There are 84 named trails in DuPont State Forest. This robust and mature trail system is a series of arteries that connect the various and disparate sections of this family friendly recreation area. In the central region of the state forest I put together a semi-loop hike that took me first to a waterfall, then to a hilltop summit, and finally to the tranquil banks of a mountain lake. Along the way I was able to enjoy the thoroughly entrancing forest and its wide variety of wildflowers and fungus. I took this hike on Friday, July 25, 2014 beginning at 8:15AM and ending about 12:30PM. My plan was to follow the roads and trails within DuPont to visit Grassy Creek Falls, Table Rock, and Lake Dense.

This hike begins at DuPont State Forest’s new Visitor Center on Buck Forest Road. Opened in summer 2013, the log cabin Visitor Center adds even more charm to DuPont’s superior recreation facilities. Start by heading through the gate and up Buck Forest Road, or if you like you can take a short side trip to High Falls. Cross the covered bridge over Little River, then remain on Buck Forest Road at the junction with Conservation Road.

As you continue on Buck Forest you will pass Chestnut Oak Road on your right. Remember this, because you will be coming back this way after your visit to Grassy Creek Falls. About the time you pass this junction you will begin to hear the rush of the waterfall to your left. Continue downhill a little further where the road makes a sweeping left curve and meets Lake Imaging Road after crossing Grassy Creek. Turn left here, and continue uphill for less than a quarter mile. The Grassy Creek Falls Trail will be on the left.

It’s a mere hundred yards to an observation point at the top of Grassy Creek Falls. Be careful near the falls, as the combination of granite, water, and algae makes for a very slick surface on this slide waterfall. I snapped a few photos, left my pack, and followed the volunteer trail down the hill to the base of the falls where I took a few more pictures. There is a small plunge pool here that would be nice for wading and splashing on a hot summer day.

Back to that Chestnut Oak Road junction I headed, and began the climb up into the central region of the state forest. As you walk these gravel roads through the beautiful forest here, think back to the people and conservancies who had the forethought to preserve this land for future generations back in the mid-1990’s. At that time, it had already been snatched up by developers, and these roads you walk now would have eventually become addresses for carpet bagger trophy homes.

About a quarter mile up Chestnut Oak Road, look for Oak Tree Trail on your left. This very sandy half mile is a connector between Chestnut Oak and Joanna Road. It was interesting to see the hoof prints left in the heavy sand from the equestrians that had passed along this trail in recent days. When you reach Joanna Road, turn left, and the majority of the climbing is done. Joanna Road continues deeper into the forest for another mile, also on a sandy pathway, taking you into the most remote area of DuPont.

As you reach a rise on Joanna Road, the Table Rock Trail is on your right. It continues slightly uphill, then levels out for the next half mile. The total length of Table Rock Trail is 0.9 mile, with one final uphill push to the summit. Along the way, I passed a wide variety of wildflowers including geraniums, daisies, queen anne’s lace, and little micro gardens of toadstools and other fungus that are common in the damp summer forests of Western North Carolina.

When I reached the top of Table Rock Trail, I was a little disappointed because I was hoping for an overlook of Lake Julia. With a name like Table Rock I was thinking rock outcropping. Not to be though. The summit sits just above the eastern inlet of the lake. Unfortunately, the best time to get a view here would be in winter when the leaves are down. I explored a little off trail looking for a vantage point, but it was not to be, so I pulled up a piece of ground and enjoyed a snack.

Returning to Joanna Road, my next destination was to be Lake Dense. It is approximately two miles from the Table Rock Trail junction to the Pitch Pine Trail connection on Joanna Road. Most of this is flat double-track so you will make good time as you stroll through the forest. Pass by Oak Tree Trail and continue on Joanna Road.

Not long afterward you will reach what appears to be an old quarry. At least there is a lot of broken rock there. This clearing is a vantage point of the mountains that overlook DuPont State Forest. You will see a number of very large granite slabs that surround this domed area, much like those found in the Cedar Rock region of the forest.

Joanna Road begins a descent beyond this point and eventually reaches the Pitch Pine Trail. I encountered my first other person of the day as a mountain biker came riding up Pitch Pine from Lake Dense. For three hours I’d had the forest all to myself, so I was a little startled when I saw the colorful biker togs. Turn left on Pitch Pine to head to the lake.

It’s just a tenth mile to the eastern end of Lake Dense. After the long stretch on Joanna Road I was getting pretty hungry so I sat in the grass beside the lake to enjoy lunch. I could hear others having a great time at the other end of the lake as their loud splashes indicated some kind of diving pier. Unfortunately, the maintenance workers were also out and their chain saws kinda harshed the mellow mood. It was odd, as chain saws aren’t something you hear in national forests. I suppose the state doesn’t mind.

Pushing myself up from the ground, I placed my hand right on a yellow jacket in the grass. Not surprisingly, she didn’t like that very well and decided to put a hole in the palm of my hand. While having a little internal scream in pain, I noticed there were several yellow jackets hovering in the grass. Lucky I didn’t sit on their nest.

