Picklesimer Rock House Falls 
Nikon D800, Nikon 17-35mm lens at 24mm, f/16, 6 seconds, ISO 200, polarizing filter.
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Driving Directions
From US 64 in Highlands, drive south on NC 28 for 5.9 miles and turn right on Blue Valley Road (SR 1618), which changes to gravel and becomes FR 79. At 4.3 miles from NC 28 is a narrow pullout on the left directly across from an old logging road. Park here.
Hike Description
Walk up the logging road and past a gate that’s not visible from FR 79. You’ll ascend through a white-pine stand, descend through a mixed forest, and come to a wildlife clearing 0.4 mile from the trailhead. You’ll reenter the woods in 240 feet, then come to a creek in another 200 feet. Don’t cross the creek. Instead, follow the obvious side path on the right. It leads about 450 feet to the falls.
Overview
If you’ve seen Moore Cove Falls near Brevard, then you know exactly what Picklesimer Rock House Falls looks like. A small stream drops over a high, deeply undercut bluff on which the rock layers are prominently visible. From a geological viewpoint, it’s really striking. In earlier times, large bluffs like this were called rock houses. They provided shelter for hunting parties and sometimes even acted as temporary living quarters for families. I haven’t been able to determine if a family of Picklesimers ever lived under the bluff, but the Picklesimer name is common in the Highlands region.