Gorges State Park

Gorges State Park – A Must-Visit Adventure! Gorges State Park in Sapphire, North Carolina is absolutely breathtaking! Our 7-mile adventure took us across gravel paths, tree roots, rocks, boulders, twists, turns, and even a cave with lots of steps—so please note, this trail is not wheelchair or stroller-friendly. We were blessed to experience four stunning waterfalls, each one making the challenging terrain worth it. The visitor center is beautiful, and the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. The restrooms at the visitor center are spotless—cleanliness hands down! 🙌🏾 The weather was amazing during our visit, and the park is extremely well maintained. One of the best surprises? Admission is free, making this an unforgettable adventure without the price tag. Fun fact: Gorges State Park is the wettest spot in North Carolina, which is why the waterfalls are so full and powerful. 🌧️➡️💦 If you’re looking for a rewarding, scenic, heart-pumping outdoor experience, this park is absolutely worth the road trip. Highly recommend! 🌄🌿

Great NC state park. We went after a trip to Asheville. Kind of remote location but still had things nearby (food,gas, etc). I actually liked the remoteness of it. Anyways beautiful visit center. One of the best in the state! Big gift shop, clean bathrooms. Great info about the park. Drove about a half a mile to the main trail (rainbow falls). Was a little harder than expected. I did have two smaller kids but still glad we did it. Just be prepared. Have snacks. Water. Changed clothes maybe. Park is beautiful!

This state park is a must try! Location is close to Cashiers so you can head over there in a 20 minute drive. Cabin can sleep up to 6 with 4 bunk beds. Heat works great! Cabins 1-5 are directly across from bathrooms and shower. Rainbow Falls Trail is inside of the park and it’s worth every step. The camp host and her husband were helpful! So friendly! I highly recommend!

One of the best campgrounds I’ve ever been to. Clean spaces, nice park facility, and nice mini cabins. There’s also a nice jeep trail I use often there within the park along with some nice hiking trails.

The hike to Rainbow Falls at Gorges State Park was clearly labeled strenuous but worth the amazing views. However, there are some places along the hike where I would suggest watching your step as there are no ropes or anything to hold onto. Overall the trails were prestine and the campgrounds were very well maintained. I would highly recommend!

We did the hike to Rainbow Falls. Beautiful hike , in any season, to a very large waterfall that always has a good water flow, even when the water levels are lower. There are places to step out on the rocks and view the river and little falls.

Gorges is Gorgeous! Wonderful campground with full hookups, and amazing visitor center. There are lots of hiking trails including access to the Foothills Trail. We hiked to Rainbow Falls which is about 3 miles round trip. It was worth the hike!

I stayed at the campground and it was really nice. The campsites were close but somewhat secluded. It was nicely spread out with the where the cabins were in one area, tents another, and RVs in their area. The bathrooms were clean and they had showers. They had potable water spigots throughout the campgrounds. It was cool watching the bats fly are nightly and hearing the whip-or-wills calling. The campground host Connie and her dog were super helpful and engaging. She was the best campground host I’ve ever encountered. She made rounds checking on you, called you by name, and asked about your day. She definitely went above and beyond and is an asset to the park staff. The park was beautiful and well maintained. Nice trails and beautiful waterfalls. You can see some wildlife. Raymond Fisher pond is nice and peaceful, a great place to sit and meditate. I was lucky enough to see an elusive white squirrel in the park but missed a photo opportunity. The visit center and gift shop nice. Definitely worth a visit. Nice informative movie on the gorge and ecology. They also had picnic tables around the building and rocking chairs facing the mountains in the distance.

One of our favorite parks in NC! We visited during the winter on a sunny Sunday and spent six hours here exploring the hiking trails. We did Rainbow Falls trail, Bearwallow trail, and the short story trail to the overlook. Altogether we hiked 6 1/2 miles. We saw lots of dogs and families with kids - eve though the hike says strenuous it's certainly doable with young children. Rainbow falls is stunning the trails are fun. There are a few creek crossings with stepping stones and several places where you can leave the main path and walk down to the river to explore. Visiting center was nice as well.

Great time at Gorges State Park. Nice facilities , picnic tables, clean. Great waterfalls. Lots of camping options , from cabins to RVs to tents. We went hiking , but next time we come back we will camp. Not crowded on a Sunday afternoon in October

Been coming here to hike before there was a Gorges "here" to hike through. Love heading to Rainbow Falls! Need to continue to explore all the other stuff the park has to offer!

