Douglas Falls

Douglas Falls is a massive, 70-foot, free-falling waterfall located off the Blue Ridge Parkway near milepost 364 in North Carolina. The 7.2-mile hike begins at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center. Take the Craggy Gardens Trail on the south side of the lot. The trailhead sign will indicate the Douglas Falls Trail is blazed yellow. At the fork you'll see another sign. Follow the yellow blaze. A word of caution: there are a lot of steps along this rocky terrain trail. It is also fairly overgrown, especially during the last mile, so long sleeves are recommended.  

At 1.1 miles in, you'll reach another fork. Take the trail to the left with signage for the falls and FS Road 74 parking. At 1.7 miles in, you'll cross Waterfall Creek. At 2.1 miles in, you'll reach Cascades Falls, where you'll cross Waterfall Creek once more. At 2.4 miles in, you'll cross an unnamed creek. At 2.8 miles in, you'll cross another portion of Waterfall Creek. At 2.9 miles in, you'll encounter another yellow blaze, indicating you're on the right path still. At 3.4 miles in you'll, encounter a large rock. You'll know it when you see it. Climbing it yields a pretty nice view. From there, it's just under 0.2 miles to the falls. Shortly after the rock, you'll see signage indicating the trail direction. After enjoying the waterfall, return via the same route. Keep in mind the majority of the 1,700+ feet of elevation gain will occur on the way back.

Portable restrooms are available at the visitor center, but there is no electricity or running water here. Landmark navigational photos can be seen below.