Sunburst Falls is the unofficial name for a series of falls and cascades on the West Fork Pigeon River above river mile 15. North Carolina highway 215 spans the falls with a high arch bridge faced in rock. The falls is 4.3 miles north of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Beech Gap and 13.7 miles south of the NC 215 and US 276 junction. A very small gravel pullout is located just north of the bridge on the west side of the road. I stopped to view the falls above the road in July 2017.
Devils Courthouse is a large south facing rock formation in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is easily viewed from the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile 422.4 or just less than one mile north (compass northeast) of the intersection with NC 215 at Beech Gap.
A 2300 foot trail climbs over 250 feet to a viewpoint atop the rock formation. About half of the trail is paved with the upper portion gravel and rock. This nearly ½ mile walk gains elevation on a steep average grade of 11%. A stone wall around the viewing area was built to keep visitors from falling over the edge or wandering into sensitive areas used by nesting peregrine falcons. Several markers help visitors determine which mountains are visible in each direction. The views from the top are some of the best along this section of the parkway.
There is no shade atop the rock formation and swarms of small biting insects are seemingly everywhere on the summit. You've been warned. I hiked the trail in July 2017.
Topographic map with GPS route
Elevation profile
Devils Courthouse from the parking area
View from the parking area
Trail parallels the parkway
Devils Courthouse Tunnel
The trail steepens away from the raod
Paved waterbars
No rest for the weary
Stay on the trail
Pavement ends
Gravel and rocks
Rock outcrop
Fenced section of trail
Keep climbing
Bench built into the fence
The path continues beyond the fenced section
Stone wall at the summit
Looking back at the trail
Sighting marker
Courthouse Valley
Toxaway Mountain (4777' 13 miles) on the horizon
Closer view of Toxaway Mountain
View towards Rabun Bald (4696' 33 miles)
Richland Balsam (6410' 7 miles)
Mount Hardy (6119' 2 miles)
Parking area
Snowbird Mountain (4201' 35 miles TN)
Little Sam Knob (5862') and Sam Knob (6045' 2 miles)
After hiking at Graveyard Fields (mile 418.8), I resumed my July 2017 drive south on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Devils Courthouse (mile 422.4). Along the way, I stopped at John Rock (mile 419.4) and Fetterbush Overlook (mile 421.7). The rain at Graveyard Fields gave way to overcast skies by the time I reached Devils Courthouse.
View west toward Black Balsam Knob from Graveyard Fields Overlook
Davidson River Valley near John Rock Overlook
Ranks of ridges visible to the south from Fetterbush Overlook
After leaving Second Falls, I retraced my steps up the stairs, but turned right at the trail sign to continue my loop hike through Graveyard Fields. My description of the hike from the Graveyard Fields Overlook down to Second or Lower Falls can be found here. I'll pick up the description at the trail junction for the Graveyard Fields loop trail 0.1 miles up from Second Falls.
Turn right at the trail junction and hike ¼ mile to the Graveyard Ridge Trail junction. Stay left at this intersection and proceed another 0.20 miles to the trail junction for Upper Falls. Read the signs carefully here as four trails form two intersections about 50 feet apart. The Graveyard Fields loop trail is rated as easy by the forest service. Except for the muddy areas, I would agree.
I consider the Upper Falls Trail to be moderate. Besides climbing 200 feet in less than a mile, there are several places where the trail is not clearly marked. In addition, various social trails around muddy areas lead to the potential confusion.
An especially confusing, muddy mess is encountered at 0.35 miles up the Upper Falls Trail. Multiple social paths lead to dead ends. To find the correct path, look for a single 4x4 post that has been placed as a bridge across the bog. At about ½ mile up the trail, cross the wide stream at what appears to be an old ford by rock hopping or just plan on getting your feet wet.
The entire hike of Graveyard Fields, Second Falls, and almost to Upper Falls is 3.3 miles and took by about three hours including photography time. I hiked the trail in mid-July 2017.
Topographic map with GPS route
Elevation profile
Typical trail conditions
First of many muddy spots
More mud and a wayside exhibit
Boardwalk across one of the bogs
Deferred maintenance
Erosion has created an 18" high step at the Graveyard Ridge trail junction
More erosion and social paths
Boardwalk bridge over a small stream
Rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) still in bloom
Trail junction to Upper Falls
More boardwalk
Another social path around the old trail
Another boardwalk bridge
4x4 foot bridge is the path
This is not the path
Rock hopping
More social paths
Black Balsam Knob (6214')
Tributary crossing is easy to miss
Log planks and mud
More mud and multiple paths
A smaller stream crossing
Roots and dry ground
Stone steps
More stairs
Rocks and roots
Stones and more stones
Water flowing down the trail
More water
Stairs descend to the stream, but the trail continues uphill to the right
Small drop visible from the trail
Short descent after climbing
The trail seemed to disappear, so I returned to the stream
A short trail from the stone steps leads to a slide on Yellowstone Prong
Looking upstream
Rock flume or chute
Looking downstream
If I hadn't been hiking solo, I might have pushed my luck with either hiking up the dry rocks in the stream bed and hoping they were still dry on my descent or, more likely, bushwhacking and rock scrambling my way to a view of Upper Falls. However, I was hiking solo and the weather forecast called for heavy rain in about an hour. I still had about 1.4 miles to hike back to the overlook, so I started retracing my steps back down the trail. I found out much later that another hiker trying to reach Yellowstone Falls fell and had to be rescued later that day. Once back at the Graveyard Fields loop trail, it was only ½ mile back to the overlook.
Two hundred feet down the trail was a large decked bridge over Yellowstone Prong. At 0.38 miles, a stream that is heard, but not seen is crossed on a long boardwalk bridge. Shortly after, exit the National Forest and reenter the parkway. At 0.50 miles, another set of stone stairs provides the final ascent to the overlook.
View from the trail junction
Bridge over Yellowstone Prong
Yellowstone Prong
Unofficial detour around mud
Good trail surface
Another bog
Vegetation overtaking the trail
Well-worn path
Stream flowing down the trail
Bridge over spring fed stream
More mud
Log bridges
End of the trail
Yellowstone Prong from the parking area
Rain clouds descending
Entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest is free.
