Looking Glass Creek

nice picture of looking glass falls (cc)

To locate the gauge, drive north on 276 past Looking Glass Falls. Park at the first turnoff past the falls on the right. Walk downstream about 30 yards where you will see a concrete pour-over structure in the stream. The gauge is located on the concrete wall along the river approximately 5 yards upstream from that concrete pour-over. It is not easy to find, but it is there.

One of many Boulder Garden drops.

Another drop of the Boulder Garden

This is the first drop of Triple Drop, from above. 2 feet based on visual gauge.

This is the third drop of Triple drop with the Boulder Garden downstream.

Triple Drop from below, looking upstream.

2 feet based on visual gauge

First drop of Triple Drop. 2 feet based on visual gauge.

Second drop of Triple Drop

First drop of Triple Drop. 2 feet based on visual gauge.

Corran Addison ran looking glass falls in november of 89. he was wearing a batman costume. if anyone wants to look up the falls, leland davis' book has great info on it and a good pic of corran doing it. apparently four people have done the falls with multiple conclusions. also i hear the 55 footer has a mere 2 to 3 ft of water to land in. Tyler Mc

Me and a friend checked this out a week ago. As far as 'Super sliding rock' goes, I'm pretty sure its a bit over rated. Just below Sliding Rock, there is a big slide, but its kind of wide and shallow, and not particularly steep. Most of the water goes right over what I guess is the 4 foot boof (probably more like 5 or six) onto a long slide. This would be cool if it were not for the rhododendron bushes that make it if not impossible, at least really dumb and painful to go that way. Below that was a cool little drop with another strainer on the funner looking line just after a good boof on the left. It looked like you could avoid it, but we just went to the right.

About a mile or two further up is a series of three drops, two slides, and then one probably ten footer through a narrow little shoot. We weren't sure how deep the pool was on the landing, the creek was kind of low and we were in playboats, but it looked like fun.

Also, I've heard sliding rock is illegal. I wouldn't run it if there's a lifeguard posted there. Should be fine in the winter, or really if there's enough water out to be running it.

LOOKING GLASS FALLS New

Forum: BoaterTalk

Date: Sep 08 2004, 14:14 GMT

From: jhhssmurf1215

on september 8th 2004 at 8:30 A.M. Austin Rathmann and Pat Kellar ran looking glass falls. Pat ran first and boofed down the middle of the falls. his line was excellent resulting in only a bloody nose. Second Austin ran opting to pencil off the middle of the falls hoping the high water had made the pool deep enough. It hadn't. His line was perfect although he did hit rocks at the bottom of the pool after he landed. neither boater had any serious injuries and yet again two asheville boys fired up a big one. Everyone get out and enjoy the hurricane be safe and have big lines!!!!

I got a chance to run this a few months ago. The guage for the Davidson river was at 2.9, and it was slightly above min. for Looking glass.

We putin at the 1st bridge above the sliding rock parking area and took out after running the 'sliding rock' rapid.

This made for an approx. 1 mile run.

There is a 4ft boof onto a 15ft slide and around the next bend is a two- tiered 15ftr. Be sure to run the 2nd drop center or left of center to avoid a rock that comes off the rightbank , which may or may not be visible.

From Moheinous on Boatertalk:

If you've been looking at some big slides, you might have been on Looking Glass Creek, a trib of the Davidson River. I've heard that this can get up to class V. This run includes sliding rock (the swimming hole), and super sliding rock (a more serious one downstream) with a takeout at looking glass falls, the obvious 70 ft spinecrusher. These can run anytime of the year after a good rain. Look at online guages for N. Fork French Broad. Usually when that run gets too high people start looking at Davidson.