Gorges State Park — Attraction in Brevard

Had a three night stay at a RV site and a small birthday gather for my son, who with his wife and our adult daughter stayed in one of the nearby cabins. Our plan was to enjoy the stay and do some of the nearby Jeep trails (both my son and his wife brought their jeeps). To that end, we had two nice days and explored some wonderful trails. The single bath house is new and according to our son, very nice and always clean. Cabins are bare bones with just bunks, A/C and heat. Our RV camp site was FHU. Single host family who checked us in (we could have stopped at the large Visitor Center and checked in but we went straight to the camp site). Fire wood is available to purchase but the bundles are small and expensive; $9. The first night while we had a nice dinner a Park Ranger stopped by and we'll call him Dudley Do Right. Very professional; pointed out one of the Jeeps was parked partially on the grass and we needed to move it and added only two vehicles were allowed at a camp site. We had four counting our RV, but no worries, we moved the Jeep off the grass and as soon as we finished dinner, two Jeeps and our daughter's car headed to the cabin. We could find no where in the provided RULE sheet or on the website stimulating a two vehicle rule but if there is one, apparently, it is only for RV sites as several cabins had three vehicles. The next day - our first of trail riding, our Son and his wife drove their Jeeps up to our site and we started loading them when my son's Jeep has a fuse problem and the FM two-way radio dies. He and I are under the hood working to replace the fuse. Our wives and our daughter were loading the Jeeps when another Ranger stops. We'll call him Boris; he gets out and I upfront tell him I know, only two vehicles at the site but we are having a small mechanical issue and will have it fixed shortly and once loaded, we'll head out. I think everything is ok as he says, thanks for letting me know and leaves. NOT 10-MINS LATER, he comes back but now he is upset and tells me "I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU GUYS ALL DAY, ONLY TWO VEHICLES AT THE SITE". He also has a pair of hand cuffs hanging on the chicken handle on the A pillar driver's side - so that tells you he is a A-Hole. We just had a conversation not 10-mins ago so no clue what had changed. Been RVing all over the US and Canada since 2019 and met many Law Enforcement officers, in fact we are a Law Enforcement Family, and never had a bad experience until this Park and this Ranger. I didn't see his name tag or I would have called him out here but he'll be easy to ID - he drives around with hand cuffs on his A-pillar. To be clear, we moved the vehicles after the first Ranger encounter and on the second, we were loading the vehicles and had an unexpected issue we were working to fix. There was NO REASON for this Ranger's attitude, especially when talking to a Senior Citizen and Disabled Vet (he knew I was because he commented on my...

Another hike along one of North Carolina's falls trails turned out to be incredibly memorable. This particular trail, although relatively short, offered a rewarding experience with its series of stunning waterfalls and scenic views. The route was popular among hikers, evident from the steady foot traffic along the path. Despite the popularity, the natural beauty made it a journey worth taking. Our hike covered a distance of less than 5 miles round trip, making it accessible yet packed with sights to see. During this brief but eventful hike, we were able to visit several remarkable waterfalls, each with its own unique charm. The falls we encountered included Stairway Falls, Hidden Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Turtleback Falls.

The highlight of today's hike was undoubtedly Rainbow Falls. The sheer size and power of the waterfall were awe-inspiring, and as its name suggests, the mist created by the cascading water often forms beautiful rainbows when the sunlight hits just right. Standing before Rainbow Falls, feeling the mist on our faces, and seeing the vibrant arcs of color was a truly magical experience. While Rainbow Falls stole the show in terms of natural wonder, Turtleback Falls was the crowd favorite. This waterfall is well-known for its natural rock slide, which attracts thrill-seekers of all ages. We saw many people enjoying themselves, sliding down the smooth rock surface into the pool below. The atmosphere at Turtleback Falls was lively and fun, filled with the sounds of laughter and splashing water. Although we didn't try the water slide this time, watching others have a blast was entertaining in itself.

Overall, the hike was a perfect combination of manageable distance and breathtaking scenery. It offered a great way to experience multiple waterfalls without the need for a long or strenuous trek. Whether you’re there for the sights, the thrill of sliding down a waterfall, or simply to enjoy the serenity of nature, this North Carolina falls trail delivers a memorable experience for everyone. I’m looking forward to exploring more trails like this...

The park itself is really nice and there is a very beautiful waterfall! Park personnel is another story. From the start, we made several calls back and forth to the park due to limited site availability and the fact that we would be in and out as we were hiking the foothills trail. We were assured that the spot we were assigned would hold our RV as well as a trailer,(Landscape,Not camper), as it was a fifty foot pull in. To our surprise on arrival, the spot was twenty four feet and nowhere else was available. We then had three different park personnel come and harass us about our trailer and side by side that was on the trailer. Two of the three came onto our paid campsite, interfering with our activity. The worst was a female ranger who came on site with a super aggressive attitude. She said our side by side was not legal and that it better not leave the trailer unless we wanted to have a problem with her. She never even bothered to look at the side by side, which was one hundred percent legal, titled, and insured. She just walked right up with accusations that were not true. Even after telling the ranger we had no desire to take the sxs off the trailer in the park, and that it was legal, she kept going on and on about it. She then went on to rant about how the RV and camper were too large for the spot. When we explained what had happened with the site, she basically called my wife a liar, say that if you would have put in the "actual size instead of misrepresenting your equipment, it would have never let you rent the site." She further went on to say there was no way anyone at the park told y'all that site would work. The aggression from this ranger was completely unnecessary and you could tell she was trying to use her authority to push us around. Our party consisted of two military, one disabled veteran, and a law enforcement officer. We all agreed that the conduct was unjust and unnecessary. This was literally the worst interaction we've had in all our camping. Once again, the park and scenery is...