[Garden & Gun] "Like snowflakes, no two waterfalls are alike," says Dr. Gregory Plumb, a retired professor of cartography and geology, whose third book on the subject, Waterfall Atlas of the United States, is set to hit shelves September 1. "There’s a huge variety of forms. Some are powerful, others graceful." The Oklahoma-based writer was a child when he bought his first atlas after a visit to Michigan’s Tahquamenon Falls and started mapping out and researching his own waterfall bucket list, which, after grad school, culminated in a professional side gig enabling others to seek out and enjoy these wet and wild spaces. He published a Waterfall Lover’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest and Waterfalls of Tennessee before compiling this latest comprehensive tome.
And because the Southern summer heat means we need little to no excuse to seek out the water, even if just to feel a chilly mist on our faces for a few minutes, we turned to Plumb to help us create a Southern waterfall primer. The resulting list features twelve of his favorite block, plunge, horsetail, punchbowl, and multi-step waterfalls around the region, from heavy-hitting cataracts to under-the-radar stunners. Before you hit the trail, though, Plumb advises checking with local guides and outfitters to check flow rates, as water volume can fluctuate throughout the year. |