Upper Falls–Second Falls, 6 sights is a 12.3-mile out-and-back in Shining Rock Wilderness near Big East Fork, NC. The route passes Second Falls and Upper Falls. It climbs 2,334 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 45/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi3,967 – 5,732 ft · steepest grade: 25%12.5 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Mountains-to-Sea Connector 35.32231, -82.82818
Nearest town Big East Fork, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Upper Falls–Second Falls, 6 sights
12.3 mi · ▲ 2,334 ft · 5 hr 16 min
Elevation 3,968–5,732 ft
Out & Back · Shining Rock Wilderness
Trailhead: Mountains-to-Sea Connector · 35.32231, -82.82818
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 78°F / low 65° · precip 18% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 7:07 AM · sunset 7:56 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Mountains-to-Sea Connector, heading NW.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading W.
- 1.8 miBear left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail Connector, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Lower Falls Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Second Falls.
- 100 ftBear right onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail Connector, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Graveyard Fields Loop Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Graveyard Upper Falls Trail, heading W.
- 1 miReach Upper Falls, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.9 miTurn left onto Graveyard Fields Loop Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Graveyard Ridge Trail, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading E.
- 1.3 miContinue straight onto Graveyard Ridge Trail, heading W.
- 1.7 miContinue straight onto Greasy Cove Trail, heading E.
- 3 miSharp right onto Bridges Camp Gap Trail, heading SE.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Mountains-to-Sea Connector, heading SW.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
51% dirt49% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 78°F65°
Precip18%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity76%
Rained 0.2″ 4 days ago (0.4″ over the last week)
Hourly temperatureRain chance
80°65°
Sunrise 7:07 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:56 PM
Sat
82°68°
Sun
77°60°
60%
Mon
65°59°
39%
Tue
71°54°
Wed
78°55°
Thu
82°58°
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Mountains-to-Sea Connector Trailhead
- View Cherry Cove (MP 415.7) via Mountains-to-Sea Trail 2.5 mi · ▲ 621 ft
- Bridges Camp Gap Trail via Mountains-to-Sea Trail 2.7 mi · ▲ 473 ft
- Lower Falls Viewpoint via Mountains-to-Sea Trail 4 mi · ▲ 986 ft
- Second Falls via Mountains-to-Sea Trail 4 mi · ▲ 952 ft
- Mountains-to-Sea Trail 6.9 mi · ▲ 1,441 ft
- Big East Fork Trail & Bridges Camp Gap Trail 9.6 mi · ▲ 1,334 ft
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Hikes near Big East Fork, North Carolina