Trails in the Dupont State Forest Trailhead Area

Here is a list of all trails in the Dupont State Forest Trailhead area.

Each trail has its own printable page with all the information and links, including (where available):

  • directions to the starting point
  • difficulty
  • length
  • elevation change
  • a map
  • photos from along the way, and
  • a detailed description and trail directions.

For general information about the Dupont State Forest trailhead, see the Dupont State Forest Trailhead page.

Need to find trails by another method? Go back to Trails.

Airstrip Trail

Easy
  • The lower end of this trail is brand-new; winds slowly up the dry slope below the airstrip on a moderate grade. The rest of this trail follows the old airstrip itself with a nice view. That part is not recommended, though on a hot, sunny day!
  • 1.01mi, Climbs Gently, Some Obstacles

Barn Trail

Easy
  • Travels from the horse barn near Bridal Veil Falls, past the scenic pastures, and uphill past a small creek to join with the Shelter Rock trail near the bottom of the Airstrip trail. Quickest way to get from the airstrip (and Fawn Lake parking area)...
  • 0.45mi, Climbs Gently, Some Obstacles

Big Rock Trail

More Difficult
  • Trail is rocky and moderately rough at lower end. Middle part passes over solid granite domes, offering up some nice views of areas within Dupont State Forest and over toward Pisgah. Winds thru dry pine/oak forest near jct. with Cedar Rock trail....
  • 0.84mi, Hilly, Moderately Rough

Boundary Trail

Easy
  • Easy path, old road bed. Connects Rifle, Guion, and Hickory Mountain trails, forming a small loop.
  • 0.3mi, Climbs Gently, Some Obstacles

Bridal Overlook Trail

Moderate
  • 0.49mi, ,

Bridal Veil Falls Road Trail

  • Gravel road occasionally used by forest service vehicles. Passes the horse stables and terminates at a loop, where a short path continues around a switchback to an overlook, and then the base of Bridal Veil Falls.
  • 0.56mi, Some Hills, Paved/Graveled

Briery Fork Trail

Moderate
  • 1.47mi, ,

Buck Forest Road Trail

Moderate
  • Gated, wide, maintained gravel road occasionally used by park and private vehicles (by permit) on the western end down to the Grassy Creek bridge. Rest is an unmaintained old roadbed.
  • 3.18mi, Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles

Buckhorn Creek Road Trail

Moderate
  • 1.14mi, ,

Buck Ridge Road Trail

Moderate
  • 0.72mi, ,

Burnt Mountain Trail

More Difficult
  • Southeast end is mostly on an old road bed, high above the Little River at first. Then switches back and climbs up near the nondescript summit of Burnt Mountain, on and off the old road bed. Steeper on northwest end with some rocks & roots.
  • 2.20mi, Hilly, Moderately Rough

Camp Summit Road Trail

Moderate
  • 0.55mi, ,

Cannon Creek Trail

Moderate
  • 1.36mi, ,

Cart Trail

More Difficult
  • Steep in places. This trail is now closed to bikes and horses.
  • 0.52mi, ,

Cascade Trail

Moderate
  • Connects Cascade Lake Road to the Pine Tree & Sheep Mountain trails.
  • 0.85mi, Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles

Cedar Rock Trail

More Difficult
  • Interesting trail passes over the granitic dome of Cedar Rock Mtn. Although the mountain is small by mountain standards, this trail provides some great views and an interesting environment. There are some rocky sections near the bottom; rest is...
  • 1.43mi, Hilly, Moderately Rough

Chestnut Oak Road Trail

Moderate
  • 0.46mi, ,

Conservation Road Trail

Easy
  • This is a wide, graded, maintained gravel road, which is gated but occasionally used by park vehicles, and private vehicles for visiting the waterfalls (by permit). Passes the old airstrip.
  • 2.61mi, Hilly, Paved/Graveled

Corn Mill Shoals Trail

Moderate
  • Old roadbed; no longer maintained. Mostly hardpacked, but some places are rocky, highly eroded, or sandy. Starting from the Corn Mill Shoals parking area, the trail fords the Little River at Corn Mill Shoals. Use extreme caution if you cross here:...
  • 2.43mi, Hilly, Some Obstacles

Covered Bridge Trail

Easy
  • Connects the High Falls trail to the covered bridge on Buck Forest Road. Gravel road surface.
  • 0.22mi, Climbs Moderately, Few Obstacles

Farmhouse Trail

Moderate
  • 0.56mi, ,

Fawn Lake Loop Trail

Easy
  • 0.60mi, ,

Fawn Lake Road Trail

Easy
  • Gravel road occasionally used by vehicles. Scenic; loops around Fawn Lake.
  • 0.74mi, Climbs Gently, Paved/Graveled