We went the first time with our beloved fur baby "Baby" 12 months ago. Then we moved here in Jan and went again in March w with my Big Sis who lives here in Sapphire. This time we went all the way to top fall. It took us 3 hours as I had a slight injury from my trampoline;) The walk and all the falls were beautiful

While I am a onetime NC resident and regular visitor to all parts of the state, this park was not on my radar. The windy entrance road leads to a massive LEED-certified visitor center; clearly some money went into it, which overlooks the valley below (probably getting into SC). I sampled one trail, and despite some mobility limitations on my part, made it far enough to witness a majestic waterfall ringed with fall colors (earlier signage suggested this was more of a cascade because the water rolls over rocks rather than free falling). The area is likely to hold wonders in all seasons for those game for a day hike.

This state park has everything an outdoor enthusiast could want! Located in Transylvania County in North Carolina, it's near the tri-point where NC, South Carolina, and Georgia meet. It features 26 waterfalls, rugged river gorges, sheer rock precipices, and a portion of the 70-mile Foothills Trail. And, admission and parking are FREE. We started our visit at the Grassy Ridge Visitors Center, which is perhaps the most beautiful and functional Visitor Center in a state park that we have ever seen. Environmentally-designed, it features a Ranger's Station, a gift shop, a modern auditorium that regularly shows an interesting orientation film, hands-on exhibits, clean rest rooms, and an outdoor viewing deck with a scenic view, and rocking chairs to enjoy the view from. In addition to watching the film, we spent some time with the very helpful ranger who highlighted hiking options for us and armed us with maps. While the park has 56 miles of hiking trails, 17 miles of biking, 12 miles of horseback riding, camping, fishing, picnicking, and birdwatching, it was getting to be late afternoon, so we would concentrate only on doing some hiking. We made our way to the trailhead for the Upper Bearwallow Falls Trail. Of note, there's a large parking lot, with a modern restroom plus a nice picnic area in that section of the park. The trail itself is only about 0.5 miles roundtrip, and has an elevation change of 157'. The state park classifies it as strenuous while AllTrails rates it as moderate. The trail was okay, but I probably wouldn't do it again. The trail was a bit washed out in places, and the gravel was slippery, especially if you don't wear shoes with good traction. The waterfall itself was narrow and not that impressive. We then drove to the trailhead for Rainbow Falls, Turtleback Falls, and Drift Falls, a 3.9-mile out-and-back trail if you visit all three waterfalls. (Rainbow Falls is at the 1.7 mile mark). Given the late hour, and the fact that we didn't want to hike in the dark, we agreed that we would hike to a certain hour, turning wherever we were at that time -- which would likely prevent us from seeing ANY of the waterfalls but we'd still have a nice hike in the woods and get some more exercise! We enjoyed this trail -- it's wide and well-maintained, easy to follow with regular blazes, and had a fair number of other hikers. From the parking lot, the trail was a steady descent -- and we crossed from the Gorges State Park into the Nantahala National Forest at 0.8 miles. We walked a bit more but didn't reach the stream crossing at 1.1 miles. We turned, and climbed back up to the parking lot -- feeling that we accomplished what we intended to do but leaving the door open for us to return in the future to actually see the waterfalls on the waterfalls hike! One final note. Be aware that this is bear country, and you should be familiar with food-handling practices that will keep the bears in the wild. As I write this review on Nov 5, 2023, the campground is closed through November 16th due to "unsafe Bear activity." Local newscasts show that a bear caused significant damage to a hard-sided camper in the campground a few days ago.

This is a truly phenomenal park and a hidden gem! Over 8,000 acres and 26 waterfalls- amazing hikes. Today we hiked about 4 miles round trip to see Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Falls. So beautiful and we did indeed see rainbows in the mist surrounding the falls. There are hikes for all abilities in this park. The visitor center is beautifully designed and very interesting. There is camping here and yurts. Can't wait to return!

Cool spot, came here to do Rainbow Falls and Bearwallow Falls. Both pretty short hikes, lots of parking, clearly marked trails with trail blazers. Not many people, gushing water, would recommend if you're around the area!

