Trail status (checked September 2026) — conditions change; confirm with the managing agency before you go.
- Mount Mitchell State Park is open but reachable only from the Asheville side of the Blue Ridge Parkway while Helene repairs continue north of the park. A section of the Old Mitchell Trail (park office to the Camp Alice Trail junction) and several connecting Pisgah National Forest trails were still closed. Source: NC State Parks
- The Catawba Falls loop reopened after Hurricane Helene, but the upper viewing platform and the Wildflower Trail were still closed for repairs. Source: U.S. Forest Service
- After Hurricane Helene, the Big Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains is open only as far as Mouse Creek Falls; the section beyond, including the route to Walnut Bottom, is closed. Source: National Park Service
Not every waterfall trail in Western North Carolina welcomes dogs, and the reason usually comes down to who manages the land rather than how pretty the trail is. National forest trails almost always allow leashed dogs. National park trails inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park almost never do. State parks fall somewhere in between, usually allowing leashed pets on established trails but not in swimming areas. This page sorts through the verified waterfall hikes in our WNC Trails database and picks the ones that actually make sense to bring a dog on — factoring in land manager policy, footing, shade, and whether there’s a spot for your dog to cool off without you having to police a crowded swimming hole. If you’re deciding between a quick roadside overlook and a longer loop with your dog in tow, this list should save you some guesswork.
Best Dog Friendly Waterfall Hikes
1. Looking Glass Falls
This is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the eastern US, and the reason it works so well for dogs is that you barely have to hike at all. The overlook sits right off US-276 in Pisgah National Forest, with a short paved path down to a view of the 60-foot drop. Good pick if your dog is older, recovering from something, or you just want a payoff without a real trail commitment.
2. Moore Cove Falls Trail
About 1.5 miles round trip, easy to moderate, this Pisgah National Forest trail leads to a 50-foot waterfall you can actually walk behind. The trailhead is a pullout on US-276 north of Brevard, and the path itself is mostly forested and shaded, which matters more than people think when you’re hiking with a dog in summer heat.
3. Catawba Falls Trail (loop)
This 3.5-mile loop is rated easy to intermediate and gives you a 205-foot lower falls plus an 80-foot upper falls. It’s in Pisgah National Forest, so leashed dogs are fine on the trail itself. One honest caveat: the loop reopened after Hurricane Helene, but the upper viewing platform and the Wildflower Trail were still closed at last check, so don’t plan the trip around reaching the very top.
4. Hooker Falls Trail
A short 0.4-mile trail in DuPont State Forest, foot traffic only, which means no bikes or horses competing for space with your dog. It’s one of the easiest waterfall walks in this whole cluster and a good option if you’re combining it with Triple Falls for a longer outing.
5. Triple Falls Trail
Also 0.4 miles and foot traffic only, this DuPont State Forest trail is usually hiked in combination with Hooker Falls since the trailheads connect. Both are wide, well-graded gravel paths that hold up fine for paws and strollers alike, which is part of why this stretch of DuPont draws families and dog walkers on weekends.
6. Graveyard Fields Loop
Off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 418.8, this is roughly 3.5 miles for the full loop including Upper Falls, though Second Falls is just a short walk from the overlook if you want less mileage. Leashed pets are generally fine on Blue Ridge Parkway trails, and the mile-high valley setting is a genuine change of scenery from typical Pisgah forest hikes. The tradeoff is the overlook lot fills early on weekends and during fall color, so this isn’t the pick if you’re trying to avoid other dogs and people.
7. Toms Creek Falls Trail
Near Marion, this is about 0.8 miles round trip, easy, and mostly flat, leading to an approximately 80-foot waterfall. It’s a solid choice for a dog that isn’t up for a long hike but still deserves a real destination at the end.
8. Roaring Fork Falls
In Yancey County below Mount Mitchell, this is a short walk on an old forest road to a cascade of roughly 45 feet on Roaring Fork. Published mileage varies depending on the source, so treat this as a short, easy outing rather than planning around an exact number. Old forest roads tend to be wide and forgiving underfoot, which is a plus for dogs that aren’t used to rocky singletrack.
9. Dry Falls Trail
At just 0.11 miles, this Cullasaja Gorge trail in Nantahala National Forest is barely a hike, but the stairs that let you walk behind the 75-foot waterfall are the whole draw. Keep dogs leashed and close here — the stairs get wet from spray and can be slick, which is more of a concern with four legs pulling in different directions than it is for a person walking alone.
