11. Crabtree Falls Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway
Montebello
The 2.5-mile Crabtree Falls Trail is a short but fairly strenuous loop just off the famed Blue Ridge Parkway, not too far from the North Carolina border. You’ll descend a mile through an old-stand oak and hickory forest on a rocky trail that will take you directly to its namesake. The 60-foot waterfall cascades down the cliff amidst wildflowers and ferns. On the way back, keep your eye out for wild azaleas on the switchback that gives another glimpse of the falls.
