High Falls at DuPont State Forest

For details on our visit check out our High Falls in Dupont State Forest Field Report.

Towering 120 feet over the river below, Dupont Forest’s High Falls is one of the most impressive and magnificent waterfalls in North Carolina as well as part of a trio of waterfalls along the Little River that you can easily visit in a single day.

During times of drought, the falls may slow to a graceful cascade over the granite plane, but heavy rains upriver turn High Falls into a raging torrent with water crashing down on the rocks below.

Getting to High Falls

From High Falls Parking Area

The easiest and most direct way to get to High Falls is start in the aptly named High Falls Access parking area. Then just follow the signs to a short half mile trail that will take you to the start of the actual High Falls loop.

Like all the trails at DuPont, this loop trail is wide and easy to follow. Most of the trail along the loop is compacted soil with stretches of gravel or sand. Not a lot of roots or rocks in the path to trip you up.

Covered Bridge Detour

If you want to visit the covered bridge that crosses the river above the falls, the best way is to go down Buck Cove Road at the very end of the parking lot instead of following the signs to High Falls Loop. There’s a gate to keep vehicles out, but hikers can walk right around. Visiting the bridge is a great way to start your trek to High Falls. On one side of the bridge, the river is calm and majestic.

While on the other side, the current picks up some speed and then just disappears. From the top, you can see the path below and the picnic shelter overlooking the falls, but no other clue as to what is just feet away.

As you approach the covered bridge from the road, there’s a trail head on your left just before the bridge that will take you back to the High Falls Loop. Follow it until it ends and turn right to continue to the falls.

Where to get your best view

A little further down, the path will split with one sign pointing to the falls and the other to the picnic shelter. Don’t be fooled. The picnic shelter overlooks High Falls and you’ll get your best views as you follow the path by the picnic shelter back down to the main trail.

You’re now getting your first sight of this magnificent waterfall. And if it’s been raining upriver, you should be treated to a roaring spectacle. Now, of course, you want to get closer. If you didn’t take the trail to the picnic shelter, you will have passed an old treacherous looking trail on your right. Do NOT take that trail, there’s a better and safer way.

Continue down the path past the waterfall overlook to a sign pointing to the “Base of Falls”. The base of High Falls is one of the most popular places in the forest, so you’ll have lots of company. Folks manage to carefully work their way around the banks of the river to the very base of the waterfall.

One more waterfall before we go

After you return to the trail, walk along the Little River for less than a mile and you’ll find the trail loops back through the woods to the parking area. Again, don’t be fooled, you’re only a few yards away from another spectacular waterfall. In fact you can probably hear it already.

That sound is the roar from Triple Falls. Turning right at the end of the loop will put you on the same path that leads to the Triple Falls parking lot and then on to Hooker Falls.

For your return hike, you can either follow the loop through the woods, or go back the way you came. But you came out here to see waterfalls, and there aren’t any on the return loop. So if you want to travel beside the river and get another look at High Falls, just go back the way you came.