Visited on Sunday, July 5th, 2020.

A popular spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway (mile marker 417 -- note: not officially marked) and part of North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea Trail, this short, 1-mile hike offers an incredible view of some interesting water falls in Western North Carolina, and offers you a nice spot for swimming--as the name implies.

I visited here on a Sunday in July, so it was very busy. After taking a few pictures and walking around for a bit, my family decided to head back to the car (we had an antsy dog waiting with us!), but a friend told me that if you hike even further up the falls there are fewer people and some even cooler waterfalls and rock formations.

Unfortunately, this hike is no more -- or, at least even remotely like this. It was washed largely away after severe flooding in several sections of Western North Carolina in the summer of 2021. While it is sad to see such a cherished spot gone, I like to think of it more as an opportunity to explore the area in new ways.