Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Saluda (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: The Gorge Zipline, Pearson's Falls, and Heartwood Gallery. Also, be sure to include Church of the Transfiguration in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Saluda (North Carolina).
Table of Contents
The Gorge Zipline
Nature, Natural attraction, Top attraction, Adventure park, Outdoor activities, Tours, Canyon
Address: 166 Honey Bee Dr, 28773-9704 Saluda
Pearson's Falls
Waterfall in North Carolina. Pearson's Falls is located in the foothills of Western North Carolina off Hwy. 176 between Tryon and Saluda. This wildlife and bird sanctuary comprises 268 acres of native forest, granite, spring-fed streams and a moderate 1/4 mile trail to a 90-foot waterfall. There are over 200 species of rare wildflowers and plants. There are also mosses, lichens, shrubs and trees in this glen, which is classified as a deciduous climax forest. Pearson's Falls is owned and maintained by The Tryon Garden Club, a non-profit 501 organization.
Pearson's Falls was named for a young engineer, Charles William Pearson, who scouted the mountains for what was to become the Southern Railroad. A military man, farmer, and an engineer, Captain Pearson bought the Glen as part of a large tract of land that he wanted for his family.
In 1931, the Tryon Garden Club bought the property in order to preserve this unique mountain Glen. Although open to the public, the property remains under the ownership and protection of the Tryon Garden Club. Over 17,000 people visit Pearson's Falls each year.
Pearson's Falls is a wildflower and wildlife preserve and an outdoor laboratory for botany and biology students from the surrounding colleges and universities, and the site of frequent field trips for local science classes.
Pearson's Falls is designated as a North Carolina National Heritage Site of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, a North Carolina Birding Trail Site, and is placed in the Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Gardens.
The botanical preserve is made up of spring-fed streams and 268 acres (108 ha) of native forest. In addition, the wildlife preserve features more than 200 species of fern, algae, flowering plants, and mosses.
The waterfall's water source is Colt Creek, and the trail leading up to the waterfall is roughly three-tenths of a mile. Using a scale of 0-10, with 0 being easy and 10 being very difficult, the difficulty of the trail is listed as a 3. The waterfall is not wheelchair accessible.[1]
Heartwood Gallery
Art gallery, Shopping, Gift shop, Museum
Address: 21 Main St, 28773-9769 Saluda
Church of the Transfiguration
Church in Saluda, North Carolina. Church of the Transfiguration is a historic Episcopal church located at Henderson and Charles Streets in Saluda, Polk County, North Carolina. It was built in 1889, and is a one-story Carpenter Gothic-style church with a steeply pitched gable roof and board and batten siding. It features a two-tiered square corner bell tower and pointed arch stained glass windows. A vestry addition was built in 1968.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[2]
Ryder Hall
Hotel. Ryder Hall, also known as the Mountain Manor Hotel and Cloud Hotel, is a historic hotel located at Saluda, Polk County, North Carolina. It was built in 1909, as a girls' dormitory for the Saluda Seminary that operated until 1922. It is a 2+1⁄2-story, "H"-plan, Colonial Revival style frame building sheathed in weatherboard. It has a gambrel roof with shed-roof dormers and features full-width one-story shed roof porches on the front and rear elevations. It housed a public school until 1927, then was converted to a hotel. It was converted to a single-family dwelling after 1992.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.[3]
Charlton Leland
Building in Saluda. Charlton Leland, also known as the Dr. E.B Goelet House and Saluda Inn, is a historic home located at Saluda, Polk County, North Carolina. It was built about 1896, as a 2+1⁄2-story, Queen Anne style frame dwelling with a wraparound porch. It was enlarged and remodeled in the Colonial Revival style when converted to an inn in 1914. It rests on an ashlar-face stone foundation and is capped by a gable-on-hip roof with a prominent front gable. The building houses a retreat house known as the Saluda Inn.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.[4]
Saluda Main Street Historic District
Saluda Main Street Historic District is a national historic district located at Saluda, Polk County, North Carolina. The district encompasses 16 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, and 1 contributing structure in the central business district of Saluda. It includes buildings dated from about 1878 to 1946 and notable examples of Late Gothic Revival and Stick style / Eastlake movement architecture. Notable buildings include the Saluda Presbyterian Church, former Saluda Depot, the Saluda City Hall, the M. A. Pace Store, Thompson's Store, Pebbledash Building, Top Service Station, and the former United States Post Office.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[5]