Mill Shoals and French River Falls along with the other waterfall (Bird Rock Falls/ Cathedral Falls) and several other smaller unnamed Falls can be reached from the same parking lot and are possibly one of the most picturesque waterfalls in the state of North Carolina. Located about a half an hour drive from the town of Brevard and an hour from Asheville North Carolina these falls will be sure to awe you and leave you with one of the most beautiful pictures to take home with and frame for your walls.
HOW TO REACH MILL SHOALS FALLS:
- From East Main Street Brevard (downtown) head NorthEast towards South Broad Street
- In 350 feet turn Left onto South Broad Street
- In 0.5 miles turn Right onto US-64 West
- Continue on US-64 West for 8.4 Miles
- In 8.4 MIles turn Right onto NC-215 North
- Continue on NC-215 North for 7.8 Miles
- Mill Shoals and French River Falls (Living Waters, Balsam Grove, NC) will be o your Left.
Please be considerate and do not park anywhere on the parking lot of the Living Waters Ministry as the Religious Retreat is Private Property. For more information in case that this is something that might interest you, check out their PAGE where you can read about their mission, events and the options for lodging.
Several parking spots can be found along the road as well as the small parking area located right by the entrance to the trail for the Falls.
From where you parked your car take left and follow the little path for about 500 feet. The trail will lead you to the base of the double waterfall – Mill Shoals and French Broad Falls. You can get pretty close to the water and get a really good picture of both the waterfalls from the large rocks at the end of the path. However please do not go anywhere near the dwelling. Dogs are allowed on the trail but need to be on a leash at all times.
The trail is very short and easy. It is not wheelchair accessible. There is not much elevation gain and it is a great trail to take the kids if you are trying to introduce them to hiking and build the love for beautiful nature and gorgeous waterfalls. if you are doing so make sure to keep them close once you reach the end of the path to avoid them falling in the water.
The double waterfalls before you that flow from different creeks and meet exactly at this point are both 15-feet high and a sight to behold. Cascading over the rocks while the water is fully flowing before meeting at a wide pool at the bottom. The waterfall next to the red dwelling is the Shoals Creek Falls and the one to the right is French Broad Falls. Together they make Mill Shoals Falls.
If those are the only two waterfalls you have come to see or don’t have too much time to wander around head back to the car the way you came. This trail is a one way trail and not a loop.
If you are looking for a longer trek however, from this spot you can continue by taking the path on your left and find several smaller waterfalls and finally the Bird Rock/Cathedral Falls at the end of a heavily wooded path. The trail is about 0.8 miles long and is relatively flat with the exception of the slight decline and incline while taking a detour from the path to reach the waterfalls along the way.
The path is shaded (which is great during the summer months) and pretty muddy especially after rain, so make sure to wear proper footwear and bring your hiking polls. There are several wooden bridges along the way which might be slippery if wet so make sure to be extremely careful on those.
Several unnamed smaller cascades can be found if you take right where you see a path along the trail and are worth exploring. The large boulders surrounding them make for the perfect sunbathing spot even on a chillier day but also mean that reptiles will be looking to catch sunshine so be aware and look around while approaching.
As you follow along the path to the Bird Rock Waterfall/Cathedral Falls you will notice a lot of wooden plates hanged on the trees with written psalms on them. This is because this spot is located on the Living Waters Ministry Private Property, which they are generously and kindly allowing public access. Living Waters encompasses 74 acres in the North Carolina wilderness, along the French Broad River in Balsam Grove. Please be considerate and understanding as they are.
At the end of the path you will be rewarded with a beautiful sight of one of the most spectacular waterfall views in North Carolina. The Bird Rock Waterfall or as the current owners of the land have renamed it to – Cathedral Falls, is a 20-foot waterfall that flows and passes right under a massive smooth rock completed with colorful sediments painting the rock face. It is an absolutely breath taker. It is one of the most unique waterfall in the State and it will be hard to find something similar to it.
It is so absolutely spectacular how the water from the falls have curved a large hole at the bottom of the massive cliff working for thousands of years and has now made it’s way right under it.
We enjoyed our visit to this waterfall immensely. We choose to visit during a weekday and in the winter to ensure we avoided the crowds and were able to find a parking spot but we assume during the Summer and Fall months it gets pretty busy and crowded and takes away from the serenity of this special spot.
A moment our kids really enjoyed and still talk about is the splashes of waterfall water they got while standing right by the massive cliff and the sprinkling water coming from above as if it was raining over them. Check out our INSTAGRAM PAGE for a reel of this cool moment.
While in the area make sure to check out some of the other hikes near by.
- Cat Gap Loop
- Cedar Rock Creek Falls
- Slick Rock Falls
- Pisgah Center For Wildlife Education
- Looking Glass Falls
- Looking Glass Trail
As always:
- BE SURE TO CHECK PARK STATUS AND ROAD AND TRAIL CLOSURES ESPECIALLY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS
PLEASE REMEMBER WHEN EXPLORING THE OUTDOORS:
- Dispose of all waste properly
- Be considerate of other visitors
- Respect the wildlife
- Pets are allowed at almost all the North Carolina Parks however the need to be on a leash at all times
And Don’t forget to have fun and share tips with your fellow Nature Explores here or on our pages.