Avery County, North Carolina
Waterfalls Near Banner Elk, NC
There are 22 named waterfalls within a 30-mile radius of Banner Elk, 6 of them inside 10 miles. The nearest is Dutch Creek Falls, 5.0 miles east of town. Laurel Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (5.0 stars from 28 Google reviews). The list includes falls across the line in Tennessee.
Distances are straight-line from the town center. Driving routes are longer.
Best Waterfalls Near Banner Elk at a Glance
22 Waterfalls Near Banner Elk, Ranked by Distance
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Dutch Creek Falls
Dutch Creek Falls is the closest named waterfall to Banner Elk, 5.0 miles to the east in Watauga County. It ranks 12th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is Foscoe.
- Rating
- 1.6 (9 Google reviews)
- Address
- Watauga County, NC 28604 (GPS 36.1887, -81.7876)
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Big Falls
Big Falls lies 6.0 miles northwest of Banner Elk in Avery County, number 2 of 22 by distance.
- Address
- Avery County, NC (GPS 36.1990, -81.9690)
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Laurel Creek Falls
Laurel Creek Falls lies 6.3 miles north of Banner Elk in Watauga County, number 3 of 22 by distance. It ranks 10th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk.
- Rating
- 4.8 (19 Google reviews)
- Address
- Watauga County, NC 28679 (GPS 36.2523, -81.8526)
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Watauga Falls
Watauga Falls lies 6.3 miles north of Banner Elk in Watauga County, number 4 of 22 by distance. It ranks 15th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk.
- Rating
- 4.7 (6 Google reviews)
- Address
- Watauga County, NC 28679 (GPS 36.2532, -81.8548)
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Jones Falls
Jones Falls lies 6.8 miles northwest of Banner Elk in Carter County, number 5 of 22 by distance. It ranks 11th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is Roan Mountain.
- Rating
- 4.5 (15 Google reviews)
- Address
- Carter County, TN 37687 (GPS 36.2029, -81.9823)
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Twisting Falls
Twisting Falls lies 7.4 miles northwest of Banner Elk in Carter County, number 6 of 22 by distance. It ranks 5th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is Roan Mountain.
- Rating
- 4.6 (86 Google reviews)
- Address
- Carter County, TN 37640 (GPS 36.2298, -81.9751)
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Linville Falls
Linville Falls lies 15 miles south of Banner Elk in Burke County, number 7 of 22 by distance. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Picturesque waterfalls, a visitor center & well-maintained hiking trails in serene surrounds.
- Rating
- 4.8 (269 Google reviews)
- Address
- Burke County, NC 28657 (GPS 35.9497, -81.9267)
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Coon Den Falls
Coon Den Falls lies 15 miles northwest of Banner Elk in Carter County, number 8 of 22 by distance. Its own nearest town is Roan Mountain.
- Address
- Carter County, TN (GPS 36.2534, -82.1187)
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Laurel Falls
Laurel Falls lies 17 miles northwest of Banner Elk in Carter County, number 9 of 22 by distance. It ranks 8th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is Roan Mountain.
- Rating
- 5.0 (28 Google reviews)
- Address
- Carter County, TN 37658 (GPS 36.2730, -82.1350)
- Known for
- riverside trail, lengthy hike, hike difficulty, rocks, swimming
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Falls of Gouges Creek
Falls of Gouges Creek lies 17 miles southwest of Banner Elk in Mitchell County, number 10 of 22 by distance. It ranks 13th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is Spruce Pine.
- Rating
- 3.3 (8 Google reviews)
- Address
- Mitchell County, NC 28777 (GPS 35.9598, -82.0512)
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Silvervale Falls
Silvervale Falls lies 17 miles southeast of Banner Elk in Caldwell County, number 11 of 22 by distance. It ranks 6th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is Blowing Rock.
- Rating
- 4.7 (84 Google reviews)
- Address
- Caldwell County, NC 28645 (GPS 36.0476, -81.5953)
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Long Hope Falls
Long Hope Falls lies 20 miles northeast of Banner Elk in Ashe County, number 12 of 22 by distance. It ranks 16th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is West Jefferson.
- Rating
- 1.8 (5 Google reviews)
- Address
- Ashe County, NC 28615 (GPS 36.3821, -81.6390)
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Crystal Falls
Crystal Falls lies 22 miles southwest of Banner Elk in Mitchell County, number 13 of 22 by distance. USGS notes: approx. 20 ft. tall; located 1 mi. SE of Chalk Mountain, 0.3 mi. SW of Swiss Pine Lake.
- Address
- Mitchell County, NC (GPS 35.8916, -82.0842)
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Cascade Falls
Cascade Falls lies 24 miles east of Banner Elk in Wilkes County, number 14 of 22 by distance. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is West Jefferson.
- Rating
- 4.7 (132 Google reviews)
- Address
- Wilkes County, NC 28665 (GPS 36.2492, -81.4541)
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Grassy Creek Falls
Grassy Creek Falls lies 24 miles southwest of Banner Elk in Mitchell County, number 15 of 22 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. A steep downward hike offers visitors views of this multi-tiered waterfall in a woodland setting.
