Crabtree Falls

{{About| the waterfall in Virginia|the waterfall in North Carolina|Crabtree Falls (North Carolina)}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox waterfall | name = Crabtree Falls | photo = Crabtree Falls.jpg | photo_width = | photo_caption = A portion of Crabtree Falls | location = Nelson County, Virginia, U.S. | coords = {{Coord|37.850833|-79.078333|region:US_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}} | elevation = | type = Cascade | height = {{convert|1200|ft|m}} | width = | height_longest = {{convert|400|ft|m}} | average_width = | number_drops = 5 | average_flow = | watercourse = | world_rank = }} '''Crabtree Falls''' is one of the tallest sets of waterfalls in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It is located in the George Washington National Forest in Nelson County, Virginia, off of Virginia State Route 56. The name of the falls is thought to have come from William Crabtree, who settled in this part of Virginia in 1777. L.A. Snead, former US Assistant Fuel Administrator (WWI), environmentalist and Nelsonian, spearheaded negotiations to secure land surrounding Crabtree Falls after plans to develop the falls into a resort area began in the late 1960s. Using personal and Congressional funds, the land deals were completed and the deeds transferred by LA Snead on June 3, 1968, to the National Forest System. thumb|left|Aerial view Fed by the Crabtree Creek upstream and draining into the Tye River downstream, the set of waterfalls which encompass the whole of Crabtree Falls are often credited with being {{convert|1200|ft|m}} high, but topographic maps show the total drop to be closer to {{convert|1000|ft}}.<ref name=USGS>U.S. Geological Survey Massies Mill 7.5-minute quadrangle</ref> Crabtree Falls is a series of cascading waterfalls, with five major cascades, the tallest of which drops about {{convert|400|ft}}, and several smaller cascades, all over a total distance of approximately {{convert|2500|ft}} horizontally.<ref name=USGS/> The cascade with a {{convert|400|ft|m|adj=on}} drop also gives Crabtree Falls the title of tallest vertical drop in a waterfall east of the Mississippi River. However, the title of tallest free-fall vertical drop goes to Fall Creek Falls in Tennessee's Fall Creek Falls State Park.

There is a trail to the waterfall maintained by the United States Forest Service called the Crabtree Falls Trail. Since the U.S. Forest Service first started tracking incidents in 1982, 30 known people have fallen to their deaths by slipping or from leaving the trail to gain further access to the waterfalls. Recent deaths occurred April 2013,<ref>{{cite news|work=Lynchburg News & Advance|url=http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/article_8033f90a-a0b4-11e2-b456-0019bb30f31a.html|title=LU student who died at Crabtree Falls identified|date=9 April 2015|location=Lynchburg, Virginia}}</ref> June 2015,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blueridgelife.com/2015/06/07/breaking-rescue-underway-at-crabtree-in-south-nelson-for-person-over-the-falls|title=Person Falls To Death At Crabtree Falls In South Nelson|date=7 June 2015|work=Blue Ridge Life Magazine}}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/young-man-dies-at-crabtree-falls-in-nelson-county/article_40b7f737-32b3-56db-b25d-3be8c55c3afa.html|title=Young man dies at Crabtree Falls in Nelson County|work=The Roanoke Times|date=8 June 2015|last=Roy|first=Eleanor}}</ref> and most recently, August 29, 2015.<ref name="NBC29">{{cite news|url=http://www.nbc29.com/story/29914561/man-dies-while-hiking-crabtree-falls-in-nelson-county|title=Man Dies While Hiking Crabtree Falls in Nelson County|work=NBC29|date=29 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Rachel |agency=Associated Press |title=Crabtree Falls deaths concern community at large |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/19/crabtree-falls-deaths-concern-community-at-large/ |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also== * List of waterfalls

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/gwj/recreation US Forest Service website for the Crabtree Falls Trail] *[http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/gp/recreation/camping/rec-fees/index.shtml Fee Schedule for Crabtree Falls] *[http://world-waterfalls.com/waterfall.php?num=121 World Waterfall entry for Crabtree Falls] *[http://www.nelsoncounty-va.gov/Organization/crabtree-falls/ Nelson County Webpage for Crabtree Falls] *[http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=37.84306&lon=-79.07472&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=24 TopoQuest Map of Crabtree Falls]

Category:Landmarks in Virginia Category:Waterfalls of Virginia Category:Protected areas of Nelson County, Virginia Category:Landforms of Nelson County, Virginia