By:
Submission
From Asheville, reach the park from I-26, taking exit 9 onto NC 280 and traveling west toward Brevard. Turn west on US 64 and travel toward Sapphire. To reach the Grassy Ridge Access (west side of the park), turn south on NC 281 in Sapphire; the western park entrance is .7 miles on the left.
The most perfect park to stay at. Pads are cemented with water, sewage and electricity. Off to the side is a gravel area with fire pit and picnic table. Restrooms have the most amazing showers. There are cabins for rent and an area for tents. Area is so clean and trash is picked up day a couple of times.
We went on the trail to see rainbow falls. It was a very beautiful trail. There are some difficult spots towards the end that I could see an older person struggling with but overall a wonderful hike. The waterfalls were also beautiful.
We went again the other day and walked the easy trail below the park museum and info center. It has viewing platforms that I didn't know were there before. And in the fall just wow they are stunning. This is perfect trail for toddlers, littles learning to walk, strollers, etc. It's a pretty decent trail. My son was adequately worn out after and had fun exploring and reading the signs along the way. Very informative infographics too
There's a reason why this hike consistently gets rated as one of the best in NC--with three waterfalls to checkout on this moderate out and back hike, it is a popular destination for families and hikers with pets.
There is ample parking, clean restrooms, and plenty of nice picnic areas.
My husband and I and out 4 kids stayed in one of the cabins. The cabins have a back room with 2 sets of bunk beds (sleeps 4) and the front room has a queen size bed. They have electricity and space to put your stuff and food inside. The bathhouse is right across the street from the cabins and is super super nice! Probably the best I have ever seen! There was firewood available at the campground for $8 a bundle and you can pay via PayPal which was nice. We hiked rainbow falls with our kids (ages 8,6,4, 2.5) and it was totally worth it, roaring waterfall. We are in decent shape so the hike was not what I would consider strenuous but it is more uphill coming back. The nature center is super nice with a great view, there isn't a kid playground but the roads in the campground were all well paved so the kids could ride and scooter around those, we will be back!
