Bridal Veil Falls (DuPont)

A beautiful and unique waterfall located in DuPont State Forest that has been a popular scene for many Hollywood movies.

Located deep within the DuPont State Forest in Western North Carolina is the beautiful and unique Bridal Veil Falls.  The DuPont State Forest is a 10,000+ acre multi-use hotspot of beautiful hiking trails, numerous waterfalls, gorgeous lakes, and some of the best views of the North Carolina Forest.  There is so much to see and do inside the forest but the day hike to Bridal Veil Falls in an easy walk that should be at the top of your list of places to visit inside the forest.

Being close to the center of the forest, Bridal Veil Falls is accessible from multiple parking areas.  However, the High Falls Parking area at 1400 Staton Road in Cedar Mountain North Carolina will provide the quickest and most direct path to the falls.  The drive to the parking lot is very pleasant taking you through beautiful and well maintained Carolina country roads.  There is plenty of signage along the way and the 25 minute drive from downtown Hendersonville is effortless.  Driving time from Asheville North Carolina or Greenville South Carolina is about 1 hour.

DuPont State Forest is a very popular spot and can be somewhat crowded at times.  However there is plenty of parking, there are adequate restroom facility at the parking areas, and the trails are very wide and nicely maintained. The round trip total for the hike to Bridal Veil Falls is 4.7 miles.

The hike starts out on Buck Forest Road which is literally a road with very limited car access.  Odds are you won’t encounter any vehicles on the road but it is a multi-use trail so you will likely encounter mountain bikers and possibly some people on horseback.   Head up Buck Forest Road and after 1/2 mile you will encounter a picturesque covered bridge at the top of High Falls.  Just after the covered bridge turn right on Conservation Road and continue for about another mile.   You will cross over Reasonover Creek just below Lake Julia and eventually encounter Bridal Veil Falls Road.  Turn right on Bridal Veil Falls Road and continue another 1/2 mile past beautiful pastures and a horse barn.  An easily traveled path goes beyond this to a viewing area at the base of the falls where there is also a nice picnic table.

Bridal Veil Falls starts at the very top with a short drop that visitors can climb behind if you are able to climb up the slightly inclined granite face that gives the falls its name.  Note that during periods of high rainfall the upper area of the falls might not be safely accessible so please use discretion when visiting.  Perhaps you have never been to Bridal Veil Falls but it looks somewhat familiar?  If you have seen the movies The Last of the Mohicans or The Hunger Games,  then you have seen Bridal Veil Falls as parts of these movies were filmed at Bridal Veil Falls.  Regardless of whether you have seen the falls before or not, you are going to thoroughly enjoy visiting Bridal Veil Falls.

Hike back the trail in reverse to return to the parking lot.

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