Sliding Rock, NC -
Located in
the Heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina
Most fun
you'll ever have on a dollar... several hours.
Initial
terror anticipation... about 10 minutes.
5 octaves
higher on your voice level... 1 millisecond!
Yeah, it's
that cold...
November
4, 2010
by Rick Morris
If you visit
the mountains of western North Carolina, there is certainly
one place you do not want to overlook. It's called
Sliding Rock!
Located near
Brevard, just 7 miles past Looking Glass Falls, you'll find
an enchanted water hole with a 60-foot slippery rock lying
before it. Generations of thrill-seeking people have
slid down our infamous Sliding Rock, compliments the
fast-flowing, bone-chilling, clean water! Some have
even made the rock a summer pilgrimage, having visited it
year after year... for generations. If you live in
western North Carolina, and chiefly Brevard, you already
understand this area is America's "Land of Waterfalls".
In fact, Transylvania County (yeah, spooky name) has about
250 waterfalls worth checking out.
Living in
Canton, NC most of my life, I grew up in a family who was
always enjoying the great outdoors of the
Blue Ridge
Mountains. Our town is fortunately located just across
Cold Mountain (yeah, the one in the movie) from Brevard.
Every summer, on a Sunday afternoon during August, we spent
the day with family and friends at the
Pink Beds/Cradle of
Forestry picnic area, just a few miles up the mountain from
Sliding Rock. After a good ole fashioned barbecue, we
would always cool off at Sliding Rock. I call it "the
most fun you'll have all day on a dollar!"
Technically a
waterfall, Sliding Rock consists of (1) a slippery,
billion-year-old rock, flushed each minute with about 10,000
gallons of drinkable water, and (2) the "pool" at the
bottom. It was created by nature, via millenniums of
erosion and ice ages, and fed by the Davidson River.
Sliding Rock
hasn't really changed much over the years. One can
only imagine the fun the native
Cherokee had at the rock
during the thousands of years before European settlers
arrived. Moreover, you can certainly deduce the time
spent on location by the original road crews who carved the
way for millions of visitors.
When I was a
kid (in the 1970s) I recall how we generally parked our cars
on the edge of the twisty mountain road and simply walked a
short beaten path to the upper edge of the rock.
Today,
Sliding Rock NC is more than that. To the disdain of some
and appreciation of others, it has become an official park, maintained by the
great U.S. Forest Service. Your $1 entrance fee
(Memorial Day - Labor Day) gets you a parking place,
bathrooms, changing rooms, and life guards (during business
hours). The short path to the pool is now partly paved and there are two
viewing locations - a large deck at the bottom of the slide
behind the 7-foot deep pool, and a small one near the top.
If you only want to jump in the pool, there are steps
leading the way. And, don't worry about the walk back
to the top of the slide. You have very secure hand
railing to hold and that edge of the rock most often isn't
wet.
If only Dad
and the kids want to take a slide while Mom snaps wild-eyed
photos from the observation deck, all will never forget the
day. There's even an area where the pool drains
(continuing the Davidson River) in which the toddlers can
wade and hunt for crayfish and other river critters.
When you've got your fill, you can head down the mountain
and stop at one of the many quaint roadside pull-offs to
drop a burger on the grill, sit around a camp fire and laugh
at the recent video footage of little Billie making "number
two" in the wading pool, or Dad doing showing off his
infamous Olympic-style "doggie paddle".
During the
summer, and especially on the weekends, you may want to get
to the park early, as it will be crowded. Think about
it... where else in the world can you have so much fun in
nature for a dollar? Plus, it still gets in the mid to
upper- 80s (degrees F) during the summer at that elevation,
so visitors are a plenty.
Unlike the
nearby Looking Glass Falls (where several people have died
after slipping off the restricted area at the top), Sliding
Rock welcomes the adventurous-minded thrill seeker.
If all you want to do is just cool off in the fresh,
spraying mist, or the waist-deep pool, or simply snap a
photo of one of America's most beautiful waterfalls, Looking
Glass Falls is for you. But, if you want a
breath-taking ride and get wet while doing it,
Sliding Rock NC is your destination. Actually, you can
enjoy both locations in a single day, as they are within a few
miles of each other (along with dozens of other waterfalls).
