American Travel Journal: Looking Glass Falls

Looking Glass Falls on Looking Glass Creek is located roadside on Pisgah Highway, US 276. The falls are 60 feet high and about 30 feet wide.

From the intersection of US 64, US 276 and NC 280 east of Brevard, drive 5.6 miles north on Pisgah Highway, US 276, to a parallel parking lot on the right side of the road. There are paved spots for about 30 vehicles. A sidewalk provides access to the roadside viewpoint. Although not signed for handicap parking, a curb ramp is located between the northernmost two parking spots to allow wheelchair access to the roadside viewpoint. Just south of the paved area is a gravel strip with space for another dozen or more parallel parked vehicles. This area is often congested and parking is at a premium. When leaving, continue driving north to a signed location for turning around as making a u-turn from the parking area is not advised.

Sixty-four concrete steps lead to a middle viewing area and another 31 concrete steps (95 total) lead to a lower viewpoint just above the creek bank. With a nice plunge basin below the falls and its roadside accessibility, Looking Glass Falls is one of the most popular locations in the forest. On summer afternoons, there are so many people in the creek that it seems as crowded as a municipal swimming pool. I stopped one afternoon on my July 2017 visit and decided to come back the next morning to avoid the crowds. Arriving about 8 AM, I found that I had the place almost to myself as I encountered only three other visitors during my stop.