Gorges certainly is the hidden gem I was promised. On a rainy and misty fall day I was absolutely floored when I rounded a bend and saw the most roaring waterfall I've ever experienced in North Carolina. Rainbow Falls was incredible and powering over the cliff side after a decent amount of recent rain. A 3.4 mile round trip took me to the falls and back (plus a small offshoot from the trail). Some would argue this is a strenuous hike - my watch read out 1,000 feet of elevation gain altogether. The rain, mud and slick rocks definitely made it harder than it could've been on a less dreary day. But all-in-all it was absolutely worth the views and I'd love to get back here on a clearer day. Speaking of which, park staff were friendly as always in most of the parks I've visited. They informed me due to the unique environment in the area it stays pretty well shrouded in fog for many days throughout the year. The park office seems to have been recently built or updated. The beautiful, modern building hosts standing exhibits with information on local wildlife, an auditorium and a cozy seating area with a fireplace. If only I had more time in my day, this would be a beautiful place to sit and read or write.

This is a hidden gem! Short and interesting challenging hikes take you and your dog to high volume waterfalls and best of all some rock sliding! Turtleback falls is the redneck riviera of mountain water slides - short but thrilling; there are 2 falls with medium high jumping areas for the courageous. Rainbow falls is picture perfect for the less adventurous; turtleback is a must for daredevils!

I was looking up good winter hikes and stumbled upon this, and more specifically Rainbow Falls. It was a bit of a long trip from Charlotte (a little over 2.5 hours), but it was worth it. We hiked out to Rainbow Falls. I would say the hike was moderate. There was a decent amount of up and down but nothing too bad. The falls was great. It big, tall, wide, and had a lot of volume. It was a bit muddy on parts of the trail. We continued on about a quarter of a mile to see Turtleback Falls. It was definitely a lot smaller but worth seeing since it's so close. There are also a couple of points that you can go down to the river which is really cool. Our hike totaled just under 4 miles round-trip. We finished by going to the Gorges Overlook which is just a stop off of a one way loop in the park. The park also has a very nice visitor's center with bathrooms. This is definitely a state park that's worth checking out for a day!

Fantastic state park! The campground is beautiful, offering 16 tent-only sites and about the same in RV spots (some are pull through for big rigs, some for pop-ups), plus a few tiny-house cabins (no kitchen or bathroom, just beds basically). Bathhouse is nice and new, you can purchase firewood for an $8 donation, there is a filtered water-bottle filler at the bathhouse. Only slight negative is that the one bathhouse is about 0.25 mile walk from the tent sites, so other campers around us were starting up their cars all night to drive there. Also it would be great if they would add a dishwashing station at the bathhouse. We used what looks like a mop tub in the back--it worked but didn't seem to be set up for what we were using it for. The visitor center is absolutely beautiful! A leed-certified post-and-beam building with great gift shop and learning exhibits.

Wow!! Spent the whole day after Thanksgiving at this beautiful state park. Stopped by the amazing visitor's center before hitting the trails. Pristine facilities, with one of the best educational opportunities to take advantage of about the history of the park and surrounding area. We spent about 30 minutes just walking around the visitor's center. Very welcoming setup. The drive to the trailhead was short and glorious, taking in all the late Fall views. Couldn't wait to get on the trails. We started on the Rainbow Falls trail and ended with Turtleback Falls. About 4.5 miles total. The trails were moderately difficult, downhill mostly traveling towards the falls, but a vigorous uphill climb back to the parking area. The trail also narrows significantly near the falls. There are amazing photo opportunities at the falls. This is the closest that I have ever been able to get to a waterfall without a protective barrier,but you have to be really careful going down to the rocks below the falls and even more careful getting back up to the trail. All in all this was a spectacular way to spend a beautiful day and we cannot wait to go back.

Beautiful park, worth the visit! Lots of nice trails, picnic areas, rivers, waterfalls and wildlife. Very nice park staff past and present with lots of information and educational opportunities!

Great State Park in Sapphire. Good hiking trails for all levels. Visitor center is great and informative.

One of my favorite places in Transylvania County When I was growing up, this was one of my favorite places. My father';s first cousin owned the property on the Housemaster River just below the bridge on the road going to Whitewater. This is where I learned to fish for trout. Back in those days, there was a parking area was private property owned by my cousins where we could park and camp and fish and hike into the gorge. That site was about 100 yards above Drift Falls which is above Rainbow etc. Things have changed and my father's cousin's property is now part of the park which is good because more people can enjoy it. Bad part is that people don't realize that one of the best waterfalls is just off the highway and you don't have to hike 1 1/2 miles to get to it. Still it's a big improvement and I welcome it. We did not hike any of the trails this trip. Had planned on Whitewater Falls but that proved to be a bummer since the area was closed due to a fire last November. Still the Welcome Center was a treat and gave a lot of information and the gift shop was great. Planning on coming back on Aug 21 for another visit and I'll let you figure out why.

