Upper Falls Trail (#358A)
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Route map of the Upper Falls Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...
Route map of the Upper Falls Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Graveyard Fields Parking Area (West Trailhead) -- 5,130'
This is the view from the west end of the parking lot at Graveyard Fields. A marker at the bottom of the steps points in the direction of the Upper Falls Trail. Upper Falls itself is located high up the valley hidden by the ridge on the left...
Upper Falls/Graveyard Fields Loop Trail Junction -- 5,050'
The Upper Falls Trail begins here, where it splits west from the Graveyard Fields Loop Trail about 2/3-mile from the western trailhead at the Graveyard Fields Parking Lot...
Upper Falls/Graveyard Fields Loop Trail Junction -- 5,050'
The Upper Falls Trail as it departs the Graveyard Fields Loop Trail...
This is a trail with two distinct personalities. The first half is mostly flat and easy going, with the upper half being far more rugged and steep...
The high ridge of the Great Balsams can be seen through bare branches during the long, high-elevation winter season
Like the rest of the Graveyard Fields area, the Upper Falls Trail is in danger of being 'loved to death'. Hordes of people hike these trails every year, and those who don't stick to the main path are in large part responsible for the terrible erosion damage seen here...
Just to the north, Graveyard Ridge looms 500-feet above the valley...
A bit of rock underfoot for a change...this will become the rule rather than the exception the farther up the trail one gets...
Another confusing split, once again caused by hikers not sticking to the trail. The correct route goes right and crosses the muddy tributary seen in the next shot...
As you'll see in the next few photos, the lower portion of the Upper Falls Trail can get quite wet and muddy. Be prepared with appropriate footwear...
If there's a trail most in need of some rehabilitation in the Pisgah Ranger District, it's arguably this one...hopefully the USFS eventually takes an interest in building some boardwalks here before the damage gets much worse...
The trail pulls right up alongside the beautiful Yellowstone Prong at about the halfway point...
This is probably the lengthiest stretch of muddy trail you'll encounter...I know it's nasty to do but PLEASE stick to the center route, your shoes will recover faster then the fragile environment here...
Into the forest for good now...
The point where the trail crosses this tiny unnamed tributary is where it also begins its more rugged upper half...
The trail will steadily be gaining elevation from this point on, so mud should no longer be a problem...
Looking up at nearby Graveyard Ridge as the trail leaves the open valley floor...
As you can see, the terrain quickly gets a lot steeper and more rocky...
As if the scattered boulders weren't enough, the trees are doing their best to trip you up as well by this point...
Some of the rougher areas have even been fixed up with natural stone steps...kudos goes out to whomever built/rehab'd this trail...
There's a high danger of turned ankles along this stretch, so watch your steps...
Looking back down the valley, hidden now by the thick forest...
