174.8K Sapphire Area Swimming Holes by freearenas
first prev 1 next lastThe waterfall swimming holes of the Horsepasture River in Gorges State Park near Sapphire and Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, including the famous natural waterslide at Turtleback Falls and the plunge pool below Rainbow Falls.
Rainbow Falls
Lake Toxaway, North Carolina
3.4 miles SW of Lake Toxaway, North CarolinaRainbow Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfall settings in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. This 150-ft. tall waterfall is impressive, especially after rainy weather that swells the Horsepasture River. The best feature of Rainbow Falls is the ability for visitors to experience the falls from the front, bottom, side and top! Located in the Pisgah National Forest, adjacent to Gorges State Park, Rainbow Falls is just one of a series of cascades and waterfalls on a two-mile stretch of the river. The park is in the Sapphire community, near Lake Toxaway, and about 55 miles from downtown Asheville. Courtesy of romanticasheville.com
Turtleback Falls
Lake Toxaway, North Carolina
3.3 miles SW of Lake Toxaway, North CarolinaTurtleback Falls was named for its domed shape, similar to the back of a turtle. It's also called "umbrella falls" for the same reason. Visitors slide down Turtleback as the river flows over the slab of rock and drop into an open pool basin, also known as the Chug Hole. This great swimming hole is a quarter mile upstream from the 150' Rainbow Falls.
Located near Brevard on the Horsepasture River in the Pisgah National Forest, Turtleback Falls is an open slip-in-slide waterfall for the summer months. Visitors go down Turtleback falls and drop roughly 10 feet into an open pool basin.
Although Turtleback is a great swimming spot, it can also be dangerous. The water currents can be very strong and visitors have either drowned or have been swept downriver and over 125' rainbow river. If you want to slide, it's best to wait until the water currents aren't strong so it's safer to swim. If you want to find a calmer swimming hole, then go 1/3 of a mile down the river at Hidden Falls.
Turtleback falls is mostly a calm place to slip and swim and a great summer activity!
