A quick hike through Dupont State Forest in North Carolina with three impressive waterfalls.
1 I would be staying the night near Congaree National Park about 5 hours away, so I wanted to break-up the long drive with at least one hike. I didn't know the area at all, but after a little research, I decided on Dupont State Forest. It's in Translyvania County, North Carolina. It was a bit out of the way, and it was raining really hard on the way there, so I was hoping it would be worth it! I decided to do the 5 mile High Falls Loop.
2 It turned out to be a great hike. The trail is wide and crowded, but the waterfalls are impressive. This is High Falls, a 120' tall roaring cascade that carries a serious volume of water.
3 Walking down to the base of the falls. It's been off-and-on rain, which made taking pictures difficult.
4 It's been a while since I've had a chance to stand next to a powerful waterfall. Roaring with heavy mist.
5 Video of High Falls.
6 Further along the trail and down the walkway to Triple Falls.
7 Triple Falls is another beautfiful waterfall. Here you can see the upper two tiers.
8 Video of the upper tiers of Triple Falls.
9 The bottom tier of Triple Falls and the Little River below.
10 Downstream of the falls, you can wade out into the river and play on the rock slides.
11 Hiking on to the next falls on the loop, Hooker Falls.
12 It's a short waterfall, but still carries an impressive amount of water. It's an extremely popular swimming hole in the hot weather, and it's packed with people.
13 Heading back now, there's a great view of Triple Falls. It was a short but fun detour to Dupont State Forest, and now it's time to head on to South Carolina.
