed. 69 year old mom was a champ- with a hand here and there we made it down to the beach where our family played in the smaller waterfalls for hours. We easily could have stayed for 5-6 if we’d planned better. The currents and rocks were strong enough that our 7 year old needed help at times or just a boost, but it never felt she’d be swept away to the next county- slippery rocks meant we had to take it slow with sure footing, but the memories and laughter for this Chicago gal were absolutely worth the effort. Only a few spots were dicey climbing back up the trail- but we all agreed it was safer than the leap down to the beach.

I’d bring a small net to catch and release fish next time Bring a bag for your trash- no cans anywhere Mama- GET IN THE WATER. Play, howl with laughter and be there with your babies. Just avoid the larger than life spiders on the logs 😵 *Parking is a little Wild West; we didn’t realize the gravel road ends with a loop, so we just...

Reviews seemed mixed so I wasn't sure what to expect, but here's a stay at giving a complete picture.

The Google directions were excellent and the road ends at the falls parking lot with a circle. It was a rainy day so I imagine it gets much busier and parking could easily be an issue.

The path to the falls is a mixed bag. In places there are boards and stair cases but in others the path is very poor and would be challenging for anyone with mobility issues. Along the path are multiple warning signs of the danger of the falls including one that there have been over a dozen deaths. It is very tempting and easy to walk out on the rocks at the top of the falls just to try to see them, but the signs kept us firmly on the trail. A fence or barrier here might not be a helpful deterrent as we saw a group of young people head to the edge.

Once you get to the bottom of the falls, you get to see the beauty of the falls and the pool at the bottom. It truly is beautiful. Because of the narrow rock ledge that you get onto to see them, it only takes a few people to make it feel crowded.

Opposite the falls, there's a Sandy area where several families were playing. While protected, shallow and safe, it was dirty. There were discarded diapers in the water, trash and in one area it smelled as though someone had used the bushes as a bathroom.

Several people were in the river beyond the rocks and we saw several in the "pool"as well even though it was clear some struggled with the currents.

It was relatively accessible and a pretty fall but sad to see it trashed as it was and it didn't make me...