Flat Rock Trail

Moderate
  • 0.49mi, ,

Flatwoods Trail

Moderate
  • 0.19mi, ,

Frank Street Trail

Easy
  • 0.45mi, ,

Galax Trail

Moderate
  • **Note:** This trail was closed permanently in 2010. Use the Triple Falls trail instead. Newer, short trail winds up through several switchbacks from the Hooker Falls parking area up the hill to the picnic area at Triple Falls. Named for large...
  • 0.27mi, Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles

Grassy Creek Trail

More Difficult
  • 0.76mi, ,

Grassy Creek Falls Trail

Moderate
  • Very short; travels down to the falls. Convoluted trail right before you get to the falls with lots of roots and rocks.
  • 0.28mi, Climbs Moderately, Moderately Rough

Grassy Dam Trail

Moderate
  • This trail is no longer maintained.
  • 0.37mi, ,

Grassy Meadow Trail

Moderate
  • From the eastern end, the trail - which is an old road - ascends slightly, then crosses a tributary of Briery Fork before going through its eponymous meadow, surrounded by a forest filled with white pine. It descends again to the west junction with...
  • 0.83mi, Climbs Gently, Some Obstacles

Guion Trail

  • 0.52mi, ,

Hickory Mountain Loop Trail

Moderate
  • This trail was rebuilt in the spring of 2014 by Elevated Trail Design. Climbs past an open meadow through some switchbacks before winding around atop Hickory Mountain a bit, and crossing the summit in a nondescript forest setting. There are a couple...
  • 1.06mi, Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles

Hickory Mountain Road Trail

Easy
  • Old gravel road travels from the meadow near Guion Farm to the bottom of Hickory Mountain, where it connects to Hickory Mountain Loop and Ridgeline. Mostly gravel; travels through pine forest. Passes through another clearing near the upper end with a...
  • 2.76mi, Climbs Gently, Graveled

High Falls Trail

Moderate
  • This "trail" has a several different parts to it. Starting at the High Falls parking area, a new section of footpath parallels Buck Forest Road and leads to the south intersection with the Triple Falls trail near the covered bridge. It's nice because...
  • 0.73mi, Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles

Hilltop Loop Trail

Easy
  • 0.42mi, ,

Holly Road Trail

Easy
  • 1.22mi, ,

Hooker Creek Trail

Moderate
  • 1.08mi, ,

Hooker Falls Road Trail

Easy
  • Old roadbed follows Little River to Hooker Falls. Mostly flat; drops a bit right at the falls to reach the base.
  • 0.25mi, Some Hills, Few Obstacles

Hooker Ridge Road Trail

Moderate
  • 0.46mi, ,

Isaac Heath Trail

Moderate
  • 0.79mi, ,

Jim Branch Trail

  • 1.29mi, ,

Joanna Mountain Trail

Moderate
  • Dead-ends on the backside of Joanna Mountain. Would make a great trail if it traveled to the overlooks on the front of the mountain, but you'll have to bushwhack to get there for now. This trail is no longer maintained and is closed to bikes and...
  • 0.27mi, Hilly, Some Obstacles

Joanna Road Trail

Moderate
  • Upgraded gravel road occasionally used by forest service vehicles.
  • 4.24mi, Climbs Moderately, Paved/Graveled

Lake Dense Trail

Easy
  • This has been renamed the Three Lakes trail.
  • 0.46mi, Some Hills, Few Obstacles

Lake Imaging Road Trail

Moderate
  • Passes Lake Imaging and winds up at Grassy Creek Falls & Buck Forest Road; popular area for horseback riders.
  • 1.53mi, ,

Lake Julia Road Trail

Easy
  • Gravel road occaionally used by forest service vehicles.
  • 0.4mi, Some Hills, Paved/Graveled

Lake View Loop Trail

Easy
  • 0.23mi, ,

Laurel Trail

Moderate
  • This trail is now closed.
  • 0.25mi, ,

Laurel Ridge Trail

Moderate
  • Nice trail has been re-routed along much of its length. Travels sidehill below the summit of a steep ridge. Mixed hardwood forest.
  • 0.85mi, Few Hills, Some Obstacles

Little Briery Trail

Moderate
  • This trail is no longer maintained.
  • 0.46mi, ,

Little River Trail

Moderate
  • Follows an old roadbed. Mostly smooth with some sand and rocks, and one creek crossing (Tom Creek) with a log bridge. Not much in the way of elevation change. Follows the river in places. Ends at the State Forest boundary above Bridal Veil Falls. The...
  • 1.17mi, Climbs Gently, Some Obstacles