A beautiful park with a new ranger station that is fun and informative. Trails are well marked and maintained as it is a State Park. Plenty to see from wildlife to nature and several must hit waterfalls.

Way to moderate trail. Remember when you walk down you have to walk up to get back. Really popular in summer, parking is a challenge if hiking to the beautiful water falls.

Stopped first at the visit center for recommendations. Would say that the ranger was not observant nor knowledgeable regarding customers. We were idiots in sneakers and shorts who didn't really belong on the hiking trail to Rainbow Falls but that's where we were sent. It is a great hike. Don't get me wrong but I recommend good shoes and a walking stick for those not in good shape or older. The terrain is strenuous at times and you will cross two streams that requires balancing on rocks and logs. We were told 1.5 miles but our Apple watches clocked it at 2 miles for a round trip total of 4 hours. It took us a little over two hours total. The falls are worth seeing. Awesome. I made it and felt good about it but after I saw the other trails in the park I wondered what that ranger was thinking.

Beautiful scenery, new facilities, waterfalls and gorges. Great place to experience the outdoors. This place was well enough away from civilization to bring rejoice. Cool people all around and dog friendly park. It has everything mother nature can offer. Beautiful woods, heights, swimming, and of course wildlife. You do need to be careful in some places due to slippery rock, and the possibility of drowning. I have been here last weekend for hiking with a group of 20 people. It was an awesome 5 Miles hike where the difficulty level is easy to medium/moderate. The Hike time was about 3 hours enjoying the view of 3 to 4 waterfalls in our way. Hike to Rainbow Falls, it is totally worth. Rainbow Falls is about 150` and high volume. Great to go when it's sunny and you can sit at top of the falls and see the rainbow created by the mist from the falls. Then we hiked a tiny bit more and saw the Turtle Falls. Trails are well-marked and easy to follow. Very nice visitor center and definitely a go to place. The hike to rainbow falls is slightly challenging in beginning but doable and short. You can spend several hours hiking down to Rainbow Falls and then a little further to several other waterfalls and the edge of park land. This was a nice hike, mostly down and then back up, not too steep but definitely a little strenuous. The falls are nice and worth the hike. Be careful for the currents around the falls as they can be very swift. No grand overlook at the visitor center or no modern camping facilities so far. Gorges State Park is a 7,709-acre North Carolina state park in Transylvania County, North Carolina. Gorges State Park is set in the midst of plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, sheer rock walls and a high concentration of rare species, and exploration of this unique environment often begins at the expansive visitor center with its museum-quality exhibits, augmented by picnic grounds and shelters. Back country-style recreation is a hallmark of Gorges with distance hiking, backpack camping, trout fishing, mountain biking and horseback riding welcome in various parts of the rugged interior. The 7,500-acre park incorporates a portion the long-distance Foothills Trail and touches Lake Jocassee at the South Carolina border. Trails and campsites continue to be developed at this relatively new state park. Would definitely go back to this park. it is an absolute beautiful location with plenty of waterfalls and steep gorges.

I honestly can't say enough wonderful things about Gorges State Park. We have a family home in the area, about 15 minutes away from the park, and I've been hiking Gorges since 2007 when we purchased the home. Rainbow Falls is where my husband proposed to me, and it will forever be a memory I hold dear to my heart. The trails are fit for anyone, and are kept in great condition. There's always something to catch your eye on a hike, and the views of the many falls are breathtaking. Turtleback Falls is a great place to slide down a rock and swim. Tons of places to stop and eat lunch and take great pictures. If you're in the area, Gorges is a MUST visit, no matter how much time you have or what kind of hike you want to go on. It's a blast!

Rainbow falls is a hike not to miss. Definitely worth the steep inclines to see the falls. Arrive early to avoid crowds. Park is nicely organized and well cared for. Highly recommend!

Beautiful! Go enjoy the There are multiple trails and parking lots, in addition we saw camp grounds and welcome center. We did not go in the welcome center but it's very pretty architecturally. Entrance to the park is free, there are parking lots near the trailheads and at least at the one we were at there are also portable potty. We walked/hiked the orange trail to rainbow falls. It is downhill most of the way to the base and then uphill if you want to go to the top, we went about half way up to a wooden platform lookout. It was pretty spectacular. Then on our way back we stopped twice to go to the water. We let the dogs play in the water and we put our feet in too, water is very cold but it felt great! Warning! It's downhill on the way in, when you have lots of energy! It's almost all uphill on the way out, save your strength for the walk back. Bring plenty of water. I highly recommend the walking/hiking here, there were plenty of families with young children and over 60's so it feels like anyone could do it.

