The Brevard area of North Carolina is known as the “land of waterfalls” for a good reason. With over 250 waterfalls you see them around almost every corner. We had never been waterfall hunting and were curious what it was all about. Sure, we’ve seen waterfalls before. But we’ve never spent an entire day hiking and climbing in search of them. It was fascinating and more exhilarating than we might have guessed, and we’d recommend it to anyone.
You can either drive around yourself or use a guide, and we did both. On one day we connected with a guy named Craig Miller, who runs “Miller’s Land of Waterfall Tours.” We were told to meet him in the parking lot of the canoe outfitter at 10:00 am. After a few minutes, a sporty red car rolls in. “Is that him? Is that what a waterfall guide would drive?” We had no idea what kind of car a waterfall guide would drive (who does?), so we hopped out. Up walks Craig in activewear with a buck knife hanging from his belt. He’s cordial, and it’s clear that he takes waterfall hunting seriously. After a short conversation about our fitness level, we headed out. The day was full of beautiful, shorter hikes that most people could easily handle, and we saw a lot of waterfalls that most people don’t get to see. That’s Craig’s selling point: he has connections with landowners and can get you to scenic waterfalls on private property. It lasted about three hours and was a blast. It was nice to follow him around and not have to worry about map reading. Craig knows the Brevard area like the back of his hand, and it shows. We even drove up to one of the highest points in the state for a breathtaking overlook. At the end of the day, we all agreed that it was a day well spent, and that “Miller’s Land of Waterfall Tours” was worth it.
On the second day, we got a late start and decided to hunt waterfalls until the sun went down. We snapped open the waterfall map and hit the road, and it was another great day of waterfall hunting. You start to appreciate how different they all are. They sound different. They smell different. They’re all accessed differently. We never really tired of it, and part of it is that fact that you can usually hear them before you see them. The roar of water on rocks gets louder and louder, and you know the payoff is coming soon. It’s great fun.
We had some gear in tow that made this afternoon more enjoyable. Because we intended on waterfall hunting past dark, we made good use of the COAST PX250 flashlight. This is a pretty slick flashlight you should check out. It kicks out 650 lumens of light and slides open to reveal a light bar that can act as a camp lantern or, in our case, a map reading light. The bottom is magnetic, so we attached it to the car and had plenty of light for planning our next stop.
We were also running around with a GCI Pod Rocker. It’s incredible that they’ve figured out how to make rocker style chairs this portable. The Pod Rocker has a sling style seat and might be our favorite yet. It’s incredibly comfortable, is the perfect height, and has both a beverage and phone holder. If there’s one thing, you want to do when you find a beautiful waterfall it’s relaxing for a while to take it in. Toting around a little extra weight for a portable rocking chair was well worth it. Western North Carolina is an area that we’d love to visit again because we feel like we barely scratched the surface. If you love the outdoors as much as we do, consider the Brevard area for your next vacation.
