Secret Falls Trail Head — Attraction in Highlands

Ok, we have been coming to Highlands for about 10 years now and have hiked all over but somehow missed Secret Falls! We loved it BUT it is NOT what I would call easy. I have 3 pretty athletic teens and pre-teen and I am fairly confident in hiking but this was a strenuous trail. Not dangerous or treacherous but steep inclines both ways🤣. We were on the struggle bus but we managed it and really enjoyed it. Thankful we did this one BEFORE my husband got here because he had knee surgery a few years ago and there is no way he would have made it. It’s definitely doable and worth it but I would NOT call it easy. It took us exactly 30 minutes each way. Collected a ton of rocks (oh yay! Yes, let me load my pockets down for the trip back🤪). Definitely need to watch smaller kids at the waterfall. You could definitely slip and go down the second fall and would be severely injured. The drive getting to the trail head is almost as much fun. It is only wide enough for 1 vehicle. Thankfully we didn’t meet any other vehicles either way. I don’t want to dissuade anyone from going because it really is fabulous! Just don’t...

Great water fall, short hike and great area to be outdoors. Secret Falls, aka, Big Shoals Falls, in Nantahala National Forest near Highlands North Carolina on the Georgia state line. Get Your Adventure On!😎 Please consider liking my review and pictures and follow along on all my adventures. Just 6.5 miles from busy downtown Highlands is this hidden oasis that is definitely a secret to many. Secret Falls (also known as Big Shoals Falls) is a gorgeous 50-ft. waterfall on Big Creek that cascades into a serene pool, deep in the Nantahala National Forest near the Georgia state line. What an idyllic swimming hole on a hot summer's day! It's an easy half-mile hike, but there are no signs to the parking area. So, this remote area is mostly visited by locals. The trail is blazed with blue rectangles on trees and is easy to follow. There's one lone stake in the small parking area at the start of the trail that says "Secret Falls." The wooded hike is easy enough for the entire family. There are two easy creek crossings (one has a log bridge), a brief uphill section and a series of stairs after you reach...

This pin for a parking pull off is pretty much on if you set your gps when you have a half decent signal. The pull off is right on a turn and is about three to 4 vehicles wide. The trail starts at in front of the parking spaces, just start walking towards woods and it becomes quite evident and very discernible(intermittent white blazes). The trail does undulate up and down before reaching its final decent down to falls. Yes the final descent can be a little tricky with washed out parts of trail, but definitely doable if you take your time for those not-so-great woodsmen or those traveling with “work-arounds “. There seems to be a number of viewing platforms to the falls. There is a smaller style falls after Secret Falls as it cascades over a number of rock outcrops in stream below falls. Opposite side of falls from trail has a number of patches of that slippery algae that grows on rocks and the consistent misting that comes from the drop of...