One river, three drops, 120 feet: North Carolina’s wildest waterfall show is free: Officials say

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It’s one waterfall with three acts

Triple Falls doesn’t just fall. It tumbles down a wide rock face in three separate stages, dropping about 120 feet total on the Little River in western North Carolina. You watch it from a wooden platform above, where the whole cascade spreads out in front of you. Movie buffs might recognize the spot from The Hunger Games and The Last of the Mohicans. Cables and barriers mark the safe zones, and you want to stay behind them. But the falls are only the opening act here. Shutterstock

A chemical plant turned into 12,400 acres of forest

The land around Triple Falls once belonged to DuPont, the company that ran a plant here making silicon and X-ray film. North Carolina bought the surrounding forest in the late 1990s, and a later purchase added the tract holding Triple, High, and Bridal Veil Falls. Now the whole thing runs as DuPont State Recreational Forest, about 12,400 acres of waterfalls, granite domes, lakes, and quiet trails near Brevard. The state keeps it open year-round, and you don’t pay a cent to get in. Wikimedia Commons/Gary Stevens

The hike to Triple Falls is barely a mile

From the Hooker Falls parking area, you’re looking at a little over one mile round trip. The trail follows the Little River through hardwood forest, and the sound of water stays with you the whole way. As you get closer, the path climbs a steady, steep incline up to the wooden viewing platform. From there, all three cascades line up below you. The distance is short enough for families and most fitness levels, so you don’t need to be a serious hiker to reach it. Shutterstock

Four big waterfalls sit on the same river

Triple Falls shares the Little River with three other big waterfalls: High Falls, Hooker Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. Each one looks completely different. The river drops, slides, and cascades across the forest’s rocky landscape, and the falls sit close enough that you can visit several in one trip. Most people start with Hooker, work up to Triple, then keep going to High Falls. You cover a lot of ground without ever leaving the same river corridor. Wikimedia Commons/Seth Taylor

The three-waterfall loop is Asheville’s favorite hike

A well-worn trail of about three miles links Hooker, Triple, and High Falls in one loop, and people call it the most popular waterfall hike near Asheville. You start from the Hooker Falls parking area and see three very different falls on a single outing. The catch is that everyone else knows about it too.

Weekends and summer months draw big crowds, so show up early in the morning if you want the trail and the parking lot to yourself. Wikimedia Commons/Firstac5

High Falls towers over everything else in the forest

Keep walking past Triple Falls and you hit the tallest waterfall in the forest. High Falls sends water cascading down a long slope of exposed rock, and an overlook gives you a wide view of the drop with forest stretching out on both sides. A spur trail leads down toward the base if you want a closer look. Come in winter, when the trees lose their leaves, and the views open up even more. The bare branches frame the falls like nothing else can. Wikimedia Commons/Gary Stevens

Hooker Falls has a swimming hole at its feet

Hooker Falls only drops about 12 to 13 feet, but the pool at the bottom draws crowds all summer. People wade in, float around, and cool off while the waterfall hammers away behind them. There’s no lifeguard, so you swim at your own risk. The trail to get here is short and flat, which makes it one of the easiest falls to reach in the forest and a solid pick for families with small kids or anyone who just wants to get wet. Shutterstock

A covered bridge sits right above a waterfall

Bridal Veil Falls spreads wide and thin like a sheet of water, and the route to reach it crosses a covered bridge above High Falls. That bridge sits over the calm river just before the water plunges, so you walk across knowing exactly what’s below you. A viewing platform and open rock give you places to sit and take it in. Along the way, you pass Lake Julia, the largest lake in the forest. You can get here on foot or by bike. Wikimedia Commons/LithiumFlash

Bald granite domes open up the sky

Dozens of bare rock domes scatter across the forest, and two favorites are Cedar Rock and Big Rock. You climb up smooth granite and the trees fall away. From the top, the forest stretches below you and distant ridges line the horizon. Look down and you’ll spot small pockets in the rock called panholes, worn slowly by weathering over thousands of years. Tough, moss-like plants grip the bare surface, and some of them are very old. The wind up here hits different. Wikimedia Commons/Marshallhash89

Stone Mountain tops out at 3,620 feet

The highest point in the forest sits at about 3,620 feet, and the trail to Stone Mountain’s summit climbs steadily the whole way. The route runs a few miles round trip and earns a more difficult rating, so you feel the elevation gain in your legs.

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At the top, open views roll out across the surrounding mountains. Even on days when the waterfall trails pack with people, the far corners of the forest stay quiet. This is where you go when you want space. Shutterstock

Lakes and meadows fill the gaps between trails

Lake Julia holds clear water surrounded by trees, and it’s the largest lake in the forest. Fawn Lake sits closer to the road and draws swimmers looking for an easier reach. A Three Lakes walk strings several small lakes together in one trip, so you get variety without much effort. Old farm sites and open meadows dot the gentler trails, and the mix of water and woods gives you plenty of spots to spread out a blanket and eat lunch without another person in sight. Shutterstock

Nearly 60 miles of trail run through the forest

DuPont State Recreational Forest keeps nearly 60 miles of multiuse trails plus an extensive network of forest roads. Most trails welcome hikers, bikers, and horseback riders on the same path, but a few stay hiker-only, including the routes to Triple Falls, Hooker Falls, and Grassy Creek Falls. E-bikes and other motorized vehicles are not allowed on any trail or forest road. Stop by the High Falls visitor center for maps and trail advice before you head out. The staff there know which routes match your plans. Shutterstock

Hit the trails at DuPont State Recreational Forest

You can visit Triple Falls and the rest of DuPont State Recreational Forest year-round at no cost. The forest sits near Brevard in western North Carolina. Parking lots fill early on summer weekends, so arrive before 9 a.m. or try a weekday afternoon. Keep in mind that wet rocks near waterfalls are slick, so never climb or wade above a falls. The stairs to the base of Triple Falls are closed after Hurricane Helene flooding. Check the official website for the latest trail and access updates before you go. This article was created with AI assistance and human editing. Read more from this brand:

North Carolina’s most cinematic forest is free, has six waterfalls, and filmed a Hollywood movie

This North Carolina waterfall drops 60 feet right off the highway, no hiking required

North Carolina has a granite mountain that turns into a giant mirror after rain

The post One river, three drops, 120 feet: North Carolina’s wildest waterfall show is free appeared first on When In Your State.