Asheville & The Central Mountains

Sliding Rock

Thrills and Chills at Nature’s Waterslide

In Pisgah National Forest, just north of Brevard along Highway 276, a full parking lot signals the location of something special. So, what is everyone stopping for? Take the exhilarating plunge down 60-foot Sliding Rock into the frigid pool below, and you’ll see what all the fuss is about.

Those giant plastic theme-park slides don’t have a thing on Mother Nature. This gently sloping natural waterslide on Looking Glass Creek has some 11,000 gallons of water per minute surging over its surface, and the approximately 6-foot-deep pool at the bottom is a bracing 50 to 60 degrees.

But the summer crowd is undaunted. In fact, visitors flock to Sliding Rock to stand in line for their turn to cool off from summer’s heat.

Long ago, the woods and waterfalls of western North Carolina provided all sorts of adventures for the Cherokee Indian children who lived there. Those youngsters were probably the first to experience the thrill of gliding over the face of Sliding Rock, and kids from two to 72 have been slipping and sliding delightedly ever since.

Now one of the most popular attractions in Transylvania County, the spot had remained something of a local secret until the late 1960s, when an episode of the popular Lassie television show featured the beloved collie riding the water with a group of youngsters – apparently enjoying it as much the children did. Soon after, more bathers than ever began showing up to take the plunge. As Sliding Rock’s popularity grew, so did the need for better facilities to accommodate the growing crowds.

In 1973, the U.S. Forest Service funded the first major improvements. Today, visitors will find a large parking lot off U.S. Highway 276, restrooms, a shower house, two observation decks and steps down to the pool, a handrail to aid in climbing up to the top of the slide and even lifeguards who are on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

There is a charge of $1 per person and $1 per vehicle to visit Sliding Rock. The two-minute ride has been known to take the seat right out of the average bathing suit, so sturdy shorts or cut-off jeans are recommended.

Sliding Rock is close to several camping and picnic sites, as well as popular attractions, such as Looking Glass Falls, the Mount Pisgah hiking trail, the Pisgah Forest National Fish Hatchery, the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and, part of the Cradle of Forestry historic site, the Forest Discovery Center – an interpretive center highlighting the origin and importance of forest management.

By Carol Cowan, Courtesy of Journal Communications

added: December 9, 2008

updated: May 26, 2009