10. Glen Falls Trail
This 0.60-mile Nantahala National Forest trail passes three separate waterfalls, and the third has a family-friendly swimming hole, which makes it one of the better options on this list if you want your dog to actually get in the water rather than just look at it from a trail.
How We Ranked These
Four things mattered most when narrowing this list down from the full verified trail set. First, land manager policy: national forest and Blue Ridge Parkway trails generally allow leashed dogs, national park trails inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park generally do not, and we excluded anything falling into that second category even though the waterfalls themselves are excellent. Second, trail surface and footing, since a wide gravel path is a very different experience for a dog than a narrow, root-covered scramble with a steep drop-off. Third, water access, because a dog that’s put in the effort to hike often wants a chance to cool off at the end, and not every waterfall trail offers a safe spot for that. Fourth, current condition reports — several waterfall trails in this region are still dealing with closures or partial access issues from Hurricane Helene, and we left those off this particular list even when the waterfall itself sounds appealing, because sending a reader and their dog to a partially closed trail isn’t useful.
Parking and Trailhead Reality
Roadside pullouts like the ones at Moore Cove Falls and Looking Glass Falls fill up fast on weekends, especially during leaf season, and there’s no real overflow lot at either — you either get a spot or you circle back later. Graveyard Fields has a dedicated lot at the overlook, but it’s one of the most popular stops on this stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway and fills early on weekends. DuPont State Forest’s Hooker Falls and Triple Falls trailheads have more formal parking areas, but they’re still shared with a lot of foot traffic on nice days. If you’re hiking with a dog and want to avoid the stress of circling a packed lot with an anxious animal in the car, aim for early morning or a weekday, especially for anything within an hour of Asheville or Brevard.
Seasonal Notes
Summer heat is the bigger concern for dogs than winter cold on most of these trails, since shaded forest paths like Moore Cove and Glen Falls stay cooler than open overlooks like Graveyard Fields. Fall color season brings heavier crowds to nearly everything on the Blue Ridge Parkway, including Graveyard Fields, so if your dog doesn’t do well around a lot of strangers and other leashed dogs on a narrow trail, that’s worth avoiding in October. Winter can bring icy conditions on stair sections like Dry Falls or the loop sections at Catawba Falls, and ice plus an excited dog is a genuinely bad combination on stone steps. Always check current conditions before you go, since several of these areas have had storm-related closures that come and go.
Access Notes
Keep dogs leashed on every trail in this list — it’s both the rule on national forest and state land and just common sense around waterfalls, since wet rock at the top of a 50-to-200-foot drop is not the place to test a dog’s recall. A few of these trails, like Catawba Falls, have sections still closed post-Helene, so don’t assume the whole loop or platform is open just because the trailhead is accessible. If you’re combining Hooker Falls and Triple Falls in DuPont State Forest, bring water for your dog regardless of season, since the connector trail between them has stretches with limited shade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are dogs allowed on Blue Ridge Parkway waterfall trails?
Generally yes, on a leash. Graveyard Fields is a good example — it’s managed as part of the Parkway and Pisgah National Forest, and leashed pets are a normal sight there.
Can I bring my dog to waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
No, not realistically. Trails inside the national park, including the ones leading to Deep Creek’s waterfalls and Mouse Creek Falls via Big Creek Trail, do not allow dogs, which is why neither made this list despite being solid waterfall hikes for people without pets.
Is Sliding Rock a good spot to bring a dog?
It’s not on this list because it’s a supervised swimming area with a day-use fee and lifeguards during the season, and swim areas like this often restrict dogs in the water even when they’re fine on the surrounding trail. Check current rules before assuming your dog can join you in the pool.
Which of these trails is easiest for an older or less active dog?
Looking Glass Falls and Dry Falls Trail both involve very little walking to reach a real waterfall view, making them the least demanding options on this list.
Do any of these trails let my dog actually swim?
Glen Falls Trail is the standout here, with a swimming hole at the third of its three waterfalls. A few others have shallow pool access near the base of the falls, but conditions change with water levels, so check current conditions before counting on it.
If none of these quite match what you’re after — whether that’s more mileage, a shorter walk, or something closer to a specific town — you can browse every verified trail in our directory at /directory-category/trails-hiking/, filtered by difficulty, distance, and current conditions. As always, check conditions before you head out, since storm damage and seasonal closures continue to affect several of these areas.
Related Pages
This guide is part of our best waterfall hikes in North Carolina series, built only on officially verified trail data.
