Scoping out some nature trails to get back into the swing of chasing waterfalls this year in North Carolina? Combine a scenic adventure on the Blue Ridge Parkway with a short 0.8-mile hike (round trip!) to stand only inches from the rushing water cascading down a majestic 200-foot waterfall located right off the parkway.

Cascades Falls is found within E.B. Jeffress Park located at mile marker 272.5 on the parkway, near Deep Gap.
Google Local/Shirley Johnston
This lovely park also includes picnic tables that have a spectacular view. Pack a lunch and plan to refuel after your short hike down to the overlook of Cascade Falls.
The trail begins at the park and has a total elevation change of 121 feet.
Google Local/Mike D
Expect some steep stairs as you descend down to the overlook. Most people can complete this trail in under 30 minutes but allowing for extra time at the overlook is always a good idea.
What better place to build a waterfall overlook than steps from the falling water?! We love the stone opera box perch that is a signature of many overlooks on the Parkway.
Google Local/Joe Hill
Of course, the volume of water flowing down this 200-foot cascade depends on recent rainfall amounts but after a hard rain, you may even feel some misty drops spraying on your face, since the overlook is so close to the action.
Look up in awe as the water flows from high above.
alltrails/Justin P
The tumble includes free falling sections as well as tumbling cascades. Watch as it passes right by your face and...
... continues it's trek down to the W. Kerr Scott Reservoir and, eventually, into the Yadkin River.
Google Maps/ThE WooD HeaD BoB
If there's one single must-visit waterfall on the Blue Ridge Parkway that's also easy to get to, it's this one!
Google Local/August Vanderdonckt
As mentioned, there are some narrow steps— but luckily, the trail is short so it's not terribly difficult. In fact, AllTrails gives this trail an overall rating of 'easy.'
alltrails/Bobby LaTour
Handrails that blend in with the trail's natural beauty are provided on most of the steps, making it easier to be sure of your footing on the way down — and on the way back up.
Be sure snap a photo on the fairy tale footbridge that crosses Falls Creek.
alltrails/David Hobbs
One thing worth mentioning here is to yield to all of the park signs and don't venture beyond the overlooks. There have been fatalities here, especially when people venture out of the waterfall overlooks.
If you're already planning your next adventure on the Blue Ridge Parkway, be sure to add E.B. Jeffries Park and The Cascades Trail to your agenda.
Google Maps
E.B. Jeffress Park is located at mile market 272.5, near Deep Gap.

As a mere point of reference, the park is located 15 miles east of Boone, 80 miles west of Winston Salem, and 110 miles from Charlotte. For more great ways to enjoy a day trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, check out 15 of the Parkway’s best kept secrets, and take a look at 19 North Carolina tunnels found on the Parkway!

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E.B. Jeffress Park-The Cascades Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 272.5, Purlear, NC 28665, USA