Parking
Graveyard Fields Overlook parking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 418.8; vault toilets are near the trailhead. The lot can fill quickly, and roadside parking is restricted in marked areas.
Overview
About Second Falls Trail
Why go
- Short route with a strong waterfall payoff
- High-elevation meadow and Yellowstone Prong scenery near the approach
- Vault toilets and a marked trailhead at the overlook
Heads up
- Parking fills quickly on busy weekends and peak fall days
- The waterfall spur is stair-stepped and steeper than the main loop
- Rocks near the falls are slick, especially after rain
Second Falls—also signed as Lower Falls—is the short waterfall spur at Graveyard Fields, ending at a boulder-lined pool and viewing area on Yellowstone Prong. From the Graveyard Fields Overlook, plan on about 0.7 miles round trip. The spur is brief but stair-stepped and steeper than the easy loop overall.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy hike thisMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Ridge Parkway map
Full mapElevation4,935–5,113 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
2 active Blue Ridge Parkway alerts
- ClosureNorth Carolina Helene-related closuresAvoid the closed Parkway section from MP 344.2–355.3; recreation of any kind is prohibited there.Official details
- ClosureVirginia Parkway closures and detourFollow the signed detour around the closed James River Bridge and avoid the closed Roanoke Mountain Loop. - James River Bridge (MP 63.5–63.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Second Falls Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Ridge Parkway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Ridge Parkway audio tourRecorded for this area
Graveyard Fields: Waterfalls and Wild BlueberriesListen
“You're about to reach Graveyard Fields, one of the most popular stops on the entire Parkway.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- East Fork Overlook and the Ghost Trees
- Looking Glass Rock Overlook and Its Mirror-Like Face
- The Parkway’s Bloom Calendar: Chasing Spring up the Mountains
- Devil's Courthouse: A Steep Climb to a Four-State View
- 277 audio storiesacross Blue Ridge Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 112 trails, 232 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…We knew we wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The narration was impeccably timed. The facts and info provided were meaningful. Without it, the trip would not have been near as awesome.”
Trail guide
Hiking Second Falls Trail
The route and what to expectStart near the vault toilets at the Graveyard Fields Overlook and descend the signed path.
Start near the vault toilets at the Graveyard Fields Overlook and descend the signed path. Cross the Yellowstone Prong, then take the right-hand Lower/Second Falls spur. The stored line follows the one-way walking corridor to the mapped Lower Falls stairs and waterfall area; the listed distance is the full out-and-back, so return to the overlook the same way. A trail map in the parking area helps distinguish the waterfall spur from the longer Graveyard Fields loop and Upper Falls route.
Access and safetyPark at the Graveyard Fields Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 418.
Park at the Graveyard Fields Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 418.8; vault toilets are near the trailhead. Do not climb around the waterfall or step onto slick rocks, and expect stairs on the spur. The Parkway can close in winter because of ice and snow. Camping is not allowed in the Graveyard Fields area; keep pets leashed and stay on the established trail.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Blue Ridge Parkway
1,208 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,020 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
2,257 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
200 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,126 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
255 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Ridge Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