Continuing around the lake on the Pitch Pine Trail I passed several beautiful swamp hibiscus and reached the northeastern shore where all the recreation facilities are. Included are two piers and a picnic shelter. There was a nice couple setup at the shelter taking photos from the pier. They introduced themselves and we talked cameras for awhile, then their companion said they were there for an Overland Unlimited tour. Apparently they operate guided jeep tours in the Blue Ridge and Smokies. So if there are any of you landscape photographers out there who find it difficult to get around on the hiking trails, you might want to consider Overland Unlimited.

I took several pictures myself including the one at the top of this post. The weather was perfect and the puffy white clouds cast a cottony reflection on the surface of the lake. A young family was teaching their toddler how to wade in the water and for a little while I was able to simply live in the moment. It’s a very nice spot.

For future reference, from here you can head south on the Three Lakes Trail and also go to Lake Alford and Lake Julia. By now, though, I’d had a very complete morning and was ready to head back. So I went north where I rejoined Joanna Road a hundred yards later. Before getting back to the road I got to meet a 6′ black snake who was having a bit of trouble climbing the bank beside the pathway. Glad he wasn’t around where I sat for lunch.

Joanna Road meets Conservation Road for a final quarter mile back to the covered bridge on Buck Forest Road. After going three hours without seeing anyone, I must have encountered 20 people on this little stretch out to enjoy the afternoon. There was an interesting scene awaiting me at the bridge as I managed to capture horseback riders, a mountain biker, and several hikers all in one photo. To me, that summed up perfectly what DuPont State Forest is all about. No matter how you like to get around, there are trails that everyone can enjoy.

In summary, this 10-miler will give you a good idea what DuPont State Forest has to offer. In this case, waterfalls, forest and lakes. There’s quite a bit of walking in between, but isn’t that why you’re out there? The trail system at DuPont is so complete that you can get between features very easily. Make an entire day of it, or head there for a short hike after work. Regardless, you’re bound to have one of those special moments just like I did.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Transylvania County, NC is known as the “Land of Waterfalls,” and for good reason. There are more than 250 waterfalls in the county, with many of the most spectacular falls in the heart of DuPont State Forest. Included among those are Bridal Veil and Grassy Creek Falls, both classic slide waterfalls that carve their way over large granite slabs. DuPont also has several pristine lakes such as Lake Julia and Lake Imaging. All of the features of DuPont State Forest are connected by a mature trail system that is well maintained and fun to explore. This hike occurred on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 from 10:45am to 3:00pm. The plan was to take Buck Forest Road to Conservation Road, then on to Bridal Veil Falls Road and a view of the falls. On the way back we would go further out Buck Forest Road to Grassy Creek Falls. While there, we discovered a trail that wasn’t on the map and said, “what the heck.”

View Bridal Veil Falls, Grassy Creek Falls, Lake Imaging, DuPont State Forest in a larger map

The central area of DuPont State Forest is all about water. There are several lakes to enjoy, and the Little River drops nearly 1400 feet over a series of spectacular waterfalls. Fortunately for outdoor enthusiasts like us there are plenty of roads and trails to get around from one water feature to another.

Buck Forest Road has a large parking area for access to this central area of the forest. At one time this was going to be a high-dollar real estate development, but the State of NC saw the natural beauty and stepped in to protect the land for the ages. As you start hiking on Buck Forest Rd. you come to a covered bridge over Little River that is a remnant of the aborted development. To the left is the precipice of 150′ High Falls. You can’t see it, but you sure can hear it. Just past the bridge we took Conservation Road to the right. We would be back later to continue on Buck Forest, but for now we headed toward Bridal Veil Falls.

All of these forest roads are smooth; partly gravel, partly dirt. There are gates that prevent vehicles from using the roads, but keep an eye and ear out for bicycles as the roads are equally popular for hikers and bikers alike. Conservation Rd. starts through a mixed forest of deciduous and evergreen trees as it skirts the boundary of the remaining private property within the forest. Even when the leaves are off in winter you can barely make out what was formerly the buildings of DuPont Corp. when they still operated here. They are/were well hidden.

We passed trailheads along the way to Pitch Pine, Joanna Rd., and Lake Dense. It’s a relatively flat stroll of 3/4 mile to the Lake Julia Spillway, a creek/river that is overflow from the reservoir that is next on the left. Another .3 mile past the reservoir we turned right on Bridal Veil Falls Rd. In addition to hiking and biking, the DuPont trail system is quite popular with equestrians. There is a very nice horse stable on Bridal Veil Falls Rd. that is available to the public in all seasons but winter. Folks will come to the state forest to camp and stable their steeds as well.

After about 1/4 mile Bridal Veil Falls Rd. deadends at a small picnic area, but continues as a pine straw covered trail through the forest. We could hear the prominent sound of water — a sign the falls was not much further. There’s an observation deck along the trail with a nice view of the lower section of Bridal Veil Falls through the forest. We could tell already that she was roaring from all the recent rain. My friend commented that he has never seen the falls so wide.

