There’s something special about North Carolina waterfalls. Our bordering states… South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia… have some great falls, but none reach the pinnacle of North Carolina waterfalls.
For one thing, we have so many. Our state has more waterfalls than any of the other border states. And they are so beautiful to view. If you get close enough to smell the moist air and feel the spray, there’s a theory that the negative ions created by falling water stimulate the senses.
Kevin Adams, who leads mountain tours to photograph waterfalls, has just updated the third edition of his mammoth-size North Carolina Waterfalls with information about 400 new waterfalls in addition to more than 600 he had reviewed in previous editions. His listings showcase gorgeous color photos of waterfalls with tips on how best to capture their beauty on film. A new feature is the GPS coordinates and updated information on how to find each waterfall, many of which are hidden away unknown to the general public.
North Carolina Waterfalls is published by John F. Blair Publishers in Winston-Salem.
Kevin was inspired by John F. Blair, Winston-Salem publisher, to write the first edition of North Carolina Waterfalls in 1994, after realizing the need for such a book since the information was not available elsewhere. The second edition was updated in 2005 when he discovered how much misinformation was online and needed correction.
“I have to admit that when I finished the second edition, I hung up my waterfalling boots,” Kevin says. However, with 65,000 of the second edition sold, he agreed to update the book a third time with more information and more beautiful color photographs of accessible falls which he had identified on topo maps but had not had time to investigate for the second edition. He admits “The process of marking a potential waterfall on the topo map, determining the best route there, making the journey, and finally standing at the base of a waterfall which I was reasonably certain had not been witnessed by another waterfaller, was among the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”
The third edition of North Carolina Waterfalls is a treasure as well as a valuable reference book with nearly 500 pages of maps, photographs and information. It begins with a glossary of waterfalling words (bonehead, bushwhack, deadfall, rockhop, etc.); other sections concern Waterfall Safety, What’s Out There to Get Me? Environmental Considerations, Waterfall Names, and Photographing Waterfalls. He divides the book into Hubs beginning with Hub 1 (Central and Eastern North Carolina) and concluding with Hub 41 (Murphy and Hayesville) and Hub 42 (Robbinsville). It has a dandy index too.
Kevin warns that risk is a factor in back country travel, especially when visiting waterfalls, He warns, “Many activities described in North Carolina Waterfalls can be dangerous, especially when the weather is unpredictable or when unforeseen events create hazardous situations. It’s the waterfaller’s responsibility to learn the necessary skills for safe travel and to exercise caution in potentially hazardous areas.” This book will certainly help.
Kevin Adams, who has taught nature photography for more than 25 years, leads North Carolina mountain tours to photograph waterfalls. He edits a free newsletter, Night Photography News, and a blog, Digital After Dark. He lives in the mountains with wife Patricia, two cats and 13 chickens, named after the women in Star Trek.