![graveyard fields trail graveyard fields trail](https://cdn-assets.alltrails.com/uploads/photo/image/20621525/extra_large_86d064811fa838fbbfc738383fd0d437.jpg)
It’s early fall and the swollen river has some amazing cascades rolling under the two foot bridges that span a crossing. Exiting the tunnel, we come face to face with the roaring rapids of the Yellowstone Prong. Once at the bottom of the steps, one passes through a tunnel of rhododendrons which puts on a magical display of rose colored blooms each summer that would rival that of Craggy Gardens. The agency expects to complete the work by. Instead we will be tackling this hike going counter clockwise to Lower Falls first, straight back out to the Upper Falls, and looping south to exit the trail. Forest Service today announced that portions of the Graveyard Fields Loop trail are closed for upgrades. If you were to take the left staircase, it would lead you the long way through a clockwise, 1.3 mile loop to the Lower Falls overlook. From here, the path to the first of the two major waterfalls, Lower Falls, is a mere 0.50 miles away. We begin our journey by descending the steep stairs on the far right of the Graveyard Fields Overlook parking lot. I was forewarned that Graveyard Fields is as touristy as it gets on the parkway, but one caveat to this is that most visitors rarely venture past the Lower Falls (also known as Second Falls on some maps), sometimes unaware of two other waterfalls in the area.
![graveyard fields trail graveyard fields trail](https://cdn-assets.alltrails.com/uploads/photo/image/27661601/extra_large_71fb9cc3fb94d9d4e8df10c3678e76e3.jpg)
Hoping to let the crowds die down (yeah there’s a pun in there), I saved an exploration of Graveyard Fields until closer to dusk with the thought that maybe it would be less crowded.
![graveyard fields trail graveyard fields trail](https://cdn-assets.alltrails.com/uploads/photo/image/26758346/extra_large_d6477310230f1fa695a100cdef3b169d.jpg)
I drove past this area earlier on my trip through the Great Balsam Mountain Range to hike the Art Loeb Trail and summit the peaks of Black Balsam Knob and Tennent Mountain, hike the Sam Knob summit trail, and get an epic view from the observation deck atop Devils Courthouse. Tucked into a high altitude valley in the shadow of Tennent Mountain along the Blue Ridge Parkway, it leaves little to wonder what makes this area so special once you pullover at the Graveyard Fields Overlook. Devastated by an epic fire in 1925 that incinerated most of the valley and surrounding peaks, its forests are regenerating into a vibrant and diverse ecosystem worth spending an afternoon exploring. This gorgeous landscape derives its sinister name from a weather event that leveled most of the valleys trees over 100 years ago, leaving moss covered tree stumps that resembled a ghostly graveyard, which early pioneers first encountered when discovering this area. The 3 mile trail system here travels through blueberry laden meadows and mud choked ruts to the scenic waterfalls of the Upper and Lower Yellowstone Prong. The mile-high valley of Graveyard Fields, located on milepost 418.8 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, entices thousands of visitors each year with one of the most dramatic overlooks in the area.