18 Mar Sliding Rock: Natural Waterslide near Asheville, North Carolina

My friends and I were able to visit Sliding Rock near Asheville, North Carolina on our road trip from Pennsylvania to California. We jumped at the opportunity to stop here one morning and slide down the natural waterslide. Sliding down was an adventure…and fairly bumpy. We left feeling energized, refreshed, and ready to take on the day.

Are you planning a road trip of your own? Then check out my summer road trip packing list as well as my travel accessories for a pop up camper.

Contents:

1) Location of Sliding Rock in Asheville

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

3) The Best Time to Visit

4) Quick Facts

5) General Information

6) Recommended Items to Bring

1) Location of Sliding Rock in Asheville

Sliding Rock is located in Pisgah Forest, which is only one hour southwest from Asheville, North Carolina. I definitely recommend you stop in Asheville for a visit, even if it is just for one day. There are a variety of activities within the city of Asheville, including the downtown area, North Carolina Arboretum, and local breweries. 

Moreover, I recommend you take some time to check out additional attractions in the state of North Carolina. For example, the Cameron Barnstormer Murals are exactly what they sound like – murals painted on the side of barns in the town of Cameron. Additionally, there is the Road to Nowhere Tunnel as well as Clingmans Dome near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Maybe you can even include one of them as a side stop during your day trip to Sliding Rock!

Parking

There is a parking lot located right by the Sliding Rock. It is fairly large, so you should not have to worry about finding a spot unless you plan to visit on a holiday weekend in the summer. 

Nearby Lodging

The closest big-name city to Sliding Rock is Asheville, North Carolina. There are hundreds of lodging accommodations available there. Otherwise, you can stick a bit closer to Sliding Rock and find lodging in the small town of Pisgah Forest.

Nearby Airports – Sliding Rock, Asheville

There are a few nearby regional airports to Sliding Rock. However, the closest international airport is the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. It is located two and a half hours east. Furthermore, there is no public transportation from any nearby airports to Sliding Rock. You will thus need to rent a car or utilize a ride share service such as Uber. 

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

There is a small fee of $4 per person to enter the recreation area. However, this fee only applies when staff are on duty. Staffing hours are typically from 10:00am to 6:00pm from the months of May to September. The staff include an entrance attendant as well as lifeguards. 

When no staff are on duty, there is no entrance fee but instead donations are welcome. Moreover, Sliding Rock is open all day, every day. Visitors can enter as they wish, though it is not recommended to visit during harsh weather conditions. Moreover, the water will be quite chilly if visiting in the off months of November to April.

3) The Best Time to Visit – Sliding Rock, Asheville

The best season to visit Sliding Rock is in the summer simply due to the fact you will encounter the best weather and warmest water temperatures at this time. Additionally, lifeguards are only present from May to September. 

Estimated Visit Time

Plan to spend at least one hour at the Sliding Rock. You will need time to change into your swimsuit, wait in line, slide down the natural rock waterslide, and then dry off and change into clean clothes afterwards. If you plan to visit on a holiday day or weekend in the summer, you might want to plan for two hours simply because there will be a long line at the natural waterslide. 

View of Sliding Rock through the trees

4) Quick Facts

1. Sliding Rock is a natural waterslide near Asheville, North Carolina. 

2. There is an entrance fee of $4 per person when staff are on duty. 

3. An entrance attendant as well as lifeguards are present from 10:00am to 6:00pm from the months of May to September. 

4. Sliding Rock is 60 feet (~18 meters) long and the pool at the end is eight feet (~2.5 meters) deep. 

5. Alcohol as well as picnicking are prohibited in the area. 

5) General Information – Sliding Rock, Asheville

The Sliding Rock recreation area includes the natural waterslide as well as restrooms and changing rooms. However, the restrooms and changing rooms are closed when no staff is on duty in the winter months. Additionally, take care as the floor is slippery when wet. I took one step onto the wooden floor, had my legs fly up in the air, and then landed straight on my butt.

Please keep in mind that alcohol and picnicking are prohibited in the area.

Waterslide Dimensions

The natural waterslide is on a 60 foot (~18 meter) long rock that slopes slightly downward. At the end visitors fall into an eight foot (~2.5 meter) deep pool. Typically the water ranges from around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (~10 to 15 degrees Celsius).

For other water-based activities, check out the waterfalls at Falls of Hills Creek Park and the New River Gorge in the nearby state of West Virginia.

Arriving at the Waterslide

Upon arrival, follow the signs for the pathway to the natural waterslide. It is just a short walk, but it is slightly uphill. You have to climb up the rock before you can slide down. At peak visit times on summer weekends, the line will be quite long. However, I think it is worth waiting as sliding down the natural waterslide will provide an adrenaline rush and the urge to do it all over again.

It can become quite busy in the summer months, especially on a hot Saturday or Sunday afternoon. If the parking lot is full, consider checking out other nearby activities and then returning in an hour or so. Nearby activities include Looking Glass Falls and Twin Falls.

Sliding Down the Waterslide

The slide down can look a bit daunting from the top of the rock, but once you start going down you will be looking forward to doing it all over again. Additionally, the rock is kind of bumpy. Your butt will be bouncing up and down when you hit a bump or a rough patch. However, the rock is surprisingly smooth. The majority of your ride down will be smooth as well. 

Looking for more adventurous activities in the water? Then head to Harpers Ferry, WV for a whitewater rafting tour and/or a whitewater tubing tour.

View of Sliding Rock from the top

6) Recommended Items to Bring

I recommend you wear the following items: swimsuit and water shoes. Additionally, I recommend you bring the following items: towel, change of clothes, waterproof bag, and map/directions.

For additional recommendations concerning packing for travel, check out my travel essentials for women and travel accessories for men.

Items for the Slide

1. Swimsuit: I would not recommend wearing your favorite swimsuit, but instead one that can get dirty or ripped. After all, you are sliding down a giant rock.

2. Water shoes: Many visitors slide down the rock with no shoes, but wearing shoes protects your feet from any bumps along the rock as well as on the path while walking.

3. Waterproof phone case: Consider bringing a waterproof case to hold phones and/or car keys. There are no lockers available, and thus we either had to hold our items or leave them in our car. We decided to leave the phones in the car and only take the car keys in a waterproof pouch.

Items for After the Slide

4. Towel: You will want to bring a towel to help you dry off after sliding down the rock. The towel linked here is a small, quick-drying towel perfect for traveling. 

5. Extra set of clothes: Since we were road tripping, we made sure to set out an extra set of clothes for the day outside of our suitcases. It helps to be prepared and have easy access to dry clothes.

Other – Sliding Rock, Asheville

6. Printed out directions: Fourth, we experienced firsthand that cell phone reception is not the best in this area. Thankfully I had the route already active on google maps so we arrived with no problem. However, nothing would load when we tried to depart. My recommendation? Write down or print out directions from Sliding Rock to the next destination if not familiar with the area. We had printed out google maps directions, and they definitely came in handy.

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Head to nearby West Virginia for a general or wild cave tour: Lost World Caverns Tours in West Virginia.

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