Not Quite to Upper Falls of the Yellowstone Prong - Graveyard Fields Overlook - Blue Ridge Parkway - Pisgah National Forest

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.

The parkway website is https://www.nps.gov/blri.
The forest website is https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48114.