Waterfalls Galleries

South Cumberland Waterfalls, TN 2005-2006 : The South Cumberland plateau, a relatively unknown region of Appalachia, is home to dozens of striking waterfalls formed by sandstone/limestone strata created along the plateau's eastern and western escarpments. The highest plunging waterfall east of the rockies - 256-ft. Fall Creek Falls - is located here. Almost half the major falls in the state of Tennessee are also located here, far outpacing the number of scenic falls located in the much better known Southern Appalachians and Great Smoky Mountains. The area sits over the largest system of caves in North America. Near Fall Creek Falls, the newly-disclosed Rumble Room cave is, at 4 acres, the second largest known cave room in North America. Many of the streams in the area run both above and underground and numerous waterfalls feature unusual "sinks" formations where the flow goes underground right below the falls. We are visiting these falls, accessible with short walks from parking areas or longer day hikes, when we travel in the area to visit relatives. (

South Cumberland Waterfalls, TN 2005-2006

The South Cumberland plateau, a relatively unknown region of Appalachi ...

Updated: Aug 25, 2006 9:24am PST

Upper Seneca Creek & Falls, WV (8/2007) : Seneca Creek is a Potomac River headwaters stream that drains Spruce Knob, the highest mountaintop in West Virginia. These two features serve as pivot points in a national recreation area remotely located in the mountain state. The upper section of Seneca Creek contains numerous waterfalls and slides as it cuts through a lush forest, creating a narrow, mossy gorge. A trail follows the creek for the first few miles before damage from past floods washes the tread out (the forest service has officially abandoned trail along the prettiest section of Seneca Creek below Upper Seneca Falls). We mountain biked on an old rail grade along the creek to reach the 30 ft. high Upper Seneca Falls, which requires a minimum of 3 1/2 miles of trail travel to reach from any direction. Then we set out on foot to explore downstream. Although the old rail grade remains in spots, travel is slow along the banks of the creek through washed-out areas. We reached a 20 ft. falls called Standing Rock Falls before turning around due to daylight constraints. Additional falls lie downstream and we hope to make it to the forest service boundary on a future trip.

Upper Seneca Creek & Falls, WV (8/2007)

Seneca Creek is a Potomac River headwaters stream that drains Spruce K ...

Updated: Nov 14, 2007 9:32pm PST

Moore Run of Otter Creek, WV (8/2007) : Moore Run drains a sizable upland bog system as it feeds Otter Creek, a headwaters stream for the Cheat River that is protected by West Virginia's second largest wilderness area. Waterfalls, giant boulders, cliffs, virgin hemlock forest, headwaters bogs and thick eastern rainforest can all be experienced by spending time in Moore Run's hard-to-reach gorge. The best way to access Moore Run's gorge on foot is to hike 4 miles into the Otter Creek area to scramble up the streambed for 1 1/4 miles. There is no trail and thick rhododendron forest makes land travel impossible, requiring streambed travel or, as we've come to call it, creekyoneering. The giant boulders on this creek - similar to those in Otter Creek - were challenging. It took us 4 hours to travel up the short gorge, soaking in the views and taking pictures. After topping out of the gorge, there's another 4 miles of travel to get back to the trailhead. Otter Creek always throws us a curve ball: This time we undersestimated the difficulty of getting up Moore Run and completed our trip after dark. To avoid hiking 4 miles on an unfamiliar trail as night fell, we took a detour to a forest road that added 2 miles to the trip. Although the road walking wasn't ideal, we figured it was harder to lose our way on a forest road in the dark. NOTE: USGS topo mapping for this area doesn't give an accurate representation of the trails. Be sure to also use the crude but more accurate forest service map - it helps with finding where Moore Run Trail actually crosses the creek and with the route of Turkey Run trail.

Moore Run of Otter Creek, WV (8/2007)

Moore Run drains a sizable upland bog system as it feeds Otter Creek, ...

Updated: Nov 14, 2007 9:31pm PST

Pendleton Run, WV 10/2006 : Pendleton Run is a tributary of the Blackwater River. It spills 450 ft. into the Blackwater Canyon in the state park over several large plunge falls and cascades. The creek was dammed up by the park, so the flows aren't always predictable. Still, we've found good water in the creek even after a dry spell. The Pendleton Run falls series may be the easiest to access in the region because someone has blazed a goat trail down the river right side. The "trail" is steep and faint in spots, so don't expect easy going. But the route has been clipped so there's no bushwhacking or need to get into the streambed to get past thick vegetation.