- Rating
- 3.9 (101 Google reviews)
- Address
- Mitchell County, NC 28777 (GPS 35.8562, -82.0853)
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Crabtree Falls
Crabtree Falls lies 26 miles southwest of Banner Elk in Mitchell County, number 16 of 22 by distance. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near Banner Elk. Waterfall cascading down a 60-ft. rock, with a 2.5-mi. looped trail featuring ferns & wildflowers.
- Rating
- 4.1 (271 Google reviews)
- Address
- Mitchell County, NC 28777 (GPS 35.8567, -82.1361)
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Murphy Falls
Murphy Falls lies 26 miles southwest of Banner Elk in Mitchell County, number 17 of 22 by distance. It ranks 17th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is Spruce Pine.
- Rating
- 3.0 (2 Google reviews)
- Address
- Mitchell County, NC 28714 (GPS 35.8521, -82.1420)
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Betseys Rock Falls
Betseys Rock Falls lies 27 miles east of Banner Elk in Wilkes County, number 18 of 22 by distance. It ranks 18th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is West Jefferson.
- Rating
- 3.0 (2 Google reviews)
- Address
- Wilkes County, NC 28665 (GPS 36.2850, -81.4085)
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Upper Falls
Upper Falls lies 28 miles southwest of Banner Elk in Yancey County, number 19 of 22 by distance. It ranks 14th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. USGS notes: Located at Milepost 339.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway
- Rating
- 4.7 (7 Google reviews)
- Address
- Yancey County, NC 28714 (GPS 35.8190, -82.1508)
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Roaring Spout Falls
Roaring Spout Falls lies 29 miles southwest of Banner Elk in Yancey County, number 20 of 22 by distance. Its own nearest town is Burnsville.
- Address
- Yancey County, NC (GPS 35.8490, -82.2090)
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Gentry Creek Falls
Gentry Creek Falls lies 29 miles north of Banner Elk in Johnson County, number 21 of 22 by distance. It ranks 7th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is Mountain City.
- Rating
- 4.1 (33 Google reviews)
- Address
- Johnson County, TN 37680 (GPS 36.5676, -81.7048)
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Martin Creek Falls
Martin Creek Falls lies 30 miles west of Banner Elk in Unicoi County, number 22 of 22 by distance. It ranks 9th for review count among waterfalls near Banner Elk. Its own nearest town is Banner Hill.
- Rating
- 4.5 (22 Google reviews)
- Address
- Unicoi County, TN 37650 (GPS 36.1238, -82.3987)
Where the Waterfalls Are
Banner Elk sits in or near the High Country and Black Mountains area of North Carolina. North of Asheville, the Blue Ridge broadens into a high, rugged landscape that includes the Black Mountains and the highlands around Boone and Banner Elk. Linville Falls, in Burke County, drops into the head of the Linville Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the East, and is reached by well-maintained trails from a visitor center along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Crabtree Falls, in Mitchell County, cascades over a broad rock face on a loop trail through ferns and wildflowers. Yancey and Mitchell counties add falls draining the high Blacks and Roan Highlands, and Buncombe County holds a few near Black Mountain. Read the North Carolina waterfall guide.
By direction from Banner Elk: 7 to the southwest, 5 to the northwest, 3 to the north, 3 to the east, 1 to the northeast, 1 to the southeast, 1 to the south, and 1 to the west. They are spread across Mitchell County (5), Carter County (4), Watauga County (3), Wilkes County (2), Yancey County (2), and Avery County (1). The average distance is 18.4 miles.
By Distance
Within 10 miles of Banner Elk
Dutch Creek Falls (5.0 mi), Big Falls (6.0 mi), Laurel Creek Falls (6.3 mi), Watauga Falls (6.3 mi), Jones Falls (6.8 mi), Twisting Falls (7.4 mi)
10 to 20 miles of Banner Elk
Linville Falls (15 mi), Coon Den Falls (15 mi), Laurel Falls (17 mi), Falls of Gouges Creek (17 mi), Silvervale Falls (17 mi), Long Hope Falls (20 mi)
20 to 30 miles of Banner Elk
Crystal Falls (22 mi), Cascade Falls (24 mi), Grassy Creek Falls (24 mi), Crabtree Falls (26 mi), Murphy Falls (26 mi), Betseys Rock Falls (27 mi), Upper Falls (28 mi), Roaring Spout Falls (29 mi), Gentry Creek Falls (29 mi), Martin Creek Falls (30 mi)
Nearby Towns With Waterfalls
Waterfalls Near Banner Elk: FAQs
How many waterfalls are near Banner Elk, NC?
22 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Banner Elk: 6 within 10 miles, 6 10 to 20 miles, 10 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What is the closest waterfall to Banner Elk?
Dutch Creek Falls in Watauga County is the closest, about 5.0 miles east of Banner Elk.
What is the best-rated waterfall near Banner Elk?
Laurel Falls has the highest Google rating among nearby falls with at least 10 reviews: 5.0 stars from 28 Google reviews. The most reviewed is Crabtree Falls.
Which counties are the waterfalls near Banner Elk in?
Mitchell County (5), Carter County (4), Watauga County (3), Wilkes County (2), and Yancey County (2).
How does Banner Elk compare with other North Carolina towns?
Banner Elk ranks 17th of the 31 North Carolina towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.