We did the 3 mile round trip hike to Rainbow Falls from the trail head parking lot. The park troopers were very friendly and helpful in getting us safely parked and pointed in the right direction. It was a light/ moderate hike in mostly loose gravel (my walking stick paid for itself again!). The scenery is amazing and the falls were breathtaking to say the least, absolutely worth the hike!

This is a very beautiful park with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. The Whitewater Falls is located not far from the main park. The trails are very nice, and the visitor center has lots of nice items. There is also a very nice exhibit at the visitor center. This is definitely a must see when in the area.

Great hiking & sightseeing. Pay attention to the recommendations of the people in the welcome center if u plan to hike. Strenuous trails are just that! Take water and a snack. The area is gorgeous. A must-see place.

As Richard R said, this is Gorgeous State Park. My review is for the Rainbow Falls trail, which is accessed from the trailhead at the Grassy Ridge parking lot. You can get to this parking lot by driving either way around the loop road from the visitor center. Note that there is a section of the loop that is one-way (not shown on the park map) just past Grassy Ridge if you're driving CCW. So, to return to the visitor center, you must drive CW. The Grassy Ridge parking lot is fairly good-sized, not huge. There are no restroom facilities other than port-a-johns. Rainbow Falls trail is actually mostly on national forest land, not in the state park. So you'll see both state park and national forest information posted at the trailhead. The trail is a fairly strenuous 3 mile roundtrip and is mostly downhill going out. So expect to work harder coming back. A quarter mile or so from the start, the trail splits - Rainbow Falls to the right, Raymond Fisher trail and a campground to the left. Very clearly marked - you can't get lost. Footing is good where it's dry but can be slippery when wet. At the falls, it is very wet. The trails has a bunch of steps to climb as you get near the falls and they can be treacherous when wet. There are several falls on the trail - I overheard someone say four and that may be right. Rainbow Falls is the big one and, sure enough, there was a rainbow. Very scenic. But don't stop there. Go further uphill to the top of the falls where you'll find walkable rocks and can overlook the falling water. Great place for a picnic or just sitting and listening to the water. There are more, smaller falls just a bit further. I stopped and turned around at that next set of falls but noticed the trail went on. Next time. Park maps need some work, and not just to indicate the one-way road. Recommended hiking destination.

While Tony, Noel and I was visiting the Land of Waterfalls, we stopped at Gorges State Park to have a cookout. The area was very nice. The visitors Center was very nice there as well. I would love to go back there when we have some more time and take some of their trails. Gorges State Park Gorges State Park is set in the midst of plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, sheer rock walls and a high concentration of rare species, and exploration of this unique environment often begins at the expansive visitor center with its museum-quality exhibits, augmented by picnic grounds and shelters. Backcountry-style recreation is a hallmark of Gorges with distance hiking, backpack camping, trout fishing, mountain biking and horseback riding welcome in various parts of the rugged interior. The 7,500-acre park incorporates a portion the long-distance Foothills Trail and touches Lake Jocassee at the South Carolina border. Trails and campsites continue to be developed at this relatively new state park

Beautiful waterfalls along the Horsepasture River. Not to be missed. The trail is rugged, but worth the effort.

Nice hikes from easy to hard. Dogs allowed. Rainbow Falls was challenging with our dog so hubby had to stay behind. Great visitors center and nice restrooms.

The trails & views are beautiful, & the staff members were so friendly, knowledgeable, & nice! Everyone should visit Gorges State Park!!!

