Alvarado Road Falls, while not impressive enough for a trip on its own, is fairly close to several other waterfalls and is located in a scenic area, however it is worth a visit if you are in the area. This waterfall is not widely known so you most likely will have it all to yourself.
This waterfall is not the easiest to photograph. You’ll want to visit either early in the morning or at dusk for the best photographic results. We unfortunately visited during the middle of the day.
Just 15 minutes away is the beautiful Backbone Falls and Backbone Rock just across the Tennessee border. In 1901, a tunnel was drilled through the rock to allow railroad access between Shady Valley and Damascus creating Backbone Rock, “The Shortest Tunnel in the World”. There’s lots of hiking opportunities in this area as well as a lake to picnic at. The Virginia Creeper Trail is nearby as well as a train exhibit in the parking area for the Creeper Trail in Damascus. And don’t forget to visit Mock’s Mill Falls in Damascus while you are there.
We also drove along the nearby US-58 to check out the sights as we visited in fall and the leaves were at peak, so we were treated with a beautiful array of color.
Leave a Reply