Elk River Falls are located in Western North Carolina, right along the border of Tennessee. The hike from the parking area is super short but there are a lot of smaller game trails heading off in all directions from the Falls. The sound of the falls make it easy to keep your bearings and find your way back to the river.
This photo was captured with a Sony a6300 and then converted to a Plotagraph.
Banner Elk is named for the Elk River and the Banner family, who established the first permanent settlement in 1848.
The Elk River and Shawneehaw Creek merge at Mill Pond. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Banner Elk and the surrounding towns, you won't be disappointed!
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300 and then converted to a Plotagraph.
This is one of hundreds of waterfalls hidden throughout Beech Mountain. In most places, hikes end with a waterfall but they're so abundant on Beech Mountain that several start with one, too. That's the case here. There's even a picnic table at the base of the pond for a little lunch before you set off into the forest.
This photo was captured with a Sony a6300.
Lower Pond Creek Trail follows a powerful creek as water rushes down the mountain from Lake Coffey above. The hike can be difficult when wet because the banks often pitch dramatically into the rushing creek. The creek itself follows a steep pitch as well and is really more a series of interconnected rapids and waterfalls than a creek. While many of the rapids look like inviting slip 'n slides, they are probably too treacherous — not to mention cold — to slide down.
If you would like to hike Lower Pond Creek Trail, check out our rental mountain chalet, located right next to the ski village on Beech Mountain.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
We took a new hiking path on Beech Mountain last week and ended up on a very muddy, somewhat difficult path that ran alongside a creek that was pretty much a continuous waterfall for hundreds of yards (probably more but we had to turn around with no end in sight). We're going to have to push further next time to see if we can find the end of it. It probably feeds into the Elk River at some point way down the mountain.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
Elk River Falls are located in Western North Carolina, right along the border of Tennessee. The hike from the parking area is super short but there are a lot of smaller game trails heading off in all directions from the Falls. The sound of the falls make it easy to keep your bearings and find your way back to the river.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
The Falls Trail hiking trail follows Falls Creek around the Buckeye Recreation Center on Beech Mountain. It's a one-mile, family-friendly hiking trail with a lot of interesting sights along the way. If you'd like to hike the Falls Trail — or the more difficult trails of the Emerald Outback — this summer, check out our mountain chalet, Slopeside.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
The Falls Trail loop hike is a relatively easy, family-friendly loop trail on Beech Mountain. You can pick up the trailhead at the Buckeye Recreation Center. If you'd like to visit the Falls on Beech Mountain, check out our Beech Mountain chalet, Slopeside.
This video was captured with a DJI Phantom 2 drone with a GoPro Hero 4+ Black.
Banner Elk is named for the Elk River and the Banner family, who established the first permanent settlement in 1848.
The Elk River and Shawneehaw Creek merge at Mill Pond. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Banner Elk and the surrounding towns, you won't be disappointed!
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
