Charles Runge / AllTrails The waterfall is made up of six different sections, and the beautiful Lower Falls can be accessed via a 2-mile trail. A dramatic 200 ft. drop, these falls are the highest in eastern America. The trail continues to the base of the falls, but there’s no waterfall view from the bottom, and the return hike climbs the same 400 feet that the falls plunges. The rugged terrain around these two waterfalls remains wild and undeveloped. The last 0.2 miles are the steepest, before it suddenly levels out, turns right, and reaches the observation platform for Lower Whitewater Falls at 2.4 miles. Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to a report of a small plane crash approximately 6 miles west of Clingmans Dome at approximately 11 a.m. on Friday, April 10. Back on the highway and just past the South Carolina line, parking for the 1.7-mile hike to Lower Whitewater Falls is inside a gate for the Bad Creek Hydro Station. A lower overlook is located at the bottom of 154 wooden steps. Continuing on from there, the old roadbed heads into private property towards the riding stables that are on Hwy 281.And, I ended the first day's hike with a bushwhack down to where the remains of a small, single engine 4-seater plane crash still lie on the very steep hillside. trail back to the Whitewater Falls overlook. Lower Whitewater Falls is an incredibly beautiful waterfall. Lower Whitewater Falls. Meanwhile, the trail itself gets consistently steeper as it plunges downhill towards Lower Whitewater Falls. The parking lot, and part of the trails in this area, are maintained by Duke Energy Co. From this trailhead, you can h Lower Whitewater Falls, located just across the border in South Carolina, drops another 400 feet. The single occupant of the plane, Georg Kustermann, 47, of Georgia, deployed the plane… Gap 9:30 AM Hike 7, Drive 120, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated B-B Marcia Bromberg, 828-505-0471, mwbromberg@yahoo.com WC100 We will follow the Foothills Trail west from the NC 281 parking lot to Round Mtn. A veteran member of the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad died Tuesday while searching for a Rowan County hiker who fell into the water near Whitewater Falls in … From Gap, then follow the Round Mtn. GPS coordinates to parking area: N 35.01246 W 082.99911 We explored the wreckage and took photos before continuing. The crash site is near scenic Whitewater Falls, between U.S. 64 and the South Carolina border. Along the way to the base of Lower Whitewater Falls lies the remains of a small plane, which crashed in 1972, killing all four of its passengers. Lower Whitewater Falls trail is located off of Bad Creek Rd. The Lower Falls (in South Carolina) is about half-mile down the Whitewater River from the Upper Falls (in North Carolina). However, cross in front of the parking lot and you'll notice the blue-blazed posts heading down the gravel road to the left. Upper Whitewater Falls, near Cashiers, drops over 411 feet and is the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains. Upper Whitewater Falls – Round Mtn. Whitewater Falls is the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains, and it's shared between South Carolina and North Carolina. The trail to the overlook is a dangerous 1.7 mile trek. ), 4.) From the plane, moderately steep bushwhacking took us down to the base of Lower Whitewater Falls. Whitewater Falls near the NC-SC border (Wikimedia Commons) Jackson County Sheriff Hall says the call came in around 9:30 p.m. on May 4 in reference to a person who had possibly fallen from the falls.