Looking Glass Falls and Camping in Pisgah National Forest
Brevard and the Pisgah National Forest is one of our favorite places to visit. It’s an area that is filled with tons of amazing outdoor activities. Activities that can’t be done in a day or even two days. This is why we try to visit as often as possible. With the weather warming a tad, we decided to pack up and spend the weekend in Brevard. One of our stops included Looking Glass Falls, which is a well-known and beautiful waterfall located in Western North Carolina.
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Dispersed Camping & Looking Glass Falls
Camping and winter doesn’t always go hand-in-hand in Western North Carolina. We love utilizing state and federal campgrounds when possible,and most of those close down during the winter months. That leaves us with two options. An RV campground or dispersed camping. Since our crew always chooses sleeping in a tent over sleeping in the bus when the weather’s nice. Dispersed camping is the way to go for us. 
Luckily, during the off-season months, it’s pretty easy getting a dispersed site in the Pisgah National Forest area. However, as we approach Spring, it becomes almost impossible. That’s why our family chooses to brave the 20° nights. We are always greeted with absolutely beautiful days with almost perfect weather. Plus, the area isn’t crowded during this time.
There are several dispersed camping spots in the area. A quick stop by the Ranger Station will point you in the direction you need to go. Also, it’s a great way to get information about the area.
Looking Glass Falls
Most people that visit Pisgah National Forest has heard of Looking Glass Falls. It’s one of the most popular waterfalls found in Western North Carolina. It’s perhaps also one of the easiest to access. This roadside waterfall is beautiful and is perfect for people that may have challenges with walking or mobility.
After packing up camp for the day, this was the first stop we came to. Luckily, it was early so we were able to get parking for the bus pretty easy. As tourist season starts picking up, it’s more difficult to get a parking spot. One thing that did have me pretty curious was the name. I love looking up the history of how different locations get their name. Looking Glass Falls actually get’s the name from Looking Glass Rock. This is where water freezes on its sides in the winter and glistens in sunlight, similar to a mirror. Hence, Looking Glass.
While you can clearly see the falls from the overlook, the boys insisted that we get a tad closer. It was crisp morning, so the closer to the falls we go, the colder. It was totally worth walking down the steps for closer view. The boys had fun walking on the rocks.
Directions
Looking Glass Falls is located right off U.S. 276. If coming in from Brevard, take U.S. 726 North. It’s approx. 5 miles past the entrance to Pisgah National Forest.