OFF-THE-GRID HIKING UYE - January 14th, 2017 Today I returned to Gorges State Park for the first time since my initial review back in April of 2014 (nearly 3 years later)... except this time 20 other people showed up with me! My buddy Jamarcus and I bragged on this place so convincingly to other yelpers that all these folks were willing to get up early on a Saturday morning and drive two and a half hours to hike it! I was so happy that even in the dead of winter it didn't let me down! We all met at the Mall of Georgia and formed a caravan of six cars. Our first stop was Sky Valley Overlook which already had a great view, but it was enhanced by the deep fog. In truth I thought the fog was going to ruin my hike, but it turns out God was just trying to show off on this day! Check it out: https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=krhHqluAuOY4hdhffbbMHA&userid=JjXuiru1_ONzDkYVrHN0aw Next we visited Dry Falls and nearby Bridal Veil Falls. Both these waterfalls you can walk under and behind them, but Bridal Veil you can actually drive behind. Both were closed due to dangerous conditions, but each in its own right is a must see. Here is one of our many Dry Falls pics: https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=oE2dzz1X-SbWG7iW6t2vAw&userid=JjXuiru1_ONzDkYVrHN0aw ..... THE HIKE But the heart of the excursion was Gorges State Park. We stopped at the Visitor's Center for a looksie and a quick potty break before driving downhill to the trail parking area. The group was in great spirits. What we had already seen was enough to satisfy their adventurous spirit, but this was the part of our trip that was gonna get the cardio rates flowing. The hike round trip is about 4.1 miles with a collective elevation gain of approximately 890 feet. It will seem easy at first because the first mile is ALL downhill. But that will soon change! Not to mention that mile downhill will be all uphill on the way back to the parking area. The final approach to the first waterfall (Rainbow) will be the most challenging and steep uphill climb of the trail. But when you reach the crest, you will be presented immediately with a full frontal view of this 125 foot waterfall. It's almost like that "AHHHHHH" sound you get when you see something glorious. The width of the waterfall makes it seem a lot taller and on a sunny day a rainbow never fails to appear in the mist. Some in our group climbed the steep trail down to the base while others climbed down to the observation deck. Either gives you a grand view of this behemoth waterfall in the middle of the woods. A quarter mile more along the trail you will reach Turtleback Falls. This waterfall is especially cool in the summer because you can spend the day sliding off it into a deep pool of water below... over and over again! Just before you get to Turtleback Falls there is a section of stone that allows you to stand at the top of Rainbow Falls for another spectacular view. Another quarter mile from Turtleback is Drift Falls. WARNING: This waterfall is on private property and going past the posted trespassing signs is not recommended. However, you can easy view it from the end of the trail. ..... FINAL THOUGHTS The hike back to the car was a heart pumping challenge, but in all everyone had a wonderful time. I HIGHLY recommend this waterfall trail to anyone in decent physical condition. It's a wonderful hike on foggy or sunny days! Our group included two dogs and ages ranging from 12 years old to 60-ish!!! 2017/20

You get the feeling that when they were trying to name Gorges State park, that someone was trying to spell "gorgeous", and failed, because man oh man, does this park show you a good time no matter if it's clear or dripping with fog! A large group of us from Georgia came and paid the 7709 acre park that is Gorges to get our fill of waterfalls, because this park is home to multiple falls. While we couldn't do them all today we did get to explore Rainbow Falls, Turtleback falls and Drift falls! Before getting started on the trail, I urge you to take a minute and stop into the fairly large visitor's center. More of an educational experience for adults AND children, it's a very interactive zone that if you're not careful, you can spend a good bit of time here and not on the trail. Nothing wrong with that! From watching the gentle fall of the water at one of their outside walls, to making your own mini waterfalls inside...there's also nice restrooms and a gift shop. Cool experience overall! There are two parking lots to take. You can either park your car at the visitors center and take a walk down the winding road, or, you can just drive down the road to the additional lot at the start of the trail head. Both lots take a decent amount of cars. Our group came with a caravan of about 5 cars, and we only took up a small portion of the lots. We decided to take the Rainbow falls Trail, which is about a 3 mile round trip trail that is listed by the park as strenuous. There were a few places along the trail that can make you winded, but it's sometimes misleading, considering going in is mostly down hill, but as this is an in and out trail, coming out will turn into an uphill struggle if you're not prepared, so please be prepared! One interesting point about this trail is a great majority of it isn't in the park at all, but instead on National Forest land, so don't be concerned when you come across the sign warning you that you're leaving the state park. You're on the right track! Rainbow falls is the largest it seemed, and through the fog filled air, you could make out the ever present rainbow (though I couldn't get it on camera). There are multiple stringer trails to get back on the main trail, and whenever you see a set of wooden stairs going on up...you should take them, because they often lead to bigger and better views. One thing to note is the surface around the falls is often slippery, so please take your steps with purpose and be careful if you want that photo on THAT rock...yes we all want that photo. Very scenic park that is dog friendly, kid friendly, people friendly and after you finish you can grab yourself a burger, comfortable knowing you burned some calories this day. Highly recommend paying Gorges a visit!

Thanks to Jamarcus T. and Richard R. for putting together this hiking trip, I get to explore this amazing park and it was so darn pretty!! The hike is a little more challenging than hiking up Stone Mountain but it was so worth it! We walked up and see three waterfalls and had a great time taking pictures and just enjoying nature. The only thing I should warn other hikers is that maybe it's better to go hiking earlier in the day rather than later since it could get very froggy and it'll take away from the scenery and hike. The last couple of miles back, due to the fog, it felt like forever but such a good workout! I will definitely do this hike again! So go go!!