Oh, there is
one place we would always stop at the end of the day, but I
don't recall the name of the business. I'll have to
get back with you on that. It's arguably the best
ice-cream shop on the continent and is located at the first
intersection you come to at the bottom of the mountain... on
the left before the red light. Ah, the memories!
How to Get to Sliding
Rock NC
Getting here
is easy. Simply take Highway 276, North from
Brevard.
You'll pass Looking Glass Falls on the right - which
incidentally, you may want to stop and snap a photo or
perhaps swim below America's most relaxing, accessible
waterfall. 7
1/2 miles later, you'll see all the commotion! Have
your $1 (per person) ready and turn left into the park.
My last visit I paid just $5 for the car load (7 people).
After you pay at the drive-thru booth, find a parking spot
and grab your cameras and towels! Oh, if you arrive by
accident and don't have swim suits - no worries! Just
do as us country folk do and hit the slide anyway!
It's actually advisable to throw on a pair of shorts or blue
jeans to save you some potential embarrassment (portions of
the "simi-" flat rock have been known to grab at your
clothes).
Regardless,
I've seen everything from a pair of overhauls to a wedding
dress come down the slide. Be forewarned, though.
I've also seen a few pair of swim trunks and bikini tops not
make the 8-second voyage completely! And, during the
late evenings on warm summer nights, I've also heard tell of
local folks intentionally doing it "skinny" style! If
you don't follow what I'm saying, I understand. It's a
country thing.
Don't expect
to gain entrance if the water is high or if inclement
weather (primarily weather with lightning) is present.
If you arrive after 5:30 pm, there are no life guards, nor
an entrance fee. Just keep in mind that should you
smack your head or drink more water than ordinarily
required, you'll have to be serviced by the Brevard Fire
Department and medics, perhaps 10 to 15 minutes away.
So, always swim and slide safely, as it will be at your own
risk.
Oh, and remember, if you are used to hot tubs, spas, heated
pools and similar pampered aquatics, Sliding Rock may not be
for you. Some swear that if you go down Sliding Rock a
man, you may come out a woman!
Sliding Rock NC Map
When you are
in the area, there are several ways to get to sliding rock.
Essentially, you can come up the mountain from
Brevard NC,
or across the other side from
Waynesville NC and
Canton NC. The park
is located along NC Highway 276. Here is a regional
map to Sliding Rock NC...
And, here is a
closer view of a Sliding Rock NC Map...
If you want to
see more of what the area has to offer try visiting some of
these locations...
Waynesville NC - Nice small town environment, friendly
people, and quaint shops line downtown
Waynesville NC. There are plenty of
cabin rentals, bed and
breakfast and inns to stay while you enjoy views of the Blue
Ridge Mountains. About 45 minutes from Sliding Rock
NC.
Maggie Valley NC - Just minutes from Waynesville is the
attractive town of Maggie Valley NC. Visit the Wheels
Through Time museum and discover the earliest in American
motorcycles. Visit the local zoo, or take a snap shot
of the valley from a tower at the top of the valley.
Craft shops, ice cream parlors and other shops line Maggie
Valley. Stay at a
Maggie Valley cabin rental near a stream.
Gatlinburg TN - The brother of the man who invented the
Gatlin Gun is the namesake for this beautiful Tennessee
town. Perhaps the most visited small town in the
South. Lots of fun to be had.
Rent a cabin, visit
Ripley's Believe it or Not and other Ripley's attractions.
Ski Ober Gatlinburg. Lots of fun. If you are
from the Southeast and haven't been to Gatlinburg TN, you
gotta plan a trip today! About 2 hours from Sliding
Rock NC.
Pigeon Forge TN - If you have ever heard of Dollywood
Theme Park, this is where it's located. Neat little
attraction with plenty of fun to be had. Nice
selection of roller coasters at Dollywood. But, there
is a lot more going on in
Pigeon Forge TN than Dollywood. Similar to
Gatlinburg. Just 10 miles from Gatlinburg.
November
4, 2010
