| Glassmine Falls | |
|---|---|
Visible Portion of Glassmine Falls, August 2006 |
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| Location | Buncombe County, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina |
| Type | Slide |
| Total height | 800 ft (240 m) (estimated) |
Glassmine Falls is an ephemeral waterfall in Buncombe County, North Carolina, on Glassmine Branch, near Dillingham, North Carolina.
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When it flows, the falls slides down the rock face of Blackstop Knob Mountain down to the North Fork Swannanoa River. The flow is not constant and can sometimes nearly dry up completely. It is most visible after heavy rains, which can be at any time during the year. A sign at the overlook for the falls claims that the falls is over 800 ft (247m) high. At this height, Glassmine Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River.
At the base of the falls is the old Abernathy Mine, a mica mine. The miners referred to the mineral they mined as "glass", which is how the falls got its name.
Access to the falls is restricted to a viewing platform at milemarker 361.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The falls is directly in the City of Asheville's watershed, so direct access to the falls is strictly prohibited.