Richard R has a great, amazing, descriptive review of the park. Thanks to him who organized the OFF-THE-GRID Hiking UYE, along with Jamarcus T. What a wonderful hiking adventure, in general. Gorgeous State Park is everything I would want in a hike. Great nature hike with a few slippery spots due to the rain. I won't say it is an easy hike but it isn't too strenuous either. Waterfalls is one of the few things I'm obsess with. This is coming from someone who cannot swim and gets terrified with water at waist high. It's just the beauty of mother nature. Like Bruce Lee says, "Be water, my friend." I am not going to go into details with the trails and waterfalls (because I feel that there several great, descriptive details already) but I can tell you this. Rainbow Falls is so beautiful!! It is the biggest waterfall there. We saw several too. I honestly thought that was it but nope, you keep on moving. Going with a group was so much fun, we all enjoyed each others company and had a good guide. Overall, I really enjoyed it. I would definitely come back. I never realized the drive here wouldn't be that long and there are so many waterfalls on the way. 2017 Review #10

My family hadn't planned on going to Gorges State Park, but we are glad we did. The restrooms and visitors center were so clean and well-stocked. The educational area was definitely geared to children but adults might find it interesting, as well... and you get to touch a real bearskin! The view from the back porch was phenomenal. We stayed and rocked in the rocking chairs for a long time just listening to the quiet. So glad we came up those long and winding roads!

Gorges State Park in North Carolina is a great park to get outside and be with nature in a great environment. The park is very well maintained and cared for as you can witness all of the work that went into making this magical place so accessible and easy to get to and navigate. The visitor center at this park is awesome and has many features including nice bathrooms, educational exhibits, beautiful views, and rocking chairs among many other cool things. I really like the trails at this park as they are somewhat challenging, but keep you going with all that they have to offer and have really good payoffs at the end. The Rainbow Falls one is great and well worth the trip and getting wet to get close to it and witness it.

My favorite part of this free entry state park is the hike to Rainbow Falls. It is listed as strenuous, but the only thing strenuous was the length of the hike, which was 2 1/2 hours, round trip. There were gradual ups and downs, some rooty areas, a very shallow and small stream to cross with stepping stones, and wood steps for steeper inclines. The waterfall was definitely worth the hike, like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. It was mesmerizing. Would do this hike again in a heartbeat, and we are 65 and over.

The waterfalls are awesome. Crowds can get a little heavy in the summer. It gets fairly muddy near the falls - wear shoes you don't mind getting muddy - maybe bring a second pair.

It's a beautiful park with access to several great hikes. Rainbow Falls is the best. The park was renovated a few years back. Really great

Beautiful park in a beautiful part of the country - WNC. This is where you'll hike to get to Rainbow Falls (though part of the hike is through Nantahala National Forest as well). It's a 3 mile hike in total (there and back), and will definitely get the heart and legs pumping for the average visitor. Expect downhill most of the way out until the last 5th or so an aggressive incline. Once at Rainbow Falls, there are some very steep paths to get down to the swimming hole and jumping rocks at the falls. Don't leave without taking a photo from the overlook - it's easy to capture a rainbow here on a sunny day!

Simply beautiful. Even on a rainy and super foggy (cloudy?) day, we thoroughly enjoyed the park. We started with the Bearwallow overlook and the falls. At the overlook, well we didn't see too much, but on the falls trail, it was truly beautiful. Both are short hikes and have some incline, but the falls trail had benches along the way (incase you need them on the way back up). The trails were clear and wider than I expected, so no need to walk one behind the other. We finished with the Rainbow Falls trail, which although is considered strenuous like the Bearwallow trail, I feel like this makes Bearwallow more moderate/easy. The trail takes you into Pisgah after about 1.75 miles in, and there are plenty of steep inclines and even steps put into the trail to help you out. Granted, I'm not an avid hiker but this seemed like a lot more than 3 miles out. However, there were so many great side trails and views of the river and falls, it was truly beautiful. You know you've reached the falls when you come upon a Niagara-like spray platform, and there is even a lower platform to get closer to it. We were told that if you continue on there are one or two beautiful falls behind it, but we ate our lunch a tenth of a mile up the trail and then headed back. There are camp sites available (off the rainbow falls trail), and I definitely recommend checking out the park office. A small gift shop (some camping/hiking items, toys, books) and a beautiful water feature, but also a small museum-like area that describes some of the parks conservation efforts and a few kids activities. There are actual restroom facilities near the Bearwallow trails (and its picnic area) but at the Rainbow falls stop there were only port-a-potties.

