Trail Guide · ~12 min from Pisgah Base Camp
Triple Falls
Three waterfalls on one easy DuPont trail, including the famous three-tiered Triple Falls from The Hunger Games, all on a short walk from the same parking area.
Drive Time
~12 min
from the house
Three Falls Hike
2.2 mi
round trip
Elevation Gain
~400 ft
on the full tour
Difficulty
Easy to Moderate
one short steep stretch
What to Expect
Three waterfalls, one short trail
This is the most popular waterfall hike in the area, and it earns it. From a single parking area off Staton Road you can reach three very different falls on a mostly easy walk along the Little River. Most people do all three as a round trip of about 2.2 miles, but you can shorten or stretch it depending on the group and the day.
Hooker Falls is the warm-up, an easy quarter-mile walk to a wide, low waterfall that drops into a deep pool. It is one of the most popular summer swimming holes in DuPont. From there you cross the river and climb the Triple Falls Trail, which is mostly gentle gravel with one short, steep pitch near the falls. Triple Falls is the star: three distinct cascades stacked down the rock for a total drop of about 120 feet. A picnic shelter near the trail gives you a place to sit and take it in.
Keep going another half mile and you reach High Falls, the tallest in DuPont at around 120 to 150 feet of water sliding down open granite, with a covered bridge at the top and an overlook on the trail. Wooded, shaded, and right along the river the whole way, the hike feels easy even though you are seeing three of the best waterfalls in North Carolina back to back.
The trail is wide and well kept, which is why it draws families, mixed groups, and dogs. The flip side is crowds. This is one of the busiest trails in the region, and the parking lots fill fast on warm weekends and through fall color. Go early or late in the day if you want the falls closer to yourself and a parking spot without circling.
The Falls
What you'll see, in order
Hooker Falls
Easiest · ~0.5 mi round tripA wide, low waterfall that drops about 12 feet into a broad pool on the Little River. Less dramatic than the others but easy to reach and a favorite summer swimming hole. No lifeguard, so swimming is at your own risk.
Triple Falls
The main event · ~120 ftThree cascades stacked down the rock, dropping about 120 feet total. A picnic shelter and overlook give you the classic view. This is the falls from The Hunger Games and The Last of the Mohicans. Note: the stairway down to the rock shelf in the middle of the falls was damaged by Hurricane Helene and has been closed for repair. Check current status before you go, and respect posted closures. People have been ticketed for crossing them.
High Falls
Tallest in DuPont · ~120 to 150 ftA long, powerful slide down open granite, the biggest waterfall in DuPont. There is an overlook on the trail and a covered bridge at the top. A spur trail with steps drops to the base if you want a closer look.
Why We Love It
Three falls for the price of one easy walk
Most waterfall hikes give you one payoff at the end. This one gives you three, and it is only 12 minutes from the house. That mix of low effort and high reward makes it the easiest call we give guests, whether it is your first morning here, a rest day, or a stop with someone in the group who would rather not tackle Pisgah's steeper trails.
It is also genuinely flexible. Walk to Hooker Falls and turn around if you have little kids or limited time. Do all three if you want the full tour. Pack a lunch and use the picnic shelter at Triple Falls. The trail does the work of being beautiful so you do not have to plan much. Just go early, because everyone else loves it too.
Backstory
The falls you've already seen
If Triple Falls looks familiar, there is a reason. The three-tiered cascade was a filming location for The Hunger Games, the scene where Katniss finds an injured Peeta, and for the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans. Nearby Bridal Veil Falls, deeper in DuPont, appeared in both films too.
The whole forest has a movie history that comes from its scenery: big granite domes, open water sliding over rock, and waterfalls you can walk right up to. DuPont became a state forest in the mid-1990s after a long public effort to protect the land, and today it draws well over a million visitors a year, many of them here for exactly this stretch of the Little River.
Know Before You Go
Easy trail, busy trailhead
- Go early or late. This is one of the busiest trails in the region. Lots at the Hooker Falls and High Falls access areas fill by mid-morning on nice weekends, and there is no legal roadside parking once they are full.
- Pick your access point. Park at Hooker Falls to start with the easy warm-up, or at High Falls to reach the big falls first. Both sit off Staton Road.
- Restrooms on site. There are restrooms at the access areas, which is part of why this is such an easy family trail.
- One steep stretch. Most of the trail is easy gravel, but the pitch up to Triple Falls is short and steep. Wear real shoes.
- Dogs welcome. Leashed dogs are fine and this is a great trail for them. Bring water and watch their footing near the falls.
- Triple Falls steps may be closed. The stairway to the middle rock shelf was damaged by Helene and has been closed for repair. Check current DuPont status before you go.
- Cell service is spotty. Download an offline map before you leave the house.
Safety First
Real risks at the falls
- Rocks near and on the falls are extremely slippery. Serious injuries and deaths have happened at waterfalls in this region. Never climb on or near the top of a falls.
- No swimming or wading at Triple Falls. The currents are dangerous. Swimming is allowed at Hooker Falls but there is no lifeguard.
- Respect all closure signs and cable barriers. They mark real hazards, and crossing them can mean fines or charges.
- The river rises fast after rain. Stay back from the water when it is running high.
- This is black bear country. Pack out all food and trash.
Directions
From Pisgah Base Camp to the trailhead
The three-falls hike starts from either the Hooker Falls or High Falls access area off Staton Road in DuPont State Forest. Both have parking and restrooms. Hooker Falls is the better start for the easy warm-up; High Falls gets you to the big falls first.
- 1 From the house, head toward DuPont State Forest.
- 2 Follow Staton Road into the DuPont access area.
- 3 For the full three-falls tour, park at the Hooker Falls access area on the right.
- 4 If the lots are full, do not park on the road. Come back later or use the High Falls access area instead.
DuPont trails and roads can close for weather, repairs, and ongoing Helene recovery, including the Triple Falls steps. Check current DuPont status before you go.
Keep Exploring
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You Already Know the Trip You Want
An early start. A big day outside. Then a hot shower and a quiet night when you get back.
That's the trip. You just need the right place to do it from.
We'll help you sort out the plan before you get here. You bring the bikes, boots, rods, and the dog.