Locust Trail

Moderate
  • 0.42mi, ,

Longside Trail

Moderate
  • 0.75mi, ,

Micajah Trail

Moderate
  • 0.82mi, ,

Mine Mountain Trail

More Difficult
  • 1.42mi, ,

Moore Cemetery Road Trail

Easy
  • 0.15mi, ,

Nooks Trail

Easy
  • A little-used trail which dead-ends in the Nooks, a spit of land formed by the Little River's meanderings.
  • 0.42mi, Some Hills, Some Obstacles

Oak Tree Trail

Easy
  • 0.51mi, ,

Pine Tree Trail

Moderate
  • 1.58mi, ,

Pitch Pine Trail

Moderate
  • A scenic trail with gentle grades. West of Joanna Road, the trail goes through second-growth forest with only a few bigger trees (mostly white pines). There are some nice areas of galax, and a couple of neat, mossy rocks beside the trail. East of...
  • 0.39mi, Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles

Plantation Trail

Easy
  • 1.16mi, ,

Poplar Trail

Moderate
  • Short connector descends from White Pine Loop to Rifle trail. Old forest road surface.
  • 0.33mi, Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles

Poplar Hill Loop Trail

Easy
  • 1.39mi, ,

Reasonover Creek Trail

More Difficult
  • 3.27mi, ,

Ridgeline Trail

More Difficult
  • 1.21mi, ,

Rifle Trail

Moderate
  • 0.47mi, ,

River Bend Trail

Easy
  • Provides access to the base of High Falls. An old road bed leading along the river fades into a narrower path before ending at the pool below the falls. Rocky in spots near the base of the falls.
  • 0.27mi, Climbs Gently, Some Obstacles

Rock Quarry Road Trail

Easy
  • 1.27mi, ,

Rocky Ridge Trail

More Difficult
  • 1.26mi, ,

Sandy Trail

Easy
  • 0.55mi, ,

Scarlet Oak Trail

Easy
  • 0.16mi, ,

Sheep Mountain Trail

Moderate
  • 1.55mi, ,

Shelter Rock Trail

Easy
  • 0.62mi, ,

Shoal Creek Trail

Moderate
  • 1.19mi, ,

Shoals Trail

More Difficult
  • 0.44mi, ,

Shortcut Trail

Moderate
  • 0.28mi, ,

Stone Mountain Trail

More Difficult
  • Ascends the southwest side of Stone Mountain, the highest point in DuPont State Forest at 3620 ft and a great place to catch a view of the forest 1000 ft below and to the south. Most of the trail follows an old road bed on a moderate grade up to a...
  • 0.97mi, Climbs Steeply, Moderately Rough

Switchback Trail

Moderate
  • 0.63mi, ,

Table Rock Trail

Easy
  • A nice stroll through the woods, but don't expect a view like the name might suggest. There's not really any rock visible on the small mountain known as Table Rock, and it is tree-covered.
  • 0.88mi, Climbs Gently, Few Obstacles

Tarkiln Branch Road Trail

Moderate
  • 1.39mi, ,

Thomas Cemetery Road Trail

Moderate
  • 1.60mi, ,

Three Lakes Trail

Moderate
  • From Lake Dense, the trail follows an old road bed past the picnic shelter, across the dam, and over to Lake Alford. It has moderate grades, and goes through a pine/hemlock forest where many of the hemlocks are dying. There is a great view of Joanna...
  • mi, Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles

Triple Falls Trail

Moderate
  • Travels from the Hooker Falls parking area up to Triple Falls. Near the parking area the trail is level with a few rocks and wet places; near the falls it climbs very steeply but the surface is mostly smooth.
  • 1.03mi, Climbs Moderately, Some Obstacles

Turkey Knob Road Trail

Moderate
  • This old road is reverting back to a singletrack trail. The new extension from Pinnacle Mountain Road down to Briery Fork trail (a true trail, built early 2013) opens up many more loop hiking options in the south portion of DuPont SF, including a...
  • 3.1mi, Climbs Gently, Some Obstacles

Twin Oaks Trail

Moderate
  • 0.93mi, ,

Twixt Trail

Moderate
  • 0.42mi, ,

Vista Trail

Moderate
  • This trail is no longer maintained.
  • 0.29mi, ,

White Pine Trail

Easy
  • 0.5mi, ,

White Pine Loop Trail

Easy
  • Easy loop off Hickory Mountain Road. Old forest road surface. Travels through an area logged of White Pine.
  • 0.24mi, Climbs Gently, Few Obstacles

Wilkie Trail

Moderate
  • 0.36mi, ,

Wintergreen Falls Trail

More Difficult
  • Easy walk on old road from Tarklin Br. Rd. to Sandy Tr. Narrows a bit, then narrows a lot and gets rougher - with some climbs up over some rocks - right before reaching the base of the falls.
  • 0.52mi, Climbs Gently, Moderately Rough

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