Crabtree falls is a waterfall in the Pisgah National forest along Blue Ridge parkway. It is located in the Crabtree Falls & Meadows recreation area at milepost 339.5 of Blue Ridge parkway. The recreation area is pretty big with a visitor center, amphitheatre and pretty nice campground. The trailhead is at the visitor center and passes along the amphitheatre, campground registration station and the campground before delving into the woods. About quarter 500-600 yards into the trail we encountered two stairways. The trail is very nice and quite and not very difficult. There is a fair bit of elevation loss around 700-800 feet but it is not strenuous. The hike to the fall is about 2.5 miles roundtrip. there is also an option to continue hiking past the falls to complete the loop to the parking lot, the mileage being about 3.5 miles for the loop. The falls are pretty and if you are so inclined you can get wet standing under the falls or just get your feet wet in the small puddle generated by the falls. There is a small footbridge right in front of the falls which is a perfect spot for picture. The hike is fairly easy, the only difficulty could be the rocks on the trail which could be slippery on a wetter day. It took us around 45 mins to reach the falls at a very relaxing pace. I was back in 25 mins as I scrambled back to keep my camera from getting wet due to the rain that showed up suddenly. In summary this is a nice 2-3 mile hike if you are looking for a quick hike along the parkway. Based on your speed and inclination the hike can be completed within 2-3 hours including ample time at the waterfall.
No comments:
Post a Comment