NC Waterfalls

Quick Glance

From John Rock Overlook, take the trail across the road and turn left at every trail junction.

Detailed Look

I’ll describe the hike from both John Rock Overlook and Graveyard Fields Overlook, so this will take a while. Use the map to get your bearings as you follow the directions.

JOHN ROCK OVERLOOK

From the south end of the overlook, cross the road and descend 0.6 miles on the wide, graveled trail to a sharp-right junction with Graveyard Fields Loop Trail. (That trail reaches Graveyard Fields Overlook in about 0.4 miles.)

Bear left—essentially straight—and continue 110 feet to where Graveyard Fields Loop Trail turns right. Continue straight a little less than 0.1 miles to Yellowstone Prong. There’s no bridge, and a moderate flow will require require an easy wade. At low flow, you can usually rockhop across. (To avoid wading, return to the second Graveyard Fields Loop Trail junction and follow it downhill to a footbridge. Continue to Upper Falls Trail and turn left.)

After crossing the creek, continue about 75 yards to a T junction with Upper Falls Trail. (Turning right leads to Graveyard Fields Loop Trail and Graveyard Fields Overlook.) Turn left into a confusing network of braided trails and side paths. Trying to stay on the widest, most traveled route is the best advice I can give.

After just under 0.4 miles, reach a T junction with a well-traveled path. Turn left and immediately cross a side stream. The trail soon starts climbing and becomes rocky and rooty but remains fairly easy to follow. About 0.4 miles from the creek, reach a confusing jumble of rocks with paths all over the place. If you go to the left, you’ll quickly come to Yellowstone Prong near the base of Upper Falls.

The view from the base is not great and doesn’t take in the main upper section that you came to see. Instead, turn right at the rock garden and scramble up the obvious path. It climbs through the rocks, curves toward the creek, and ends at the base of the main section. You’ll need to get out in the creek for an open view, which is easy to do. At this point you’re at about the midpoint of the waterfall.

GRAVEYARD FIELDS OVERLOOK

Two trails start at the parking area and form Graveyard Fields Loop Trail. Upper Falls Trail turns off this loop, so you can start the hike on one section of the loop trail and return by the other, making the hike a reverse lollipop. The trail to Second Falls also turns off this loop, making it easy to see both falls on the same hike.

Let’s begin at the upper end of the parking area. Take the steps down and descend gradually through rhododendron tunnels for about 0.4 miles to the new Upper Falls Connector Trail. From there, follow the directions above.

On the way back, when you come to the junction with Upper Falls Connector Trail near the creek crossing, instead of turning right and backtracking, you can go straight and reach Graveyard Fields Loop Trail. Turn left to finish the loop. If you want to visit Second Falls, turn left at the boardwalk instead of turning right and crossing Yellowstone Prong, then then turn right when you come to a fork. The trail descends a long series of steps to the base of the falls.