The Graveyard Fields Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the trailhead for a network of trails centered on the Yellowstone Prong of East Fork Pigeon River. Two waterfalls are accessible from the trails. The US Geological Survey has named the falls Upper Falls and Second Falls. The National Park Service and the US Forest Service use the name Lower Falls for Second Falls. Yellowstone Falls is even further downstream, but I don't know of a trail to the falls. The trail to Second Falls is 0.3 miles long and it descends about 175 feet. Most of the descent is by way of wooden stairs with handrails. The upper part of the trail is paved, but there is a short section after crossing the stream and before the final descent to the base of the falls that is just a dirt surface. The waterfall is about 55 feet high.
Graveyard Fields Overlook is located at mile 418.8 on the parkway. This is 7.0 miles west of the US 276 intersection at Wagon Road Gap and 4.5 miles east of the NC 215 intersection at Beech Gap. The forty paved parking spots fill up quickly, so arrive early if you plan to leave a vehicle at the trailhead. There are also two handicap accessible parking spots. There is no parking for buses, recreational vehicles, or vehicles towing trailers. Vault toilets are located at the east end of the parking area.
I hiked to Second Falls as part of a loop hike that also included a spur trail to Upper Falls in July 2017. If you can climb stairs, the hike to Second Falls and back is a relatively easy hike of 0.6 miles round trip to a pretty waterfall. Several benches are built into the stairs for those that need to pause on the return trip. If you have difficulty with stairs, this isn't the hike for you.
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| Topographic map with GPS route |
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| Elevation profile |
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| The trail starts with a set of stone stairs |
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| Asphalt surface |
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| Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) |
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| Leaving the parkway and entering the forest |
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| Paved path through a rhododendron thicket |
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| Top of the wooden stairs |
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| Down... |
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| ...down... |
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| ...down! |
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| View downstream from the bridge |
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| View upstream |
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| Climbing up after crossing Yellowstone Prong |
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| Signpost at trail junction |
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| Bridge |
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| Dirt trail surface |
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| Mountains to Sea connecting trail |
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| Top of the stairs |
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| More stairs |
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| Boardwalk ramp... |
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| ...with a switchback |
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| Wayside safety exhibit |
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| Platform at the bottom |
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| Several paths to the water |
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| Second Falls |
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| A closer view |
Entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest is free.
The parkway website is https://www.nps.gov/blri.
The forest website is https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48114.
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