The three-tier cascade on Yellowstone Prong drops about thirty feet total, each tier feeding a separate pool, the bottom one deep enough for swimming. Access runs from the Looking Glass Rock Overlook at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 417 — a short trail, less than a mile round trip, through Pisgah National Forest in the Graveyard Fields area.
Tropical Storm Fred hit in August 2021 and substantially damaged the primary swimming hole. Current conditions differ from what existed before. The trail remains open, though visitors are advised against making the trek. The overlook where it starts still offers views of Looking Glass Rock, the distinctively shaped peak that gave the stop its name.
What drew people here was never the overlook.
- ·State: NC. County: Haywood. Nearest town: Canton / Waynesville. Pisgah National Forest. Access via Looking Glass Rock Overlook (Blue Ridge Parkway near MP 417). Important caveat: the primary swimming hole was substantially damaged by Tropical Storm Fred in August 2021; current conditions may differ from pre-storm descriptions — verify before publishing prose. Source provenance: cross-search supplement for Asheville catchment. K-10 facts: 30ft three-tier / Yellowstone Prong / BRP MP 417 / Graveyard Fields area / TS Fred 2021 damage flag.
Memories
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