About Graveyard Fields Overlook (MP 418.8)
Graveyard Fields looks wrong for the mountains of western North Carolina: a wide, almost flat basin at about 5,120 feet with no trees, only waist-high blueberry and rhododendron thickets and a creek running through. The name comes from the stumps left after a windstorm and a fire flattened the spruce forest a century ago; the stumps looked like gravestones.
What the lot gives you
The overlook and parking lot sit at the edge of the basin, and from the lot you see across the open valley to the ridges of the Pisgah National Forest. In fall the blueberry leaves go crimson and the whole valley turns a brilliant red, which is the reason for the October crowds. A paved trail leads from the lot down to a footbridge over the creek.
Trails and waterfalls
- Second Falls is a short, easy walk from the lot, a 60-foot cascade beside the trail.
- Upper Falls needs a longer, rougher walk and involves a lot of stairs and wet rock.
- The loop around the valley is about 3 miles and can be muddy.
The trail system took heavy damage in recent years, so confirm trail status on the Blue Ridge Parkway site before planning a hike.
The practical side
The Parkway status page showed the section from milepost 411.9 to 418.7, and the section north of the Graveyard Fields overlook to USFS Road 816, both open on October 22, 2026. Check the road closures page before you leave, and call 828-298-0398 for the Parkway information line.
- Parking: the lot holds a few dozen cars and overflows onto the Parkway shoulder on peak weekends; don't block the road.
- Facilities: restrooms at the lot.
- Weather: fog and wind are common; the temperature here is often 15 degrees colder than Asheville.
- Nearby: Devil's Courthouse is about 4 miles south on the Parkway, and Looking Glass Rock overlook is back north.