In fact, that enhanced water flow made it difficult for us to continue to the upper falls. To reach the upper falls you actually have to hike on the granite that makes up the bed of the lower falls. See the photo at the top of this post. Since the flow was so much wider than normal, the climb up the granite was very slippery. We noticed right away the signs that said, “Danger! Risk of injury or worse!” But what kind of Meanderthals would we be if we didn’t proceed with cautious abandon?

I’m glad that we did. The rushing water has carved pockets in the granite where pools form. These pools make for nice reflective photographs, and even a nice place to cool your feet on a hot summer day. My hiking buddy said you can walk behind the falls when the water flow is down, but that wasn’t in the cards for us on this day. The river takes a bend as it rushes from the upper falls to the lower falls and really kicks up the whitewater.

On the way back on Conservation Rd. we took a trail up on top of the Lake Julia dam. On this near windless day the water was mirror still. The winter weather this year in western NC has been unbelievably mild. I suppose it has been throughout most of the country. It was quite the contrast to what I saw on a different hike to the other side of Lake Julia.

When we reached the junction with Buck Forest Rd. we headed east to Grassy Creek Falls. The road makes a steep climb for about .2 mile, really the most climbing we had to do the whole day. Then, it goes right back down the other side as it follows Grassy Creek on the left. There are several side roads off Buck Forest that would have been the streets for the phantom housing development. I suspect the developers lost out on windfall profits from land sales, but I am very grateful the state stepped up to conserve this wild area for future generations.

At the bottom of the dip, Lake Imaging Rd. takes off to the left and just 50 feet later is the trail to Grassy Creek Falls. From there it’s a short couple hundred yards to the top of the falls. This is another of the slide variety that are so common in western NC. Right at the top of the falls is a bench-type outcrop in the granite that was a perfect spot for lunch and a chance to ponder these marvelous surroundings. I swished my hands in the rushing, refreshing water. It was cold, but nothing like it has been in January’s past.

On our way back up from Grassy Creek Falls, we noticed a trail that was not on the official DuPont State Forest map. It was properly signed, so perhaps it’s brand new. Called the Hilltop Trail, it headed north following the path of Little River to Triple Falls. We thought there may be an overlook on this side of the river from the normal Triple Falls Trail that is on the other side. This is where we said “what the heck,” and gave it a try. We found a Hilltop Loop Trail on our map and figured this Hilltop Trail would join up with that for a nice view.

Hilltop Trail lives up to its name as it follows a ridge on the east side of the river. The forest here is quite beautiful, and there is a healthy covering of ground cedar, moss and ferns to keep this area green year round. After about 20 minutes of hiking we began to hear the sounds of Triple Falls to our left and then just a glimpse through the trees. Just a little farther and there were nice views of the mountains of Pisgah National Forest in the distance to the west.

We came to a trail crossroad sign that said Lake Imaging Rd. one way and Hilltop Loop Trail another. Again, confusion. We took the trail that seemed the correct compass direction hoping to see a clear view of Triple Falls. After a mile of winding through the forest we discovered Lake Imaging. So, it wasn’t where we wanted to go, but a nice destination nonetheless. Really not much bigger than a pond, there were picnic tables around and another chance for still, mirror-like photos. The Lake Imaging Rd. parking and trailhead on Staton Rd. is also a popular place for horse trailers to unload.

We headed back up the hill from Lake Imaging the way we came. When we returned to the Hilltop Trail junction we began watching very closely for indications of a former trail that may have been the Hilltop Loop. Perhaps it had been retired? We never did find another trail, but still enjoyed ourselves as we went back past the obscured sights and sounds of Triple Falls. For a trail that was not on the map, it was surprising how many other hikers and bikers we encountered. It was kinda like 11 Types of People You Meet On a Hike.

The rest of the hike was back over previously covered territory. Back to Grassy Creek and Buck Forest Road. Back to the covered bridge. We stopped for another look into the distance over the edge of High Falls. Lastly, the final stretch from the bridge back to the Buck Forest parking area. At the end of the day we had hiked a rewarding 7.5 miles. No matter the unseasonably mild winter, DuPont State Forest is a great place for winter hiking in western North Carolina. The mountains and water features are just as spectacular as surrounding national forests, but 3000 feet lower in elevation, so you don’t get as much snow and ice.

Update This is such a scenic hike, I will try to give seasonal updates. On Tuesday July 3, 2012 I made another visit to Bridal Veil Falls. Along the way I stopped at Lake Julia and the spillway for some picture taking. If you compare the photos above with the ones below, you will see the water flow was significantly less on this trip. Something for you to consider when you prepare for a winter hike vs. a summer hike. The lower flow makes it quite a bit easier to climb the granite to the upper falls. It was even low enough for me to scoot in behind the falls.

You can only get back there when the water flow is low. It’s only about three feet high, so you have to bend way over. It’s really a pretty uncomfortable place, especially when you consider how slippery the granite is. Despite all that, for some reason I still found the need to give it a go.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.