Upper Whitewater Falls
Upper Whitewater Falls is a waterfall in North Carolina, at a modelled elevation of 785 m. Toxaway Mountain stands 1,452 m to the north-northeast, 6.9 miles off. The nearest named place is Corbin Creek Falls, a waterfall 0.3 miles away. Whitewater Way runs past it.
The story
Upper Whitewater Falls is a waterfall in North Carolina on the Whitewater River. As with most of North Carolina's waterfalls, it is in the mountainous area of the state. There is a cluster of falls in the area where the borders of Georgia and the Carolinas come together. Whitewater Falls is part of that group, very close to the South Carolina border. According to the U.S. Forest Service, "With a 411-foot plunge, Upper Whitewater Falls in North Carolina is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies." However, this claim is likely exaggerated, and the actual height is likely closer to 350–400 feet. Furthermore, several other waterfalls have contended to be the highest waterfall east of the Rockies, including Crabtree Falls in Virginia, Amicalola Falls in Georgia, and Glassmine Falls in North Carolina, which depends on the way waterfalls are defined and categorized.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q37480, matched on coordinates and name (33 m apart).
What the record says
- Height
- 125 m
How to reach it
- On the Whitewater Way
- 2.6 mi off the Oscar Wigington Scenic Byway
- 5.3 mi off the Waterfall Byway
- 9.2 mi off the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Whitewater Falls Viewing Platform · 1 mi
- Whitewater Falls Overlook · 1 mi
- Rainbow Falls · 5 mi
- Gorges Overlook · 6 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Corbin Creek Falls: 0.3 mi
- Waddle Branch Falls: 0.6 mi
- Portage Left Falls: 0.9 mi
- Wheelchair Accessable Falls: 1.0 mi
- Big Ledge Falls: 1.2 mi
- Grassy Knob: 0.7 mi
- Round Mountain: 1.3 mi
- Waddle Mountain: 1.3 mi
- Flat Mountain: 1.7 mi
- Whitewater Mountain: 2.0 mi
- Sloan Bridge Picnic Area: 3.1 mi
- Silver Run Falls: 3.4 mi
- Bootleg Access Area: 5.8 mi
- McKinney Meadow: 6.5 mi
- Cashiers Village Green Park: 7.1 mi
- Chattooga Cliffs: 6.0 mi
- Sheep Cliff: 8.2 mi
- Cedar Cliff: 8.5 mi
- Wildcat Cliffs: 8.8 mi
- Sunset Rock: 9.6 mi
- Highlands Nature Center: 9.7 mi
- World of Energy: 17.8 mi
- The Real American Tea Museum: 18.7 mi
- Oconee Military Museum at Patriots Hall: 19.0 mi
- Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina: 19.0 mi
- Air Force B25C Plane Crash Memorial: 6.0 mi
- General Pickens Monument: 11.0 mi
- Chattooga Town: 12.4 mi
- Oconee Station: 13.4 mi
- North Carolina Confederate Veterans Memorial Forest: 19.5 mi
- Bear Lake Reserve: 13.7 mi
- Oconee County Cage: 19.0 mi
- Judaculla Rock: 19.0 mi
- The Twelve Mile Defense Bear: 20.4 mi
- 12 Spies Vineyards: 20.9 mi
- Common Gardening: 16.3 mi
- Common Gardening: 16.3 mi
- Brevard Community Garden: 20.5 mi
- Rose Garden: 20.5 mi
- English Garden: 20.5 mi
- Ralph and Louise Sargent Preserve: 9.8 mi
- Kelsey Trail Preserve: 9.9 mi
- Satulah Mountain Preserves: 10.0 mi
- Brushy Face Preserve: 10.6 mi
- Warwoman Wildlife Management Area: 16.7 mi
- Sandstone Beach: 7.4 mi
- Sandbar Pool Beach: 9.1 mi
- North Beach: 14.9 mi
- South Beach: 16.2 mi
- Ear: 20.6 mi
- Chalice: 21.1 mi
- American Eclipse: 21.1 mi
- Wi: 21.2 mi
- Moody Spring: 7.5 mi
- Cool Spring: 8.4 mi
- Indian Spring: 22.5 mi
- South: 16.2 mi
- Coontree Picnic Area: 22.6 mi
- Sycamore Flats Picnic Area: 23.9 mi
- Smoky Mountain Visitor Center: 21.8 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 7.2 miles of Upper Whitewater Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toxaway Mountain | NNE 16° | 1,452 m | 6.9 mi |
| Chimneytop Mountain | NNW 330° | 1,401 m | 5.3 mi |
| Little Hogback Mountain | N 1° | 1,392 m | 7.1 mi |
| Hogback Mountain | N 1° | 1,386 m | 7.1 mi |
| Terrapin Mountain | WNW 285° | 1,357 m | 4.3 mi |
| Sassafras Mountain | NNW 342° | 1,335 m | 3.4 mi |
| Rocky Mountain | NNW 330° | 1,322 m | 6.0 mi |
| Bald Rock Mountain | N 353° | 1,276 m | 7.1 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:37 | 19:11 | 19:44 |
| June solstice | 06:19 | 20:13 | 20:50 |
| September equinox | 07:21 | 18:57 | 19:31 |
| December solstice | 07:37 | 16:46 | 17:25 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 37 | 40 | 45 | 53 | 60 | 67 | 70 | 69 | 64 | 54 | 46 | 39 |
| Precip in | 8.1 | 6.2 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 8.9 | 7.6 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 7.7 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Jocassee 8 WNW, 5 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Dec–May — fullest in Feb, leanest in Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 255 | 265 | 221 | 227 | 208 | 142 | 145 | 138 | 126 | 153 | 152 | 238 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Chattooga River AT Burrells Ford, NR Pine Mtn, GA, 7 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element node/403909513
Take the scenic way to Upper Whitewater Falls.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.