Lower Whitewater Falls Via Foothills Trail

This hike visits both overlooks: Upper Whitewater Falls and Lower Whitewater Falls. Overall, a great hike with a mix of woodland, lush fern areas, river views, and of course two gorgeous waterfalls. About the hike: You can approach this hike via two different trailheads, depending on where you park. You could follow the route on this listing, parking at the Upper Whitewater Falls trailhead (maintained by the Forest Service) or you could access via the Lower Whitewater Falls trailhead located off of Bad Creek Rd (maintained by Duke Energy Co). The advantage starting at the Lower Whitewater Falls trailhead is you are doing the steepest ascend/descend in the middle of the hike as opposed to saving it for the end of the hike. The hike from the river up to the Upper Whitewater Falls overlook is steep and makes up most of the 1568 foot gain on this hike. The other somewhat significant descend/ascend is near the Lower Whitewater Falls overlook. Otherwise, the portion along the river is relatively flat with a few stairs.