"The Odds Were Questionably in Our Favor"
FNO Takes you to the state of: North Carolina
Where are you (park, forest, etc.)- Dupont State Forest
Nearest town (s)- Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC
How long is this hike- Day trek
Miles- 6 miles round trip
On your toughness scale (1 easiest, 10 toughest)- 3. I'm no macho hiker but this hike is easy for anybody with a little bit of time and a day to just relax. Mostly wide trails and relatively little incline.
Tell us about it- Since I've moved to Greenville, SC I've done a number of hikes north of here, but nothing north of the border yet (into NC). With the ladyfriend coming in town I figured it seemed like the perfect excuse for a little adventure.
Shortly after I moved here I realized mountain-biking was the sport of choice north of Greenville and south of Asheville. They told me it all centered around one area, Dupont State Forest. After doing a little research into the area I learned there was a lot more going on than just mountain-biking. The 10000+ acres of Dupont State forest has not only caught the eye of locals in the recent years, but Hollywood as well. A number of films have been shot inside the films border, but two blockbuster hits stand out. The Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger games each shot the majority of their scenes around these parts.
Where are you (park, forest, etc.)- Dupont State Forest
Nearest town (s)- Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC
How long is this hike- Day trek
Miles- 6 miles round trip
On your toughness scale (1 easiest, 10 toughest)- 3. I'm no macho hiker but this hike is easy for anybody with a little bit of time and a day to just relax. Mostly wide trails and relatively little incline.
Tell us about it- Since I've moved to Greenville, SC I've done a number of hikes north of here, but nothing north of the border yet (into NC). With the ladyfriend coming in town I figured it seemed like the perfect excuse for a little adventure.
Shortly after I moved here I realized mountain-biking was the sport of choice north of Greenville and south of Asheville. They told me it all centered around one area, Dupont State Forest. After doing a little research into the area I learned there was a lot more going on than just mountain-biking. The 10000+ acres of Dupont State forest has not only caught the eye of locals in the recent years, but Hollywood as well. A number of films have been shot inside the films border, but two blockbuster hits stand out. The Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger games each shot the majority of their scenes around these parts.
While I would feel much better saying it was the classic James Fenimore Cooper novel/movie that caught my attention, it was more the Jennifer Lawrence flick. Regardless I felt it was necessary to scout out my next MTB adventure so I decided this was the ideal time to take the girlfriend on a nice little Hollywood hike while at it.
Unfortunately it turns out many people have the same idea. If you do this hike, go early. Luckily I got this advice and I managed to snag probably the last parking spot at Hooker Falls Parking Area at around 11am. It is about a 45 minute drive from Greenville. Anyway we departed from the trailhead and made our way to Triple Falls. This is truly an impressive waterfall. I could refer to this as the waterfall in the background of the scene where Peeta Cake-Paints his face, but I think the waterfall deserves a little more recognition. This is the waterfall probably 80% of the parks visitors go to see.
Unfortunately it turns out many people have the same idea. If you do this hike, go early. Luckily I got this advice and I managed to snag probably the last parking spot at Hooker Falls Parking Area at around 11am. It is about a 45 minute drive from Greenville. Anyway we departed from the trailhead and made our way to Triple Falls. This is truly an impressive waterfall. I could refer to this as the waterfall in the background of the scene where Peeta Cake-Paints his face, but I think the waterfall deserves a little more recognition. This is the waterfall probably 80% of the parks visitors go to see.
From the picture above I would call this "Double Falls", but I am actually standing near the crest of the final waterfall. After departing from this fall the crowds started to thin. After a little upward climbing and another .5 miles or so we stumbled upon High Falls. This is a cool 100' waterfall that is crowned with a covered bridge.
Funny enough this is where about 95% of the crowd stops. I was thankful for this though because only another 2 miles further came probably the most unique fall in Dupont State Forest. The final waterfall on our back-and-out hike is called Bridal Veil Falls. So what makes the waterfall so unique? Well if you haven't guessed it by the name, you can hike behind the waterfall and watch the water smoothly cascade onto the rounded rocks below.
Beyond that, at the base of the waterfall you can hike out onto outcroppings that stand just inches above the rushing water. The water rushes beneath the outcroppings on its way down to the other falls. You can also see this waterfall in some movie that seems to have a famished title.
Beyond that, at the base of the waterfall you can hike out onto outcroppings that stand just inches above the rushing water. The water rushes beneath the outcroppings on its way down to the other falls. You can also see this waterfall in some movie that seems to have a famished title.
After sitting on the outcropping munchin' on some trail mix and watching water disappear beneath us, we decided it was time to make the trek back. It was a relatively quiet hike back and we returned to our car where the parking lot had expanded into cars parking on the street for a half mile in either direction. Happy with our fortune we headed back and topped the day off with some southern cooking.
See any wildlife? None to speak of besides horses, which were domesticated so no. You may be able to count the bike riding shirtless local- there was enough hair to question the claim of domestication or not.
Would you recommend? I would definitely recommend. Beyond a little bit of distance it is a simple hike with some cool views. Considering the low grade in the terrain (at least around this trail) I was surprised to see as many features as I did. It's a good hike for almost any skill level.
Trail Tuesdays is a new weekly segment of Father Nature Outdoors. We realized that we have friends and colleagues all across the country so why not take advantage of their knowledge, and hear some fun stories in the process. If you would like to contribute to Trail Tuesdays yourself just go to the “Contact Us” page and let us know. In return we will reward you with a free FNO microfiber headband. We get to hear some awesome stories and in return we’re rewarding you just to go get some fresh air! That’s a win-win in our book.
See any wildlife? None to speak of besides horses, which were domesticated so no. You may be able to count the bike riding shirtless local- there was enough hair to question the claim of domestication or not.
Would you recommend? I would definitely recommend. Beyond a little bit of distance it is a simple hike with some cool views. Considering the low grade in the terrain (at least around this trail) I was surprised to see as many features as I did. It's a good hike for almost any skill level.
Trail Tuesdays is a new weekly segment of Father Nature Outdoors. We realized that we have friends and colleagues all across the country so why not take advantage of their knowledge, and hear some fun stories in the process. If you would like to contribute to Trail Tuesdays yourself just go to the “Contact Us” page and let us know. In return we will reward you with a free FNO microfiber headband. We get to hear some awesome stories and in return we’re rewarding you just to go get some fresh air! That’s a win-win in our book.
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