Looking back on a stretch of boardwalk, the overlook parking lot can be seen above.Īs you continue along the loop, look for side trails to the Yellowstone Prong River to catch some pretty scenes.Ībout 1.6 miles in from the trailhead, the split to the Upper Falls spur is well-marked. In some places, the trail is a red-dirt rut and in other places it flattens. The Loop alternates through forested areas and open areas of grasses and blueberries as it meanders back toward the stream. The Blue Ridge Parkway Association has a nice photo of Second Falls, also called Lower Falls. The spur trail to the right includes a 60-step wooden stairway to a platform at the base of the falls, according to the National Forest Service description of the trail. Somehow, we blanked on the fact that a waterfall we came to see was to the right, and took a left. Quickly, wooden stairs lead to a platform and bridge across the river, where it’s easy to get onto the rocks and see the stream.Īcross the river, the trail splits, with Second Falls to the right and the Loop Trail continuing to the left. Starting from the northern end of the parking lot, near the restrooms, and heading down the stairs, the trail is paved as it heads through a section of rhododendron toward the river. The easier hike is a 0.3-mile partially paved walk to Second Falls, which makes the overlook (which also has vault toilets) very popular with tourists. The 3.2-mile Graveyard Fields Loop Trail has trailheads at either end of the Parkway overlook parking lot. Forest Service has plans to create an additional access from the Parkway’s John Rock Overlook at MP 219. We visited Graveyard Fields on a Monday at the end of April 2021, a day after finding the parking lot overflowing the two times we passed it. In 1925, a fire burned the recently logged area, and the forest has yet to grow back fully.įrom the overlook, you can see some trail and one of the rocky beaches on the river that draw locals. The valley is called Graveyard Fields because, after a sudden wind toppled trees several hundred years ago, the tree trunks left behind looked like headstones. It provides an overlook of a small valley and 6,000-foot peaks beyond, hikes to two waterfalls and Pisgah National Forest trails to spots on the Yellowstone Prong river that are favored warm-weather hangouts for locals. Graveyard Fields, about 25 miles south of Asheville, is one of the more popular recreation areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 418.8).
Graveyard Fields & Upper Falls – Home – Parks & Forests – Camping – Hiking – Links – Adventuresīack to National Parks Graveyard Fields & Upper Falls
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