About this spot
Dark Hollow Falls is a real ~30-foot waterfall on a small tributary of Buff Creek in Nantahala National Forest near Sylva, pinned to within a few meters by an independent trail report alongside the larger Upper and Lower Buff Creek Falls. It shares its name with the famous Virginia waterfall by coincidence — this is a distinct, obscure NC feature. No swimming or jumping culture is documented at this specific drop. Reaching it legitimately requires an 11-mile, roughly 3,000-foot-gain loop from the Blackrock Trailhead on the Blue Ridge Parkway, suitable only for experienced, well-navigated hikers. A shorter route via Buff Creek Road crosses about 150 feet of unmarked private property; the reporting hiker explicitly advises against using it without permission.