Pendleton Run, WV 10/2006

Pendleton Run is a tributary of the Blackwater River. It spills 450 ft ...

Updated: Jun 13, 2007 4:09pm PST

Big Stonecoal and Dunkenbarger Runs, WV 8/2006 : These two creeks in Dolly Sods Wilderness are the perfect places to practice Creekyoneering™ where staying in the streambed is mandatory. The streambeds are steep and picturesque, yet the bouldering is fun and mostly straightforward. Big Stonecoal has interesting shale bedrock and giant boulder formations. Dunkenbarger is extremely steep and enveloped in shade, which keeps the rocks damp and the climbing more challenging. Dunkenbarger is a tributary of Big Stonecoal. At the head of Dunkenbarger's gorge is a marvelous 20 ft. falls. Then one can slosh out in the mostly flat creekbed through cranberry bogs and stands of spruce, huckleberries, rhody and laurel in a scene more typical of Canada. The level was very low when we were there. Big Stonecoal could be explored with significantly more water. Dunkenbarger could easily have too much water for comfort.

Big Stonecoal and Dunkenbarger Runs, WV 8/2006

These two creeks in Dolly Sods Wilderness are the perfect places to pr ...

Updated: Oct 18, 2006 1:17pm PST

Red Run, WV 2006,2007 : Red Run drains off Canaan and Mozark Mountains in Tucker Co., WVA. The water has a natural red tint. There are no maintained trails in the gorge but the stream is popular with fly fishermen, who have worn an intermittent trail in the lower reaches. We bushwhacked up 2 or so miles of this stream on July 4th, 2006 but had to turn back after a heavy rain storm hit and decided to linger. We visited Red Run Falls, a 25 ft. drop onto rocks where the stream then proceeds to flow under an overhanging limestone shelf. At this same place a small tributary spills over the Rock House overhang and plunges 40 ft. into Red Run. Bring your creekyoneering mindset or you will spend some of the time wrestling with rhody out of view of the creek.

Red Run, WV 2006,2007

Red Run drains off Canaan and Mozark Mountains in Tucker Co., WVA. The ...

Updated: Nov 28, 2007 2:50pm PST

Virgin Falls, TN 8/2006 : Tennessee's Virgin Falls will leave you breathless, mesmerized and perplexed - really, it is almost impossible to overstate the magnificence of this place. This 100-foot waterfall is located on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee in the Caney Fork Gorge region. The hike is a strenuous 8 miles round trip and offers numerous outstanding examples of how water moves both above and below ground in a karst geologic zone. Virgin Falls is subtle in what makes it so wonderful beyond its immediately apparent beauty. First, it flows with water even when surrounding streambeds are completely dry in the summer months. Second, the stream forming the falls is an underground creek that emerges from a cave 200 feet upstream of the falls. Third, the stream plunges over the falls and then sinks back into the limestone strata never to be seen again. There must be few natural features on Earth like this, yet this place tucked away in a remote corner of Appalachia is virtually unknown. Until a few years ago, the falls was located on private timber company land. The falls is now protected by Tennessee on a 10,000 acre tract in the Caney Fork region that was donated by the previous owner - a tire company. The images in this gallery were taken at low flows during the summer of a drought season.

Virgin Falls, TN 8/2006

Tennessee's Virgin Falls will leave you breathless, mesmerized and per ...

Updated: Oct 18, 2006 1:11pm PST

Shays Run, WV, 7/2006 : Shays Run spills into the Blackwater River gorge on river left near the lodge at Blackwater State Park. The first falls, known as Elakala Falls, has a trail by it and is easily viewed. Downstream and beyond the trail there are several much larger cascades that require Creekyoneering™ to see. Few places offer this many wonderous cascades in such a compact space. The creek has a northern aspect and gets little sunlight, creating a dark and mysterious feel with moss covered rocks and thick vegetation.

Shays Run, WV, 7/2006

Shays Run spills into the Blackwater River gorge on river left near th ...

Updated: Oct 18, 2006 1:14pm PST

West Virginia Waterfalls 2004-2006 : Waterfalls are a soothing power driven by the chaos of whitewater. They leave us in awe of the power of nature.

West Virginia Waterfalls 2004-2006

Waterfalls are a soothing power driven by the chaos of whitewater. The ...

Updated: Dec 16, 2006 7:54pm PST

Maryland Waterfalls : Western Maryland has numerous waterfalls and is just around the corner from West Virginia.

Maryland Waterfalls

Western Maryland has numerous waterfalls and is just around the corner ...

Updated: Feb 13, 2007 3:33pm PST