About this spot
Red Butt Falls is a broad natural granite waterslide on the Tuckasegee River in Panthertown Valley, sliding 50-plus feet into a deep pool tucked beneath an overhanging cliff where the river bends. It's one of the valley's best-known swimming holes, featured in regional swimming-hole guides and hiking magazines, though it draws far fewer visitors than Schoolhouse Falls. Reach it via the Cold Mountain Trailhead and Devil's Elbow Trail, about 5.5 miles round trip, including wading upstream past Riding Ford Falls. The granite is slick, current increases after rain, and the setting is remote with no cell service, so the popular advice is to wear old jeans for the slide and go with a group. It's on public Nantahala National Forest land, free to access, though regional trails saw significant Hurricane Helene damage — confirm current conditions with Friends of Panthertown.