Pearson's Falls
Pearson's Falls is a waterfall in North Carolina, at a modelled elevation of 543 m. Tryon Peak stands 986 m to the northeast, 6.3 miles off. The nearest named place is Pacolet Falls, a waterfall 1.2 miles away. Pacolet River Byway passes 0.5 miles off.
The story
Pearson's Falls is located in the foothills of western North Carolina off Hwy. 176 between Tryon and Saluda. This wildlife and bird sanctuary comprises 268 acres (108 ha) of native forest, granite, spring-fed streams and a moderate 1/4 mile trail to a 90-foot (27 m) waterfall. There are over 200 species of rare wildflowers and plants. There are also mosses, lichens, shrubs and trees in this glen, which is classified as a deciduous climax forest. Pearson's Falls is owned and maintained by The Tryon Garden Club, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. Pearson's Falls was named for a young engineer, Charles William Pearson, who scouted the mountains for what was to become the Southern Railroad. A military man, farmer, and an engineer, Captain Pearson bought the Glen as part of a large tract of land that he wanted for his family. In 1931, the Tryon Garden Club bought the property in order to preserve this unique mountain Glen. Although open to the public, the property remains under the ownership and protection of the Tryon Garden Club. Over 17,000 people visit Pearson's Falls each year. Pearson's Falls is a wildflower and wildlife preserve and an outdoor laboratory for botany and biology students from the surrounding colleges and universities, and the site of frequent field trips for local science classes. Pearson's Falls is designated as a North Carolina National Heritage Site of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, a North Carolina Birding Trail Site, and is placed in the Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Gardens. The botanical preserve is made up of spring-fed streams and 268 acres (108 ha) of native forest. In addition, the wildlife preserve features more than 200 species of fern, algae, flowering plants, and mosses. The waterfall's water source is Colt Creek, and the trail leading up to the waterfall is roughly three-tenths of a mile. Using a scale of 0–10, with 0 being easy and 10 being very difficult, the difficulty of the trail is listed as a 3. The waterfall is not wheelchair accessible. The waterfall is not dog friendly. Only service animals are allowed.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q18156736, matched on coordinates and name (586 m apart).
What the record says
- Height
- 27 m
What to expect
How to reach it
- 0.5 mi off the Pacolet River Byway
- 5.4 mi off the Historic Flat Rock Scenic Byway
- 6.3 mi off the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, National
- 12.3 mi off the Black Mountain Rag
Overlooks nearby
- Glassy Mountain Overlook · 8 mi
- Devil's Head · 16 mi
- Exclamation Point · 16 mi
- Opera Box · 16 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Pacolet Falls: 1.2 mi
- Leland Falls: 1.2 mi
- Big Fall Creek Falls: 2.0 mi
- Upper Melrose Falls: 2.0 mi
- Melrose Falls: 2.1 mi
- Cedar Mountain: 1.3 mi
- Mine Mountain: 1.6 mi
- Mountain Page: 1.6 mi
- Blakes Peak: 1.8 mi
- Little Mountain: 2.1 mi
- McCreery Park: 1.6 mi
- Harmon Field: 5.0 mi
- Rogers Park: 5.3 mi
- Tuxedo Park: 5.3 mi
- Woodland Park: 5.5 mi
- Ruins Of A Portable Saw Mill: 3.7 mi
- Blue Ridge Forest Clubhouse: 3.9 mi
- Chestnut Spring Pool: 3.9 mi
- Blue Ridge Forest Tennis Courts: 3.9 mi
- Blue Ridge Forest Swimming Pool: 4.0 mi
- Pollinator Garden: 7.6 mi
- O’Neal Community Garden: 15.5 mi
- Butterfly Garden: 20.5 mi
- Asia Garden: 20.6 mi
- Janie Earle Furman Rose Garden: 20.9 mi
- Saluda Historic Depot and Museum: 1.7 mi
- Tryon Historical Museum: 5.5 mi
- Polk County History Museum: 8.1 mi
- House of Flags: 8.2 mi
- Western North Carolina Air Museum: 8.4 mi
- Pacolet River Passenger Car: 8.5 mi
- Historical Downtown: 9.9 mi
- Southern X793: 10.0 mi
- Ride Rock Creek - Mountain Bike Park: 10.3 mi
- Elijah Mountain Gem Mine And Crystal Store: 12.1 mi
- Orange Bear: 9.9 mi
- Maria: 12.5 mi
- Lake Robinson RV Park: 15.4 mi
- Globe: 15.9 mi
- Springtime in TR: 18.4 mi
- Cedar Cliff: 2.5 mi
- Glassy Rock: 5.4 mi
- High Rocks: 11.3 mi
- Jump Off Rock: 12.8 mi
- Long Rock: 13.1 mi
- Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve: 6.6 mi
- Bat Fork Bog Site: 9.0 mi
- Green Mountain Preserve: 14.7 mi
- Triple Oak Farm: 16.1 mi
- Lake Lure Green Space: 16.2 mi
- Lenox Spring: 9.9 mi
- Crystal Spring: 11.1 mi
- Chick Springs: 19.9 mi
- I-26 Buncombe County Rest Area: 18.2 mi
- I-26 Henderson County Rest Area: 18.2 mi
- Lake Powhatan Beach: 24.6 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 7.5 miles of Pearson's Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tryon Peak | NE 56° | 986 m | 6.3 mi |
| Hogback Mountain | SE 140° | 978 m | 3.9 mi |
| Corbin Mountain | WSW 240° | 924 m | 6.4 mi |
| Rich Mountain | S 180° | 922 m | 4.1 mi |
| Bryant Mountain | S 188° | 921 m | 5.0 mi |
| Frank Mountain | WSW 250° | 894 m | 7.5 mi |
| Hoghead Mountain | SSE 162° | 893 m | 3.7 mi |
| McAlpine Mountain | WNW 289° | 892 m | 6.0 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:34 | 19:08 | 19:41 |
| June solstice | 06:16 | 20:10 | 20:48 |
| September equinox | 07:18 | 18:54 | 19:28 |
| December solstice | 07:35 | 16:42 | 17:22 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Mar–Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 41 | 44 | 51 | 60 | 67 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 71 | 61 | 51 | 44 |
| Precip in | 5.3 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 6.0 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Tryon, 5 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Dec–May — fullest in Feb, leanest in Jul.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 18.4 | 22.4 | 17.7 | 17.9 | 20.0 | 14.6 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 13.5 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 15.3 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge North Saluda River Near Highland, SC, 4 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element node/5443690822
Day trips start here
- Asheville · 28 mi
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