Nice, clean state park with nice hike to Rainbow Falls. Stopped by welcome center, didn't enter but appeared to be nice and welcoming. Hike to Rainbow falls was worth the view, missed the fact that hiking a little farther would have taken us to Turtleback Falls.

This is a pretty easy hike about an hour and a half from parking lot just make sure You wear good hiking boots.

If this isn't God's country, I don't know what is. I visited the Horsepasture River in June 2017 for the first time is probably fifteen years. The last time that I was in the area, Gorges State Park did not exist. In those days, you used to park alongside the highway, jump over the guardrail, and climb down the rocks to the river. Those days are over. The river is more difficult to reach now since you have to hike a ways just to get to it. Although the park facilities are beautiful, it is nature that takes center stage here. For my 2017 visit, we did not hike to Rainbow Falls (and nearby Turtleback). Instead, we opted to hike to Windy Falls. I hiked to Windy on my last trip (foolishly, by myself). Getting to Windy Falls takes some determination and is not for the faint-of-heart. It is extremely steep and rugged. Carelessness here will cost you dearly. But it is just as beautiful as I remembered it being all those years ago. Windy Falls is, technically, not part of Gorges State Park. They really try to dissuade folks from going there, hence the fact that the trail is not maintained. If you wish to attempt Windy Falls, make sure that you are in decent physical condition. I am old and not in the greatest of shape. But I made it down and back and lived to tell about it. Be sure to take water and some high-energy snacks with you - you'll need them for the hike back out because it is extremely strenuous. Keep in mind that Windy Falls is not the sort of waterfall that you stand back and look at. As a matter of fact, you really cannot see that much of it because you will essentially be at the top of it. But it is just an awe-inspiring place that not that many people have ever seen. The entire area in and around Gorges State Park is simply stunning. Pay attention to all of the warnings. This place can kill you if you are not careful. But if you enjoy some exhilarating hiking and have an appreciation for nature, it really doesn't get much better than this.

What an amazing waterfall! ...If you ever make it.. I am happy to say that I made it but I definitely didn't think I would as yesterday's tacos attempted to hold me back. If I can do it (an alleged 1.5 miles each way) you certainly can. They park itself was well kept with a very nice visitors center and great directions. Please do not attempt the trail without good walking/hiking shoes as it will get very slippery at the top. You'll also encounter a few streams of water where you'll need to walk on rocks or in shallow water. While challenging (for your average pizza lover) it was worth every step! Rainbow Falls did not disappoint. I'd recommend bringing water, wearing comfy walking shoes, bringing a camera (you'll want to save this) and use your best judgement. There are markers on the trees to guide you to and from the falls however there are several opportunities to get near the stream and see some pre-waterfalls just before the big one although all signs say stay on the trail because serious injuries have occurred....Again, use your best judgement but don't veer off without good shoes and maybe a partner. WORTH IT!

Perfect hike and waterfall! Hike was just strenuous enough for our 62 years and average abilities. The waterfall was beautiful! Although we couldn't actually get down into the pools at the base of the waterfall we were able to feel a cool breeze and mist from the waterfall near the lower platform. Felt wonderful! The creeks on the way back offered cooling refreshment on the way back.

The is a beautiful, relatively new state park. The visitors facility is really nice, built in 2012 with LEED Gold status. Being a relatively new park, there isn't a lot to do in this park yet but there are future plans. We entered from NC-281 and drove around and there are several picnic facilities which make good places for lunch on a nice day. We also hiked to the Bearwallow Falls Overlook (decent view, but not spectacular) and to Rainbow Falls (beautiful, up close). You can spend several hours hiking down to Rainbow Falls and then a little further to several other waterfalls and the edge of park land. This was a nice hike, mostly down and then back up, not too steep but definitely a little strenuous. The falls are nice and worth the hike. I would love to hike through the park on Auger Hole Trail or Foothills Trail but that would require a full day. Would definitely go back to this park, it's in an absolutely beautiful location with plenty of waterfalls and steep gorges. Positives: Beautiful scenery, new facilities, waterfalls and gorges. Negatives: No grand overlook at the visitor center, no modern camping facilities, limited facilities so far.

free entry into the park! dogs allowed! a welcome center! camping! breathtaking waterfall + swimming areas! be prepared for the intermediate level hike into the falls. not wheelchair accessible : (