Horse Pasture River

USGS Map: Reid

Note: Waterfall deaths occur yearly in western NC - Do not approach the top of a waterfall!!

The Horsepasture River has a nice series of falls all in a short 1.5 mile stretch. The entire river is filled with rocks and cascades and is quite interesting. This is a great place to go waterfall hunting. The Horsepasture river can be accessed from Gorges State Park. The park is located on NC-281 between US-64 and the South Carolina border (From US 64 turn south at Sapphire on Route 181.).

The Horsepasture River is actually outside of the park. You can park at the park's parking area, and then walk back to NC-281, take a left, and you will find a trailhead a short distance down the road on the left (apparently the State Park does not mind if you leave your car in their parking lot, just do not leave it overnight). Follow the trail until you reach the river. The trail is rough, rocky and steep at points. It's about a 15-20 minute hike from the parking lot, and you'll come out above Turtleback Falls. Drift Falls is actually the first main falls on the river. To get to it, take the trail to the right and follow it upstream for about 10-15 minutes. People used to slide down the 60-70ft incline and the falls was referred to as Bust Yer Butt Falls. If you head left (downstream), you will reach Turtleback Falls, Rainbow Falls and Stairway Falls. Further downstream there are even more falls, but the trails become extremely difficult or vanish altogether. It makes sense to see Drift Falls first, and then work your way downstream until you have had enough. You definitely will want to see Rainbow Falls.

About 10 minutes below Rainbow, there is a large campsite. The trail crosses a brook on the other side of the site and leaves the river for a while. It then returns to the river further down near Windy Falls. Use Caution when in the area.

Warning! The main trail along the Horsepasture River and the short spur trails to the waterfalls can be dangerous. Rain and ice make the trail surface treacherous, especially where bare rock or precipitous ledges occur. Drift Falls and Turtleback Falls may offer good swimming opportunities, but deaths have occurred when swimmers were knocked unconscious against the rocks and then drowned in the deep pools. Some swimmers, unable to stop after sliding down Turtleback, have been swept to their deaths over Rainbow Falls just downstream (twice in 2003 alone!), and hikers stepping too close to the top of Rainbow Falls have plummeted to their deaths, as well.