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Water parks are everywhere, and with the summer heat, young kids (and their parents) start thinking about whether they would rather go to Charlotte’s Carowinds or Atlanta’s Six Flags or even one of the parks over in Pigeon Forge. The “true” water park aficionado might also want to make plans to visit Mother Nature’s very own – and original – water park, Sliding Rock.
Sliding Rock, a very popular and well-known spot in the heart of the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, was a water park before anyone ever heard of water parks. On a hot and sultry summer day, no place in the mountains is more fun or more refreshing than this natural site. Located about 7-1/2 miles up Hwy. 276 from the intersection with US 64, the massive, smooth-faced rock invites the brave among us to “take the plunge” down the 60-foot rock into a churning pool of 50-degree water. Eleven thousand gallons of underground mountain spring water per minute fuel the spectacular slide down the rock. The water temperature is enough to take your breath away the first couple of times, but the slide down the rock is so much fun that it keeps most sliders coming back for more. “First-timers” are easy to identify … they are the ones who try to lessen the blast of cold water by tip-toeing as quickly as possible to the side of the plunge-pool, holding their arms high above their heads, and shrieking “It’s so cold!” all the while. Sliding Rock is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day each summer from 10 AM – 6 PM daily. Parking is available on site for $3 per vehicle, and there is plenty of room for a casual picnic in the grassy areas around the parking lot (there are no food sales at Sliding Rock area, so bring your own or stop somewhere in Brevard before heading on to Sliding Rock). There is a footpath that leads to Sliding Rock and the adjoining bathhouse, where those who were brave enough to take on Sliding Rock can change into some warm and dry clothes. A word to the wise – from centuries of water flowing over its surface, Sliding Rock is smooth, but not so smooth that it won’t chew up bathing suit bottoms, so bring a pair of expendable cut-off jeans or canvas shorts for the slide. Also, take great care when walking on Sliding Rock – again, it has water running over it all the time, so areas of the rock will be slippery for walkers, and those slippery spots have caused many a fall for the unsuspecting. (Image provided by Sliding Rock)
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