Fallingwater Cascades, Virginia
Nature is simply something indispensable, like air and light and water, that we accept as necessary to living, and the nearer we can get to it the happier we are.” — Louise Dickenson Rich
If you’re spending some time at the Iris Inn, and you’d like to exert some energy with a grand ol’ hike, why not try Fallingwater Cascades? Fallingwater is a beautiful 1.6 mile hike near Bedford, Virginia. It is an overall moderate trek with a few steeper, more strenuous areas thrown in, but the difficulties of those areas are lessened by stone stairways and bridges. The average amount of time that it takes to traverse this lovely loop is 1.5 hours.
There are two different places at which you can begin your hike. The first is the Blue Ridge Parkways milepost 83.1 at the Fallingwater Cascades Parking Lot, and the second is at milepost 83.5, the Flat Top Parking Area. After beginning on the well-traveled path that is rimmed with rhododendrons and hemlock, it is approximately 0.6 miles to the cascades.
The purling cascades serve to enhance the brilliance of the natural scenery, making this a lovely hike for the intermediate traveler. (It is particularly beautiful around this time of year as fall colors usurp summer hues.) Grab a friend, a bottle of water, and a camera, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Fallingwater Cascades.
