Waterfalls | Cherokee, NC

How will Cherokee affect you?

They make relaxation tapes that sound like our waterfalls. Little wonder.

All you need is the lullaby of falling waters from the river boulders above to fill you with a vast sense of peace. It’s true; there is nothing quite like the powerful drug of a waterfall to put everything in its place again. Through its thundering tumult, you can almost see the water bears bounding through the spray into an ancient dream.

Mingo Falls

Arguably the most stunning cascade in the region, Mingo Falls will hold your attention for hours. So bring a picnic, recline on the rocks, and bask in the iridescent spray. Your friends will certainly be impressed by the pictures, yet even more so if you can recount a good Cherokee legend to go along with them. Will it be the water bears or the storm spirits? You can imagine the Aniyvdaqualosgi up in the sky above the falls as you listen to the thundering of the water. Just try to be grumpy here; you’ll find it’s just about impossible.

Directions: From the Saunooke Village shopping area in downtown Cherokee, drive north on Big Cove Road approximately 5 miles (past the KOA Campground) to the Mingo Falls parking lot.

Soco Falls 

Find your bliss at another soul-stirring destination: the dramatic Soco Falls. Get your feet wet and remember the stories about the Yunwi Tsunsdi, the small spirit folk who sometimes help humans find their ways in ancient Cherokee stories. They’ll help you find your way here and back if you let them, with a head filled with new stories of your own and the glistening memories of nature at its most picturesque.

Directions: 11 miles east of Cherokee on US 19 towards Maggie Valley you'll find Soco Falls on your right. There's a small unmarked pullout and a short walk leads you to a viewing platform for Soco Falls and another smaller falls. Coming from Maggie Valley, it's 1.5 miles west from the Blue Ridge Parkway and will be on your left.

Waterfalls


Soco Falls

One of the many Cherokee waterways, Soco Falls is a cascading masterpiece for those who journey to its resting place in the heart of Cherokee. Take a moment, and revel in the lush wilderness that surrounds you. You may find it difficult to leave a place that seems so secluded, while only being a short distance away from the rest of Cherokee.


Mingo Falls

Arguably the most stunning cascade in the region, Mingo Falls will hold your attention for hours. So bring a picnic, recline on the rocks, and bask in the iridescent spray. Your friends will certainly be impressed by the pictures, yet even more so if you can recount a good Cherokee legend to go along with them. Will it be the water bears or the storm spirits? You can imagine the Aniyvdaqualosgi up in the sky above the falls as you listen to the thundering of the water. Just try to be grumpy here; you’ll find it’s just about impossible. 

Directions: From the Saunooke Village shopping area in downtown Cherokee, drive north on Big Cove Road approximately 5 miles (past the KOA Campground) to the Mingo Falls parking lot. 


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