Accessibility – Easy

Height – 100+′

Distance – Roadside

Beauty – 8

Photo rating – 5

Solitude – 1

GPS Info: LAT 35.27188 LONG -82.21470

Last Updated – 09-30-2018

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Shunkawauken Falls is a roadside waterfall on private property two miles up White Oak Mountain Road. It drops right next to the road and is flanked by a sign warning that this is private property and anyone trespassing will be arrested. There also signs warning that by town ordinance it is illegal to park on the road to view the falls. I located a gravel pullout up the hill and walked down.

I remained on the roadbed but even so I got the stink-eye from several motorists who seemed put off that I was looking at their private waterfall from the safety of a public road.

To get to the falls from I26, take NC108 into Columbus, passing through a pair of traffic circles and make a left onto Houston Street. I didn’t get the mileage but it wasn’t far from the circles. Half a mile down Houston, make a right to stay on Houston Road. In another half a mile make a left onto White Oak Mountain Road. It’s a winding two miles up the road to get to the view of the falls and another tenth to get to the pullout on the left.