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Waterfall

Onion Falls

North Carolina

About

Onion Falls is a waterfall in the Nantahala Ranger District of the National Forests in North Carolina, about 2.7 miles from the town of Glenville. It sits at roughly 3,400 feet. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Highlands weather station, at a similar elevation, show July highs around 78°F and September highs near 71°F with lows around 51°F. Winter is cold, with January highs in the low 40s. The falls make an easy pairing with other outings in the area. The 107 Boulders climbing area is under a mile away, and the Swinging Vine Trail is about 0.9 miles off. Farther out, Laurel Knob offers more climbing about 6.4 miles away, and Balsam Lake Lodge, about 9 miles away, has pier fishing.

Waterfall Facts

Elevation

3,386 ft

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

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Location

Onion Falls

North Carolina

Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–78°F and lows of 39–58°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Highlands, NC weather station, 10 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan42° high24° low
  2. Feb46° high26° low
  3. Mar54° high32° low
  4. Apr62° high39° low
  5. May69° high47° low
  6. Jun75° high54° low
  7. Jul78° high58° low
  8. Aug76° high57° low
  9. Sep71° high51° low
  10. Oct63° high41° low
  11. Nov53° high32° low
  12. Dec45° high27° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Glenville, North Carolina · 2.7 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Nantahala Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

    Onion Falls — Waterfall in North Carolina | Roamze