Mountains to Sea Trail: Craggy Gardens to Douglass Falls

Sometimes unexpected adventures are the most exciting, in both the positive and negative sense of the word.

When I decided to visit Douglass falls, a beautiful waterfall just outside of Asheville North Carolina, I expected to take the leisurely 1 mile hike from the access road below. Unbeknownst to me, though, my GPS had other plans. Instead of going to the access road, I found myself at the top of the Blue Ridge Parkway at the alternate trailhead, which follows the Mountains to Sea Trail a steep 3.4 miles down the mountain to the falls. Naturally, I was doubtful about this route change since walking 3.4 miles straight down and then back up a mountain is not a part of my daily workout repertoire. But the thing is, the views from the trail were incredible and I just couldn’t help myself. I decided to go for it. Little did I know that the day's surprises were only just starting...

Background

Douglass Falls is a dramatic 60 foot free falling waterfall in the remote Big Ivy area of Pisgah National Forest. This route starts at the top of Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway and follows a section of the Mountains to Sea trail for a rugged 3.4 miles down the mountain to the falls. As you hike, you will pass through different forests at each elevation, from the high elevation stunted tree landscape of Craggy Gardens to the thick old growth forest below. While this is a strenuous hike, I can’t recommend it enough for anyone interested in nonstop scenery and a high pay off challenge.

Getting There

The drive to the trail head is an experience in and of itself. As you drive the Blue Ridge parkway, you will see almost continuous mountain vistas. The Craggy Gardens area is especially well known for its views of rugged terrain and unique plant life, and this is exactly where we’re headed. You can park at Graybeard Mountain Overlook to access the trailhead. What a place to start a hike:

From here, I hopped on the Mountains to Sea Trail and started off down the mountain.

The trail starts at 5,592 feet and passes through the iconic mountain ash, birch, and beech forests of Craggy Gardens. Because of the high elevation and harsh weather conditions, the trees here are much shorter than their lowland counterparts and develop into gnarled, twisted shapes. The angular shapes of the trees and soft fern carpet below make this section of the trail feel mysterious. As I walked I found myself in a state of shock that forests like this even exist outside of fantasy novels and fairy tales.

As the trail drops in elevation it ventures into thicker, more lush forests. You will see old growth Hemlocks, towering Oaks, and a plethora of different wildflowers and forest-floor plants. This part of the trail also crosses several streams which are great when you want to take a rest break and cool your feet.

The Falls

The first sign you will get that you are close to Douglass Falls is the sound of falling water echoing through the trees. Then, when you round the last corner, the falls seem to arise out of nowhere amidst the thick forest.

There were several groups of people and even a dog hanging out around the falls. The nearby rocks are a great place to chill and take in the sights. One of my favorite thing about the Douglass Falls is that you can walk right up to the waterfall where it hits the shallow pool below.

The Ascent: outrunning a thunderstorm

I was feeling good when I started my journey back up the mountain. I had reached my destination, seen an awesome waterfall, and now I was in the home stretch. Kind of. About a mile into my ascent dark, heavy clouds started to roll in. I was still in the thick bottomland forest, but I could hear low thunder echoing over the mountaintops above my head. The wind started to pick up, and it was obvious that a storm was moving in. Since my car was parked at the top of the mountain, where the storm seemed to be gathering, there didn’t seem to be any chance of avoiding it. But I started to pick up my pace anyway, maybe I could outrun it. As I pushed farther up the mountain I stopped thinking about mileage. It was just me, flying up the stone steps, and the storm, sending sheets of light rain blowing across my mountainside.

Every now and then, the trees would open up and I would see a view of the valley and mountainsides with dramatic clouds sweeping across them. Even in my out of breath, damp state, I couldn’t help being in awe of the power and beauty of storm and the mountains together. Storms transform mountains into a whole other world whose savage, seductive beauty can never be rivaled by sunny days. I was thinking about this when, unexpectedly, I crested the mountain and emerged into the parking lot. I was just in time to watch the clouds condense into a real storm from the comfort of my car.