“tallest waterfall east of mississippi”
Crabtree Falls is one of the tallest sets of waterfalls in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It is located in the George Washington National Forest in Nelson County, Virginia, off of Virginia State Route 56. The name of the falls is thought to have come from William Crabtree, who settled in this part of Virginia in 1777. L.A. Snead, former US Assistant Fuel Administrator (WWI), environmentalist and notable Nelsonian, spearheaded negotiations to secure land surrounding Crabtree Falls after it was almost developed as a resort area in the late 1960s. Using personal and Congressional funds, the land deals were completed and the deeds transferred by LA Snead on June 3, 1968 to the National Forest System. This assured benefit for future generations of this magnificent Nelson County treasure. The set of waterfalls is often credited with being high, but topographic maps show the total drop to be closer to . Crabtree Falls is a series of cascading waterfalls, with five major cascades, the tallest of which drops about , and several smaller cascades, all over a total distance of approximately horizontally. The cascade with a drop also gives Crabtree Falls the title of tallest vertical drop in a waterfall east of the Mississippi River. However, the title of tallest free-fall vertical drop goes to Fall Creek Falls in Tennessee's Fall Creek Falls State Park. There is a trail to the waterfall maintained by the United States Forest Service called the Crabtree Falls Trail. Twenty-nine people have fallen to their deaths from leaving the trail to climb too close to the waterfalls. Recent deaths occurred April 2013, June 2015, and most recently, August 29, 2015.
No RV parking. There are two small lots and a fee of $3 to enter but they have restrooms and the trail is kept up nicely with signs and steps. The lowers falls are just 500 feet from the car lot and the upper falls is about 1.7 miles from the lower falls.
Visited today (10/8/18). Such a beautiful waterfall! It’s a very strenuous hike. The view at the top is breathtaking! The water is so clear.
Beautiful hike up and along the waterfall. Lots of great photo opps and I love walking along the stream at the top! I’m a fairly fast hiker and can get up in about an hour. In the winter some trail sections may be iced over, but the icy falls are beautiful.
Great time! Watch your step icy areas!
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Crabtree Falls
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 12:00 am - 11:59 pm
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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