Wandering in the Georgia and North Carolina Mountains

Posted in Georgia, North Carolina, RVing, Tourist Attractions, WaterfallsTagged , , , , ,

Before we bought our Titanium fifth wheel in 2006, we attended a rally of Titanium owners at the River Vista Mountain Village in Dillard, Georgia. We stayed in one of the cabins at the park and after meeting the owners and touring their fifth wheels, we made our decision to purchase a Titanium. It was one of the best decisions we ever made!

We returned to River Vista this October for a short fall trip. The RV park is a perfect location for exploring the surrounding area. While we were there I spotted another Titanium on our row. We first met the owners when we came to the rally in 2006 and enjoyed visiting with them before they headed for home. What a small world!

Our mountain adventures began in nearby Mountain City, Georgia at Black Rock Mountain State Park, the highest state park in Georgia. The views of Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains were spectacular and we crossed the Eastern Continental divide a couple of times.

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The Eastern Continental Divide runs through Black Rock Mountain State Park
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Black Rock Mountain State Park

We decided on the spur of the moment to take the quarter mile downhill trail to see Ada-hi Falls. The view of the falls was worth hiking down the damp leaf covered trail.

Ada-Hi Falls in Black Rock Mountain State Park
Ada-Hi Falls in Black Rock Mountain State Park
Ada-Hi Falls in Black Rock Mountain State Park

It always pays to stop at the Visitor’s Center to ask about what to see when you are in a new place. When we asked about things to see, as soon as we heard “gravel road” we knew we had to take it to see Black Rock Lake.

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We can’t resist driving on gravel roads and one took us to Black Rock Lake
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Black Rock Lake

The next day our destination was to see three waterfalls in the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina between Highlands and Franklin. The road from Dillard to Highlands has many sharp turns and steep grades and I wouldn’t recommend taking a big RV on it. Our first stop was the Sky Valley overlook in Georgia for a view before crossing into North Carolina a few miles later.

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Sky Valley Overlook in Georgia on the road to Highlands, NC

Our journey took us to the outskirts of Highlands before turning onto the narrow, twisting Highway 64 towards Franklin. Bridal Veil Falls was the first waterfall we came to but we couldn’t stop because the parking area was full. We continued to Dry Falls in the Nantahala National Forest. The National Forest has built a good size parking area with pit toilets and a handicapped accessible overlook of the falls. To get a closer look at the falls and even walk behind them we walked down a series of stairs and short trail down to the falls.

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Dry Falls near Highlands, NC in the Nantahala National Forest
Dry Falls near Highlands, NC in the Nantahala National Forest
Rainbow at the bottom of Dry Falls near Highlands, NC in the Nantahala National Forest
Behind Dry Falls in the Nantahala National Forest near Highlands, NC
Dry Falls in the Nantahala National Forest near Highlands, NC
Fall Colors above Dry Falls
Cullasaja River beneath Dry Falls

Our next stop was a few miles down the road at a small waterfall on the Cullasaja River. To see these falls up close we had to park across the road and navigate our way down a short rocky slope.

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Small waterfall beside Hwy 64 between Highlands and Franklin, NC

In order to  return to Bridal Veil Falls we had to drive down the narrow road a short way before finding a place to turn around. This time there was plenty of available parking. Walking behind the falls is allowed but cars can no longer drive behind them.

Bridal Veil Falls near Highlands, NC
Behind Bridal Veil Falls near Highlands, NC
Behind Bridal Veil Falls near Highlands, NC

After returning to Georgia we had one more waterfall to see. Sylvan Falls is located next to the Sylvan Falls Mill Bed and Breakfast in Mountain City just a few miles beyond the campground where we were staying.

Sylvan Falls in Mountain City, GA
Sylvan Falls Mill in Mountain City, GA

Four waterfalls in one day! All were easily accessible with no strenuous hiking involved.

25 thoughts on “Wandering in the Georgia and North Carolina Mountains”

  6. Gorgeous. I’ve never seen a waterfall or a large black rock that didn’t cause my pulse to quicken. This was a wonderful post to travel along with since all I’ve been doing is working on fall outdoor chores. You’re having a lot more fun, but at least you took us along. 🙂

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      1. Beth, have you been to the Dahlonega area recently? Apparently, it has turned into Georgia’s wine region and has some lovely wineries. It might make a good overnight trip sometime.

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        1. It’s been about 15 years since we went to Dahlonega. There may have been wineries then but I don’t think we visited any. There are several wineries around Dillard but we didn’t go to them, either. After all that hiking and looking for waterfalls there just wasn’t enough time!

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  8. Spectacular photos!!! We’ve been on that long windy road near Franklin, on our way to see Bridal Veil Falls and the Dry Falls in the Nantahala National Forest. I think there was one other one we saw. Our pictures did them no justice….

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    1. It’s one of my favorite drives! We made the drive about ten years ago to see the three waterfalls and there wasn’t as much water in any of the falls as we saw on this trip. Bridal Veil was just a trickle ten years ago.

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  11. Have you ever visited Fontana Village or the Fontana Dam? My family goes there every year. I wrote a series about our last trip. We always have a good time. It has become a traditional reunion time for my immediate family.

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      1. It is a nice area, and it is not too far from Dry Falls and Bridal Veil Falls (although it is long for now because of a road closure on Hwy 28, according to Google Maps). You can stay in the village, or you can park your RV at the campgrounds.

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