The Brevard Trip: Waterfalls of the DuPont Forest

If you've read my last post about my and Judy's stay at the Key Falls Inn near Brevard, NC, you know that today's post is a continuation of telling about our wonderful trip. The tranquil setting of the Inn would have been conducive to many more hours of just lounging, reading, or strolling. But we are all about ADVENTURE. And why make Transylvania County, "Land of Waterfalls," your destination unless you love hiking and seeking out these waterfalls?

Morning rain sent us into Brevard instead of in pursuit of waterfalls, but as we were reading in the library that afternoon, Judy saw that the sun had broken through. We hurriedly grabbed our things (except my umbrella) and headed about 10 miles south to DuPont State Forest. Acquired and developed by the state of North Carolina only in the last 10 years, it is rapidly being discovered by outdoors enthusiasts.

This is a quiet stretch of the Little River which converges with the French Broad River a few miles north. But most of the river is anything but quiet!
Transylvania County's unique geology is the reason waterfalls are so plentiful here, and the DuPont Forest has several falls accessible by wide, well-marked trails. First stop was Hooker Falls, just a 0.3 mile walk from the parking area.

The path leading below the falls was a little steeper, but well worth the time.

We retraced our steps to the parking area, then crossed a road to continue our journey. This view of an island in the Little River was taken from a bridge.

An informational map showed that the trail we would follow next was designated "moderate difficulty." We've hiked enough to know that the differences between "easy" or "moderate" and "moderate" and "strenuous" are very subjective. Thus warned, we headed off to the trail which followed the course of the river to Triple Falls and then High Falls.

At first sight, it was obvious how Triple Falls was named. Each of the three cascades has its own character and is lovely in and of itself. If this scene looks familiar to you, chances are you saw the 1990's movie "The Last of the Mohicans." Many people know that Hickory Nut Falls at Chimney Rock was featured in that movie, but so was Triple Falls.

A stairway with 101 steps led down into the gorge for a better look (Judy counted). This shows the drop-off of the lower cascade.

I saw young folks climbing perilously close to the middle cascade. I intentionally didn't photograph them because I feared I would witness a tragedy. But they moved on.

The trail became even more "strenuous" in our estimation. I would not want to mislead anyone into thinking it was just a walk in the park. . . so to speak. It was quite a vigorous workout but we were having the time of our lives. Some returning hikers told us to look for a covered bridge at the head of High Falls, the last stop on our agenda.

As we approached and caught our first glimpse, I loved the veiled effect of seeing High Falls through the thin Hemlock or Balsam branches. But we weren't there yet. Note the covered bridge, as well.

Some of the numerous friendly hikers we encountered snapped this photo for us. We did the same for several folks.

(Same falls, humans deleted)

Having come this far, we were not going to return without seeing the view from the covered bridge. This was a fairly new bridge, not an old or historic one. It was solidly built for forest service use, though we saw no vehicles while we were there.

At first we were disappointed that the bridge didn't offer a look straight down the falls, but on reflection, I think that would have been detrimental to the gorgeous natural view from down below. The view still conveys the sense of a magnificent drop-off and a plunge into the "wild blue yonder."

After a brief rest and water break we were ready for the return hike.

Our round-trip distance was about 3 and a half miles, some moderate, some strenuous. The trip back was notably less difficult. There's no short way to see all three falls on one hike, but many people visit Hooker Falls, then drive to another parking area and approach Triple Falls and High Falls from another direction. That would avoid some of the steep incline, but even then it would be challenging for many folks. We survived it, loved every step we walked and were enraptured by every beautiful vista we gazed upon.

Next post: Flora and Fauna of the Forest (No, that's not some new friends we made, it's plants and critters!) See ya there!