The photo rating considers all of the photo opportunities, from the base as well as the parkway. This waterfall is popular among photographers in all seasons, but autumn is when it really shines, especially in the view from the parkway. Since we had visited the Lower Falls (or Second Falls) at Graveyard Fields on a previous fall trip, we decided to skip it and hike directly up to Upper. In May, painted trilliums bloom along the trail between the parking area and the creek. Catawba rhododendron grows on the banks of the falls, putting on a beautiful magenta show in June. In fact, the only way you’ll have this waterfall to yourself during summer is to get here first thing in the morning. The deep pool and large boulders below Second Falls are perfect spots for swimming and sunbathing. Additionally, there is now a restroom facility at the overlook, which should lessen the toilet-paper flowers growing all over the valley. You can help by staying on the official trails. These help greatly in lessening the erosion caused by so many visitors wandering all over the place. Since I wrote the second edition of North Carolina Waterfalls in 2004, a number of boardwalks have been installed and other trail improvements made. The leading theory is that it originated long before the logging, when lichens and mosses covered wind-thrown spruce trees, creating a ghostly scene resembling a graveyard. The origin of the name Graveyard Fields is not known for certain. The vegetation still hasn’t fully recovered. The heat was so intense that it sterilized the soil below the surface. Graveyard Fields is named for the haunting skeletons of ancient trees punctuating an otherwise grassy field, as seen from above at the Graveyard Fields Overlook. The valley’s openness is not natural, but rather the effect of a catastrophic fire in 1925 that resulted from logging operations. Yellowstone Prong meanders along the valley floor, and Graveyard Ridge looms in the distance. There are 3 waterfalls here - Upper Falls, Second Falls, and Yellowstone Falls - but only the first 2 are easily accessible. Finding a parking spot on a weekend or during a busy time of year requires an early start to the day, a great deal of patience, or the. Easy trail access is from the Graveyard Fields Overlook at Milepost 418.8 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, but the property is managed by Pisgah National Forest. From the Graveyard Fields Overlook on the parkway, you can look out over a flat, open valley that lacks the dense forest prevailing in much of the mountains. 4-6-16 The parking area for Graveyard Fields is at MP418.8 on the Parkway between the exits for US276 and NC215. Graveyard Fields is an extremely popular hiking area. The area owes its popularity to its spectacular and unique scenery and its accessible and easy hiking trails. Like to rub elbows when you hike to waterfalls? Well, have I got the place for you! About the only time Graveyard Fields isn’t crowded is during winter, and that’s only because the Blue Ridge Parkway typically closes during that time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |