Lower Douglas Falls Best Hike

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Hike Description

Start by taking the Douglas Falls trail at the back of the parking lot, which may be signed (if it is not vandalized, like all trail signs you encounter have the potential to be). The very popular and well-used trail will slope gently downhill all the way to the falls, and from that perspective it is easy.

However, the condition of the trail surface has varied greatly over the last few years. By the mid 2000's, the trail was only in decent condition, and had been that way for a long time. Then, some improvements were made at some of the locations that were in need of repair making it an excellent trail, and it stayed that way for a year or two. But over the next couple of years, fierce storms took their toll on this trail.

Some sections with drainage problems didn't receive any maintenance, making it muddier and wetter than it should be. At one location - where a fallen tree took the trail with it - the hiker is forced to traverse a wet, sloped rock area which was downright treacherous last time I hiked here. For these reasons, I've upped the difficulty of this hike to "moderate". Despite that, the trail is still fairly solid overall, and could be back in great shape again with just a little work. Unless that has happened, watch your footing as you go.

The forest near the beginning of the trail was once logged, but has recovered nicely. Medium-sized oaks, maples, beeches and hickories make up this mixed hardwood forest. This area is prone to wind; hike here in the winter on a windy day and the trees will be swaying and howling as the air rushes through. It's a good idea to beware of loose or broken timber above you (called "widow makers") on days such as that. Most times, however, the hike is pleasant with the faint sound of a stream rushing far in the valley below. About 2/3 of the way to the falls, the trail gets a bit wetter as several seeps cross the trail from the hillside above. Well-placed stepping stones help you get through some of them with dry feet.

In times past, you also noticed a sudden and dramatic change in the forest at this 2/3 point, as it became dominated by tall, dark hemlock trees looming over whatever understory could survive in this "deep, dark forest". That's what my parents would call it (with an air of doom and drama in their voices), hiking here when I was growing up to get a rise out of us kids. But it was actually pretty true, and even the little ones would have noticed it. Unfortunately, the hemlocks are mostly dead now, thanks to the devastating infestation of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.

As of July 2006, the hemlocks at Douglas Falls had been infested with the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid for a couple of seasons, but they were looking remarkably healthy and putting on plenty of new growth in the area around and above the falls. This could have coincided with a predator beetle release in the area that was used to fight the adelgids. That was to be the last sign of new growth, though - a worsening infestation combined with the record-breaking, excruciating drought of 2007 thru early 2009 did them in. As of June 2009, virtually no new growth was occurring, even on the smaller trees, and most of the largest trees were completely dead. A few young ones still looked pretty green, but whatever treatments (including beetle releases) the forest service had done in this area were an epic failure. Strangely, there is at least one small hemlock (a Carolina Hemlock) near the parking area that is showing no signs of infestation at all.

Loss of the hemlocks is letting in a lot more light than ever before, and in all likelihood - once the hemlocks have fallen and decayed - the trail will eventually have more of the same character from beginning to end, besides getting wetter. At that 2/3 point, you enter a virgin forest - one that has never been logged - albeit vastly different from its ancient self due to the loss of the hemlocks. Still, some of the deciduous trees here are very large as well.

You'll see the falls shortly after entering the old "deep, dark forest". The area directly around the falls had already lost most of its hemlocks due to wind and old age, so once you arrive there the impact will be less obvious. Enjoy exploring around the base of the falls. You can even easily and relatively safely walk behind the falls if you don't mind getting dripped on a bit. But be careful on the slippery rocks which lie all around the base! There is no safe way to get to the top of the falls.

The trail continues up towards the left side of the falls and eventually ends up at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail crosses one other waterfall, Cascades Falls, on the way. However, it is a long, strenuous hike and the trail is sometimes difficult to follow.

Return to your vehicle on the same path.

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Map

Here's an interactive GPS map of this hike. Yellow highlight indicates the route followed by this hike within the trail network. Only the trails and points of interest along the hike, and those in the immediate vicinity, are shown. For expanded maps, see this hike's Trailhead area.

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