United States · North Carolina
Upper Cascades
Upper Cascades is a waterfall in North Central North Carolina, located in Hanging Rock State Park, in Stokes County.
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Upper Cascades drops over a series of steps, inside Hanging Rock State Park. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is North Carolina, United States. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Upper Cascades itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from North Carolina are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Spring rains make March to May the full-flow months in the South-east; summer thunderstorms bring short surges.
Getting there
- Base town North Carolina, United States
- Country United States
- Region North Carolina, United States, North America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Upper Cascades
United States
Height—Width—
Most similar
Churchill River
Canada
Height—Width—
Also a cascade waterfall and in Canada
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
We don't have a reliable crest width for Upper Cascades yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
On the map
36.3962, -80.2698
Quick answers
Where is Upper Cascades?
Upper Cascades is in United States (North Carolina), inside Hanging Rock State Park. The nearest base is North Carolina, United States. Its coordinates are 36.3962, -80.2698.
When is the best time to visit Upper Cascades?
Peak flow is March to May. Spring rains make March to May the full-flow months in the South-east; summer thunderstorms bring short surges.
What can you do at Upper Cascades?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Upper Cascades?
The usual base is North Carolina, United States. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
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