North Carolina · Trail TR437

Whitewater Falls

Whitewater Falls Trail is a 0.3-mile trail in National Forests in North Carolina. The Forest Service rates it trail class 5, fully developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The National Forests in North Carolina official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end35.0303° N, 83.0162° W · Directions ↗
Other end35.0330° N, 83.0157° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length0.3 miles, all of it evaluated accessible
Trail class5, fully developed
Typeland trail
Surfaceasphalt (paved)
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width48-60 inches
Minimum widthover 42 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityAt least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines
Trail numbersTR437
ForestNational Forests in North Carolina (unit 0811)
StatesNorth Carolina
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Whitewater Falls Trail30°40°50°60°70°January: 8.08 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowFebruary: 6.24 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowMarch: 7.30 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowApril: 6.66 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 6.55 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 7.78 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 7.09 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 8.87 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 7.64 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 6.40 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 7.05 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowDecember: 7.68 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.0°F averageFebruary: 39.6°F averageMarch: 44.9°F averageApril: 52.7°F averageMay: 59.7°F averageJune: 66.6°F averageJuly: 69.8°F averageAugust: 69.3°F averageSeptember: 63.7°F averageOctober: 54.0°F averageNovember: 45.5°F averageDecember: 39.1°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Jocassee 8 WNW, 4 miles from the trail midpoint at 2,540 feet, station USC00384581 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 87 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 4 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Explore

Guidebooks for North Carolina

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Hiking Waterfalls North Carolina
    Melissa Watson, 2025
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Great Day Hikes on North Carolina's Mountains-To-Sea Trail
    Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and Jim Grode, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Hikes near Asheville, North Carolina
    Johnny Molloy, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking North Carolina
    Randy Johnson, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best of the Blue Ridge Parkway
    Nye Simmons, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Whitewater Falls Trail?

The Forest Service records 0.3 miles under this name in National Forests in North Carolina, the sum of 1 segment. All of it is evaluated as accessible.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Whitewater Falls Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Whitewater Falls Trail start?

The line begins at 35.0303° N, 83.0162° W and ends at 35.0330° N, 83.0157° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Whitewater Falls Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Whitewater Falls Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.

Source: National Forests in North Carolina official page

How developed is the Whitewater Falls Trail?

Trail class 5, which the Forest Service describes as fully developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Whitewater Falls Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 48-60 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Whitewater Falls Trail accessible?

The Forest Service has evaluated 0.3 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is asphalt.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Whitewater Falls Trail?

National Forests in North Carolina, Forest Service unit 0811. The trail is in North Carolina.

Source: National Forests in North Carolina official page

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Whitewater Falls in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0811. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.