Cliff Diving & Jumping in North Carolina
263 spots across 57 areas. Pick a town to explore, or get the app for the full map.
→ The best cliff jumping spots in North Carolina, ranked
Western North Carolina is dense with waterfalls, and a handful are honest jump spots. Paradise Falls near Wolf Creek Lake, Bust Your Butt Falls (Quarry Falls) on the Cullasaja, and Midnight Hole in the Great Smokies are the names jumpers know — deep, cold pools framed by granite. Sliding Rock near Brevard is for sliding, not jumping, and plenty of the area's famous falls (Rainbow, Whitewater) are lethal to enter at the top. NC waterfall accidents make the news every summer, almost always from people climbing above the falls — the ones on CliffScout are pool-level jumps documented by the community, and every one still deserves a depth check on arrival.
Balsam Grove24 spots
Barnardsville1 spot
Beech Mountain2 spots
Black Mountain5 spots
Blowing Rock4 spots
Bostic1 spot
Brevard17 spots
Bryson City8 spots
Burnsville4 spots
Canton15 spots
Casar1 spot
Cashiers9 spots
Cedar Mountain1 spot
Cherokee3 spots
Collettsville10 spots
Connelly Springs2 spots
Cullowhee2 spots
Elk Park1 spot
Flat Rock5 spots
Franklin1 spot
Glenville1 spot
Hayesville4 spots
Hendersonville2 spots
Highlands13 spots
Hot Springs1 spot
Lake Toxaway12 spots
Lenoir2 spots
Maggie Valley2 spots
Marion2 spots
Mill Spring1 spot
Mills River1 spot
Moravian Falls1 spot
Morganton8 spots
Murphy1 spot
Newland1 spot
Old Fort2 spots
Otto2 spots
Pisgah Forest7 spots
Purlear1 spot
Richfield1 spot
Robbinsville6 spots
Rosman3 spots
Saluda6 spots
Sapphire18 spots
Scaly Mountain3 spots
Seven Devils1 spot
Sparta1 spot
Spruce Pine1 spot
Sugar Grove2 spots
Sylva3 spots
Topton5 spots
Traphill2 spots
Tuckasegee24 spots
Valdese1 spot
Waynesville4 spots
Winston-Salem1 spot
Zirconia1 spot
Cliff jumping in North Carolina — FAQ
Where can you cliff jump in North Carolina?
The best-known spots are Paradise Falls near Wolf Creek Lake, Bust Your Butt Falls on the Cullasaja River near Highlands, and Midnight Hole in Great Smoky Mountains National Park — all plunge-pool jumps in the western mountains.
Is it safe to swim at North Carolina waterfalls?
At the pools, generally yes with normal precautions — cold water, slick rock, variable depth. The deaths that make headlines almost always involve climbing above waterfalls or entering the current at the lip. Stay at pool level and check depth first.
Can you jump at Sliding Rock?
No — Sliding Rock is a managed sliding attraction with lifeguards in season, and jumping is prohibited. For actual jumps, the Cullasaja and Smokies spots are the traditional choices.