11 Douglas Falls

A LONG THIN TRICKLE OF WATER COMPRISES DOUGLAS FALLS.

SCENERY:

TRAIL CONDITION:

CHILDREN:

DIFFICULTY:

SOLITUDE:

GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES: N35° 42.015' W82° 22.776'

DISTANCE & CONFIGURATION: 6.6-mile out-and-back

HIKING TIME: 4 hours

HIGHLIGHTS: The skinny but tall 70-foot Douglas Falls

ELEVATION: 5,490 feet at the trailhead to 4,218 feet at Douglas Falls

ACCESS: Free and always open, but vehicle access to this hike is unavailable when the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed.

MAPS: USGS Craggy Pinnacle

FACILITIES: Restrooms and water at Craggy Gardens Visitor Center

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes, at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center

COMMENTS: For children and adults who may not want to hike the 6.6 miles round-trip from the parkway, you also can reach Douglas Falls from a 0.5-mile trail near Barnardsville. (See “Directions,”, for the time-consuming and bumpy drive to the trailhead for the shorter trail.)

CONTACTS: Blue Ridge Parkway (828) 298-0398 and nps.gov/blri; Pisgah National Forest (828) 257-4200 and fs.usda.gov/nfsnc

Overview

The trail to Douglas Falls weaves steadily downhill through a dense hardwood forest. After you turn off the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST), you will not cross another trail intersection or road on your journey to the falls, making this a very quiet and remote hike. You will cross several streams before reaching a grove of large boulders and a 70-foot-long rock ledge. The thin but picturesque Douglas Falls drops over the ledge into a small pool. After leaving the waterfall, the hike back to the trailhead presents an unrelenting uphill climb. It is imperative that you allow ample daylight time for completing this hike, particularly because of the tiring uphill climb on the return leg.

Route Details

According to the Blue Ridge Parkway Association, the Blue Ridge Parkway attracts an estimated 22 million people each year. However, only a small fraction of those visitors know about Douglas Falls, a hidden jewel located near milepost 364.

The parking for Douglas Falls is on either side of the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center. To begin the hike, follow the paved sidewalk at the visitor center southeast toward Craggy Gardens. When the sidewalk reaches the forest, it turns into a dirt path that quickly leads to the MST, which is blazed with white circles. At the junction with the MST, it is important to turn right and follow the MST and Douglas Falls signs to the north. (A left turn will lead up the hill to the Craggy Gardens Pavilion.)

The next 1 mile of trail is fairly level but very rocky. Your feet will land on the hard jagged rocks that cover the trail far more often than the patches of soft dirt that sporadically appear. This section can be especially precarious if the rocks are slick. Wearing proper hiking footwear will help to give you traction over the coarse terrain, but you may also want to consider bringing a hiking stick or two to help with balance.

After hiking a cumulative 1.2 miles, leave the MST and veer left onto the Douglas Falls Trail. This path is not as well traveled as the MST and can become overgrown in the summer and early fall. From this point forward you will follow yellow rectangular blazes on a steady descent to Douglas Falls. Thankfully the route includes several switchbacks, so the downhill grade is never too steep. At some places there are cut-off trails that shorten the switchbacks. (If you were to take these shortcuts, you would contribute to erosion, create a new and often confusing trail, and detract from the trail’s gradual climb. In fact, it is a Leave No Trace principle to walk only on already established trails, so do your best to stay on the official pathway!)

At 1.7 miles the trail crosses Waterfall Creek. Because the trickling water comes cascading down the hillside, hikers will sometimes mistake this small stream for Douglas Falls. It is NOT Douglas Falls. You still have 1.6 miles to go to reach the waterfall.

Past the creek, the trail can become more overgrown. During the spring, beautiful trillium plants carpet the path, but in the late summer the trillium thickens with stinging nettles. In the southern Appalachian Mountains, these nettles can grow up to four feet tall and are characterized by their opposite leaves with serrated edges. If you fail to recognize the plants by sight, then you will most likely identify them due to the stinging sensation from grazing against the plant. Instinctively, you will want to rub or scratch at the invisible irritation, but the more you touch it, the worse it can become. Typically the burning and itching caused by a stinging nettle will fade away within 15 minutes, but if it persists you may want to apply cold water and hydrocortisone cream. Or, better yet, you can prevent being stung by wearing pants to avoid contact with the nettle.

Meanwhile, the path continues down the mountain and seemingly deeper into the woods. The lower the elevation and the farther from the parkway that you hike, the quieter the woods will become. There is no noise pollution on the lower half of this trail, and the woods along the path reveal a setting that seems timeless. You can envision someone standing in these woods 1,000 years ago and surveying a similar scene to what you witness today. Because of the remote location and solitude on this trail, it is advisable to never hike this route alone—and never count on cell phone reception on any hike but particularly one as isolated as this one.

At 3.2 miles you reach two large boulders and a backcountry campsite. Go to the right of the second boulder and follow a long switchback to reach Douglas Falls. The amount of water coming over the falls is minimal compared to other waterfalls in the area, but the steep 70-foot drop and dramatic rock cliff make this a memorable destination. It is possible to walk behind and around the falls or to stand directly under it—if you can tolerate the cold water—but be careful on and around the slick rocks, as it’s easy to lose your balance and fall.

Leaving the waterfall, you will have a long uphill journey back to the trailhead. Most out-and-back hikes gain elevation in the first half of the hike. This trail often feels more difficult because you must climb 1,000 feet in the second half of the hike. Take your time and, as noted above, begin your hike in time to allow for plenty of daylight for your ascent back to the parking lot.

Nearby Attractions

The trail starts and ends at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center off the Blue Ridge Parkway. At the visitor center you can view maps, talk to the knowledgeable staff, and purchase parkway gifts.

Directions

Take the Blue Ridge Parkway north from Asheville. Drive to milepost 364, approximately 18 miles from Asheville, and park at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center to the left of the parkway.

If you prefer the shorter version of this hike to Douglas Falls (see “Comments,”), drive this route: from Barnardsville, follow Dillingham Road 6 miles to reach FR 74. Travel 8.7 miles on FR 74 to the Douglas Falls Trailhead.