Gorges State Park - Bearwallow Valley & Falls Trails (2.0 miles; d=2.70)
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Bearwallow Valley & Upper Bearwallow Falls Hike Route Map
The approximate track of my hike along the Bearwallow Valley Trail and Bearwallow Falls Trail, at Gorges State Park, as depicted a la Google Earth...
Bearwallow Valley & Upper Bearwallow Falls Hike Route Map
The approximate track of my hike along the Bearwallow Valley Trail and Bearwallow Falls Trail, at Gorges State Park...
A flashy new picnic pavilion, bathrooms, and parking area had been constructed over the past season at the trailhead. Luckily for me, the crowds no doubt expected with such nice facilities hadn't materialized this day...
No sooner did I get on the Bearwallow Valley Trail and it split! No signs (yet) but I knew to take the left fork as the right one leads over to the neighboring picnic area...
The first quarter mile or so consists of a rather vigorous climb...just enough to get the heart pumping a bit...
What's that smell? Hike for any period of time in the southern mountains and you'll pass sections of trail with an obnoxious smell. This is the culprit, Galax. These smelly little plants don't get any bigger than this, but they may be 20 or more years old!
OK, another split...actually a "Y"...this is where I got confused. On such a short hike I didn't mind exploring. I had ascended from the left in this shot and first set out behind where I'm facing in this shot...
I always enjoy late afternoon sunshine in the treetops...
My foray onto the unmarked trail ended abruptly at this shabby clearing only a couple minutes from the junction. Not the prettiest view, but a nice look at neighboring Mt. Toxaway (4,764')...
Back on the correct path...
No views, no wildflowers, you know what that means...mushroom time!
Shortly after rounding the ridge the trail makes a brief, gradual descent to the overlook...
The Bearwallow Valley Overlook...good thing it doesn't require much effort is the first thought I had. However, you have to take the power lines with a grain of salt. Those are Duke Energy lines, the company who originally owned this land. It was Duke Energy who decided to sell what is now Gorges State Park to the State of North Carolina rather than parceling it off to developers. So, I guess I can put up with the lines...
Hummmmmmmm.....
A short path over to the power line manway provides a slightly different angle of the view...
After a brisk walk back to the parking area, it was off onto the Bearwallow Falls Trail...
As the first trail was primarily a climb, this one's primarily a descent...
A wide path beneath stately pines...
Looking up again...
...and, of course, some more mushrooms...
As soon as I thought, "Maybe the falls will be on the shadowed side of the ridge (better for waterfall pics)", the trail turned back into the sun...
Another trail quickly over...the Upper Bearwallow Falls overlook...
If you're familiar with other falls in Gorges, then Upper Bearwallow is kind of a disappointment (this is a generously zoomed shot). The majority of the falls is actually above this portion and is hidden by the trees. I can only hope that future trail plans offer better access to it...
Unhappy that my hike was done so soon, I scrambled down a ways from the overlook to get closer to the river. I came out below this pretty and, as far as I know unnamed, cascade. Somehow, it completed the hike. Another fabulous trip into the woods...
