We were pretty much “earth-bound” on this last trip to Western North Carolina. Rain and then snow fell but our spirits were bright. The Blue Ridge Parkway was closed. Big Sigh from me. I wanted to hike to the upper falls at Graveyard Fields but that did not happen. We did find a couple of things to do that were worthy of a photo or two. On this day, it was a visit to Soco Falls and then on to Cherokee to hunt down the Elk.

Double waterfalls are a rarity and Soco Falls is a hidden gem! If you are in the area, be sure to check this one out. It’s located just a short walk off Soco Road (Highway 19) between Maggie Valley in North Carolina and Cherokee. I had seen photographs of the falls and wondered if I could capture it the way I wanted. I did okay, but I think it’s safe to say that I’ll revisit it in the summer.

Bloggers write that the short trail down is steep, but it’s not really. (Of course, right now, I compare everything to Waterrock Knob.) The trail was wet, so we decided not to “run” down. . . . And what a wonderful treat we had at the viewing deck. The falls is beautiful and a little like Duke Creek Falls.

I actually handed off my camera to a “friendly” stranger and asked her to take a group photo of us. She did but she also wanted to make sure the falls were in the photo along with the railing!

For a closer view, you can continue down a steep trail from the deck to the base of the waterfalls. This section is steep and slippery. There are some major climbing ropes looped around trees to help you access the base of the falls. I chose not to go all the way down simply because it was too wet!

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