by Graham Averill

Fulfill your hot, sweaty summer fantasies with a cold shower. Dive into five favorite swim-friendly waterfall wonderlands.

No matter what the Bush Administration tries to say about global warming, you know one thing for sure: It’s getting hotter out there. What’s the answer to our sticky, sweltering Southern Appalachian summers? A tall, cold one. We’re talking about a 50-foot waterfall cascading from high rock cliffs into a clear and crisp mountain pool. Here are the Southeast’s top swim-friendly falls.

1) Rainbow Falls

Nantahala National Forest, N.C.

Rainbow Falls is so impressive, everyone wants to call it their own. Currently, the falls sits within the Nantahala, but the newly developed Gorges State Park has announced plans to buy it and the surrounding land from the federal government. That’s if the Forest Service will let it go. Rainbow Falls is a 150-foot vertical drop along the Horsepasture River. After the 1.5-mile hike into Rainbow Falls, scramble to the base (careful, rescues are a regular occurence) and take a swim at the deep pool at the bottom.

Get Dirty: Hike 'em all. Hike a three-mile section of the Horsepasture River Trail and you can see five magnificent waterfalls, one after the other-the most spectacular waterfall hikes in the entire Southeast.

2) Burgess Falls

Burgess Falls State Park, Tennessee

Technically, it’s not in the Blue Ridge, but Burgess Falls is worth the trip into Middle Tennessee. Falling Water River drops 250 feet in just over a mile in three distinct waterfalls, the most impressive of which is 130-foot Burgess Falls, aka Big Falls. The falls drops over a unique, sharp-edged cliff in a sort of arrowhead shape set inside a rough, gray gorge.

Get Dirty: The hiking is fairly tame inside the state park, but Center Hill Lake gives flatwater paddlers a chance to kayak right to the base of Burgess Falls. From the pool at the bottom, you can take a quick hike to check out the other two impressive drops along the Falling Water River.

3) JACKS RIVER Falls

Cohutta Wilderness, Ga.

One of the most popular waterfalls in Georgia happens to be in some of the most remote wilderness in the Southeast. It’s a nine-mile hike along the Jacks River Trail with at least 20 stream crossings to reach the falls, but every weekend an inordinate amount of hikers make the trek. The main falls is surrounded by two smaller waterfalls and some more mellow cascades. And the swimming is un-matched. At 60 feet, it’s not the tallest waterfall in Georgia, but it’s certainly one of the most scenic.

Get Dirty: Sure, the hike in is tough, and there’s miles of backcountry trekking to be done within the Cohutta Wilderness. But people come to Jacks River Falls for one thing: cliff jumping. A couple of rocks at varying heights offer some of the most scenic plunges you'll ever take.

4) Laurel Fork Falls

Jocassee Gorges Natural Area, S.C.

There are a number of waterfalls that spill into pristine Lake Jocassee, but none are as impressive as Laurel Fork Falls. Nestled inside a lush cove, Laurel Fork Creek drops 80 feet in three, powerful sections into the man-made lake. There are two ways to access the falls. Hike the rugged Foothills Trail for 8.5 miles, or rent a kayak from the Jocassee Outdoor Center on the southern edge of Lake Jocassee and paddle for five hours across the lake. The best views are by boat.

Get Dirty: Paddle Lake Jocassee. Countless coves are scattered throughout Jocassee, and you could easily spend a weekend paddling from one secluded corner to the next. (www.jocasseeoutdoorcenter.com)

5) little river falls

Little River Canyon National Preserve, Ala.

Size matters. But it’s not the height of Little River Falls that’s so stunning; it’s the width. The falls is only 45 feet high but it’s 100 feet wide, creating an expansive wall of water, and one of the most unique waterfalls in the region. Little River is an Alabama Wild and Scenic River and the falls sits at the head of Little River Canyon, one of the deepest, and greenest, canyons in the East. Cliff jumping is a must at the falls. Clear the 45-foot drop from the top of the falls, then climb back up to the rim via the rock face for another go.

Get Dirty: Climb the canyon. There is a lifetime of tough, steep, sport routes inside Little River Canyon, most of which are 5.11 or higher. Check out the Lizard Wall, which stays dry during a rain storm thanks to the natural roof.