Posted in North Carolina Nature September 05, 2020 by

Hike Through A Rain Forest Filled With Waterfalls At Gorges State Park In North Carolina

Spend a day in the depths of a lush rain forest in the Tar Heel State when you visit Gorges State Park near Sapphire. With an average annual rainfall of 80 inches, this unique locale gets nearly double the average rainfall of 45 inches the rest of the state receives. If you’ve always wanted to explore a rain forest, then here’s your chance!

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Gorges State Park has a rare geographic footprint that creates the rain forest found in the park.
TripAdvisor/Dan
The massive precipitation here is a direct result of what's called an orographic lift. Essentially, the park's terrain rises more than 2,000 feet in less than four miles. The swift elevation gain causes air masses to rise quickly to pass up and over the mountain peaks and ridges. As the air rises, a rapid cooling takes place. Cooler air masses can't hold humidity like warm masses can, so the resulting affect of the quick rise is a huge amount of precipitation.
If you've yet to make it to a rain forest in say, Central or South America, then you can experience one right here in North Carolina!
Google Maps/alex maldonado
The many trails within Gorges State Park dole out an extraordinary rain forest experience filled with lush, thick green canopies high overhead — and waterfalls seemingly around every bend.
TripAdvisor/bradybigalke
From small cascades to enormous falls pouring downstream, you'll find them here within this rain forest!
TripAdvisor/onemichael
More than 23 miles of trails wind through this temperate rain forest at Gorges State Park. They range in difficulty from easy to strenuous and difficult.
TripAdvisor/Dan
And making a day of exploring them is well worth the effort of pushing yourself a little harder to see as many rain forest waterfalls as possible.
AllTrails/Sarah James
As a bonus, North Carolina's Gorges State Park is located right on the border of North and South Carolina.
Google Maps
From the deck of the Visitor's Center, you can see all the way to Lake Jocassee in South Carolina!
TripAdvisor/Jody K

You can learn more about Gorges State Park’s trails and other amenities here. And when you’re ready to hike the many trails be sure to check them out in detail (including difficulty levels, elevation gains, and more) by visiting our friends at AllTrails.

Address: 976 Grassy Ridge Rd, Sapphire, NC 28774, USA