Choose Your Base Camp
Hiking Near Brevard, NC
Brevard bills itself as the Land of Waterfalls, and it earns it — Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Forest wrap around town, with more roadside and short-hike falls than anywhere else in the state.
Brevard is the trailhead town for the southern half of Pisgah. From the courthouse you're 15 minutes to the Davidson River corridor, 20 to Looking Glass Rock and Looking Glass Falls, and about 25 to the DuPont waterfalls that stood in for the Hunger Games. If your trip is built around waterfalls and granite domes, this is the base.
Downtown is small but covers the basics: an outfitter, a couple of coffee shops, a brewery, and the white squirrels the town is weirdly proud of.
Trails near Brevard
Bridal Veil Falls NC – Scenic Waterfall Hike Near Brevard
Cedar Rock NC – Strenuous Granite Dome Hike Near Brevard
High Falls NC – Scenic Waterfall Hike Near Brevard
Hooker Falls NC – Easy Family Friendly Waterfall Hike Near Brevard
John Rock NC – Forest and Overlook Hike Near Brevard
Looking Glass Rock NC – Scenic Summit Hike Near Brevard
Sliding Rock NC – Family Friendly Swimming Hole and Short Hike Near Brevard
Triple Falls NC – Popular Waterfall Hike Near BrevardWhere to camp
Davidson River Campground
The big one: Forest Service sites right on the river, two miles from town, walkable to the Art Loeb trailhead and a short drive to every Pisgah classic. Reserve early for summer weekends.
Ash Grove & NC-215
Smaller private and Forest Service options up NC-215 toward the higher country and the Shining Rock Wilderness.
DuPont-area campgrounds
Several family campgrounds off US-276 and Cascade Lake Road put you minutes from the High Falls and Triple Falls trailheads.
Getting there & when to go
Getting there
45 minutes southwest of Asheville on US-64, or the more scenic US-276 through Pisgah. About an hour from Greenville, SC. Nearest airport is Asheville (AVL), 40 minutes north.
Best season
Waterfalls run hardest in spring and after summer storms. April and May bring wildflowers along the Davidson River; October is peak color and peak traffic on US-276. Winter hikes are quiet and the falls often ice up.
Want the full picture before you drive?
Browse every WNC trail