Are you looking for a great lesser known hike in the Pisgah Forest around Asheville? This one may fit the bill. The creative team at Raise Your Elevation recently took a hike out at Moore Cove Falls Trail at Pisgah National Forest near Asheville, NC. For a couple of us it had been over 15 years since we’d been out there. Others among us had never been, and it was well worth it!
Most of us had been to Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock many times, but pretty much right smack dab in the middle of those two falls is an unassuming little roadside trailhead leading to Moore Cove Falls. In most of our opinions, it packed just as much punch as the others, and with a lot less people around. In fact, at times we had the whole place to ourselves. So many people seem to miss Moore Cove tucked within the shadows of those other two marquee attractions of the Pisgah National Forest.
The other two falls are definitely worth seeing too. Looking Glass Falls is a powerful and beautiful waterfall, and an easy roadside stop with no hike, so it’s not unusual for that one to be completely packed with people. It’s definitely worth it to go see, but there’s no hiking or solitude about it. Sliding Rock is similar. You drive right up to the attraction and it’s usually packed with people, although part of the fun is sliding down the falls. Moore Cove Falls however requires a little bit of extra work, and because of that it has a bit more of an exclusive and peaceful experience.
The Moore Cove Falls Trail Payoff
We all know that a hike is about the journey and not the destination, but when it comes to waterfalls let’s n
ot kid ourselves, the payoffs are pretty awesome. And the climax 
at Moore Cove Falls was no exception. As you can see by the pictures, it’s a spectacular waterfall that you can get right into. You can easily walk behind the waterfall, or even underneath it for a nice cold and fresh mountain shower. Kids in particular love to play beneath the falls.
Be sure to bring a towel if you go though, because you may not think you want to go underneath the falls, but if it’s warm day you may change your mind after the hike up to the falls.
Map and Logistics
Logistically, the Moore Cove hike is probably the perfect balance of rigor and ease for a basic level of hiker. The distance is 1.5 miles round trip, and you can plan on about an hour round trip. Of course if you bring a picnic and plan to play in the water a while it could be longer. The trail ascent is about 250 feet from bottom to top in a fairly mild course. The path is wide and clear, and in a few places where it’s a slight bit steeper there are built in steps. We had kids in our group, as well as a senior and they were all fine with the hike. All along the hike there are scenic little spots to stop off and enjoy gigantic ancient rock formations or a calm babbling creek.
Moore Cove is about 45 minutes from Asheville, and 30 minutes from Hendersonville. A few things to keep in mind are that there are no restroom facilities at this hike, so if you need a proper restroom you will need to go to the visitor center toward the main entrance of the Brevard side of the forest, or the restrooms at Sliding Rock just a little further up the road from Moore Cove.
The Hike Summary
Overall we had a great time at Moore Cove Falls and would highly recommend this hike to locals or anyone who may be visiting and looking for a good moderate level hike for the day. Of all the pictures we took, the one below from the cavern behind the falls was voted the winner by the group.
We hope you enjoyed this write-up and we hope you have a great time if you decide to visit Moore Cove Falls.
– The Raise Your Elevation team