Summer in the Southeast is hot and humid. The mountains offer some respite, but even they don’t fully escape the muggy conditions. On hot days, it’s nice to have some options for cooling off that are pretty easy to get to, and just about nothing else cools people off the way a chilly mountain stream does.
So if you’re in the mountains of the Southeast and want to take a dip to shiver rather than sweat, see if any of these destinations are close to where you are (or plan them into your trip).
Whiteoak Canyon, Virginia
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Whiteoak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park has six waterfalls, and if you combine it with neighboring Cedar Run, there are nine waterfalls in all. To make a quick outing to a waterfall on a summer day, start from the lower trailhead at the park boundary. It’s just 1.5 miles of mostly easy hiking to Whiteoak Falls #6, a twin drop that falls into a deep, cold pool at its base. Just below the pool are safe spots along Whiteoak Run for enjoying the cold water.
Dark Hollow Falls, Virginia
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The hike to this waterfall near Big Meadows in Shenandoah is the shortest waterfall hike in the park– just 0.7 miles one way. People like to splash around in the pools beneath its multiple drops.
Peaks of Otter, Virginia
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A man-made lake here (Abbott Lake) frames Sharp Top, one of the most spectacular peaks along the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can’t swim in the lake, but close by is the Fallingwaters Cascades Trail, and you can find some streamside places there to cool off on a hot day.
Seneca Rocks, West Virginia
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The narrow fins of Seneca Rocks are known for their challenging climbing routes, but you don’t have to be a rock climber to enjoy this place. On the western side of the fins is a tributary branch of the Potomac River, and in summer, it’s usually low enough to be sage to play in.
Julian Price Memorial Park, North Carolina
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Swimming at this man-made lake along the Blue Ridge Parkway isn’t allowed, but fishing and boating are. If you’re on a sit-on-top kayak or a paddleboard, maybe you can “accidentally” fall off, provided you’re wearing a PFD.
Lake Lure, North Carolina
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Lake Lure, created by a dam, shares its name with a town on its shores. A wide range of water activities, including swimming, are available here. The lake is also close to Chimney Rock State Park, where the climactic scenes of the film The Last of the Mohicans were filmed.
Dry Falls, North Carolina
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Dry Falls is in western North Carolina on national forest land. Like Chimney Rock, it was in The Last of the Mohicans; it’s the waterfall the protagonists try to hide behind and from which Daniel Day-Lewis plunges after his iconic “I will find you” lines. And yes, in real life, you can actually walk behind the waterfall. Expect to get sprayed.
Looking Glass Falls, North Carolina
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Looking Glass Falls is also in the national forest lands of western North Carolina. There’s a pool at the base of this lovely waterfall, and the crystal-clear water runs through safer shallows after the pool.
Fontana Lake, North Carolina
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This is a dam-created lake forming part of the southern boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Swimming is allowed, but there are few designated swimming areas, which just means you’ll have to get a little creative, which can be more fun, anyway.
Oconaluftee River, North Carolina
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When you drive Newfound Gap Road from Cherokee to the gap on the NC-TN border, the Oconaluftee will parallel the road for several miles. Use the many pullouts to find a spot that’s shallow enough and calm enough to enjoy the cold, clear mountain water.
Little River, Tennessee
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Much of this river on the Tennessee side of the Smokies is too rough to enter safely. However, you can find calm spots if you look carefully, and there are often pools just outside the main rushing current.
Grotto Falls, Tennessee
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It’s only 1.3 miles (one way) to this waterfall in the Tennessee Smokies. At just 25’ high and not that wide or voluminous, it’s not among the most spectacular waterfalls in the Southeast, but you can walk behind and get sprayed as much as you want, which feels great on a hot day.
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