NC - Dupont State Recreational Forest

Hiked since November 2025:

1. Fawn Lake Loop Trail
• 11/23/2025 Agile Trekker: Fawn Lake, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 0.6 miles, easy. Gravel trail, looks down on Fawn Lake
2. Fawn Lake Road
• 11/23/2025 Agile Trekker: Fawn Lake, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 1.0 miles, easy. Gravel trail, passes next to Fawn Lake. Swimming spot for people and dogs. Krumm approved. Might have missed the end
3. Bridal Veil Falls Road
• 11/27/2025 Agile Trekker: Bridal Veil Falls, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 0.6 miles, easy. Gravel trail, passes by a barn, leads to wooden overlook. Continue on to base of falls.
4. Shelter Rock Trail
• 11/27/2025 Agile Trekker: Bridal Veil Falls, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 0.6 miles, easy. Dirt trail.
5. Holly Road
• 11/29/2025 Agile Trekker: Hooker Falls and Triple Falls, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 1.3 miles, easy. Dirt trail even though it's called road. No people on it, because everyone parked at Hooker Falls is going to see the waterfalls. Ends at a paved road.
6. Hooker Falls Trail
• 11/29/2025 Agile Trekker: Hooker Falls and Triple Falls, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• Pisgah Map Co. doesn't have this trail - it shows it as Moore Cemetery Rd and doesn't show the trail going south to the falls. Hooker Falls Road doesn't exist. Busy trail. Better on weekdays. Base of falls is a good place for dog swimming, away from falls.
7. Triple Falls Trail
• 11/29/2025 Agile Trekker: Hooker Falls and Triple Falls, Dupont State Recreational Forest
•  0.4 miles, moderate. Wide trail. Busy trail. Better on weekdays. Moore Cemetery is now fenced off with a do not enter sign. Triple Falls area not good for dog swimming due to cascades in the river. Can leave trail and hike on rocks to the base of the falls. Hike to the top of Triple Falls Trail to see all 3 falls.
8. Jim Branch Trail
• 12/1/2025 Agile Trekker: Lake Imaging Loop, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 1.3 miles, moderate. LOTS of mountain bikers - so better on a weekday. Pretty trail with pines. Some winter views. Nice terrain.
9. Isaac Heath Trail 
• 12/1/2025 Agile Trekker: Lake Imaging Loop, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 1.3 miles, moderate. LOTS of mountain bikers - so better on a weekday. Nice trail, nice terrain. Some winter views. Some map discrepancies. Locust Trail is now part of Isaac Heath Trail. 
10. Wilkie Trail
• 12/3/2025 Agile Trekker: Corn Mill Shoals west loop, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 1.6+ miles, moderate. This trail starts at paved Cascade Lake Road, continues on what was called the west half of the Micajah trail, continues on what was called the Buck Ridge Road Trail. There is a great picnic spot on a rock slab, that is shown as the west side of the Micajah Trail. Controlled burn inside the loop on November 13, 2025.
• 12/27/2025 Agile Trekker: Wilkie Trail and Cannon Creek Falls, Dupont
• 2.1 miles, moderate. The trail starts at Rich Mountain Road. Side trail to Cannon Creek Falls (too small for dog swimming). Nice rock outcrops. This section previously called Cannon Creek Trail and Buckhorn Creek Trail. Great place for a weekend when the rest of Dupont is crowded.
11. Micajah Trail
• 12/3/2025 Agile Trekker: Corn Mill Shoals west loop, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 0.4 miles, moderate. Nice trail, nice terrain. The west side of what Pisgah Map Co. calls the Micajah Trail is now part of the Wilkie Trail. Controlled burn inside the loop on November 13, 2025.
12.  Rock Quarry Road
• 12/3/2025 Agile Trekker: Corn Mill Shoals west loop, Dupont State Recreational Forest
• 1.3 miles, moderate. Pine tree corridor near paved road. Don't miss the short unnamed spur trail to the north to rocky cliffs. Where Rock Quarry Road leaves the loop, it gets rougher towards the park boundary. Purple rock at the park boundary. Controlled burn inside the loop on November 13, 2025.
13. Hickory Mountain Road
• 12/25/2025 Agile Trekker: Guion Farm Loop, Dupont
• 0.9 miles, easy. Dirt road with tall pine trees. Near the north end is a picnic shelter next to a meadow. Nice place to sit and throw a dog toy for a few minutes.
14. Hooker Creek Trail
• 12/25/2025 Agile Trekker: Guion Farm Loop, Dupont
• 1.1+ miles, moderate. Part of former White Pine Road trail has been added to Hooker Creek Trail. Trail splits into two one-way sections. We took the route in the woods. No signs of Hooker Creek from our re-route.
15. Boundary Trail
• 12/25/2025 Agile Trekker: Guion Farm Loop, Dupont
• 0.3 miles, easy. Short half loop. Gaia shows one end as Guion Trail, but both sides where it hits Hickory Mountain Road have signs calling it Boundary Trail.
16. Tarkiln Branch Road
• 2/10/2026 Agile Trekker: Thomas Cemetery Road and Tarkiln Branch Road loop, Dupont State Forest
• 1.4 miles, moderate. Mostly flat. Slick after rain. Wider stream crossing can rock hop it.
17. Thomas Cemetery Trail
• 2/10/2026 Agile Trekker: Thomas Cemetery Road and Tarkiln Branch Road loop, Dupont State Forest
• 1.6 miles, moderate. Mostly flat. Has a very cool tree. Has Thomas Cemetery on it. Thomas Cemetery Road
18. Flat Rock Trail
• 2/28/2026 Agile Trekker: Flat Rock Trail, Shoal Creek Trail, and Rifle Trail, Dupont
• 0.5 miles, moderate. Goes to a stream intersection, can wade but not deep enough for dog swimming.
19. Shoal Creek Trail
• 2/28/2026 Agile Trekker: Flat Rock Trail, Shoal Creek Trail, and Rifle Trail, Dupont
• 1.2 miles, moderate. Less scenic. Pines are diseased & being logged.
20. Rifle Trail
• 2/28/2026 Agile Trekker: Flat Rock Trail, Shoal Creek Trail, and Rifle Trail, Dupont
• 0.5 miles, moderate.

Trails we couldn't find:

1. Buck Ridge Road (this is part of the Wilkie Trail)
2. Hooker Falls Road (this doesn't exist, Hooker Falls Trail is a 2020 reroute)
3. Locust Trail (this is part of Isaac Heath Trail)
4. Moore Cemetery Road (this is now called Hooker Falls Trail)
5. Scarlet Oak Trail (unblazed) - try taking from Fawn Lake Road
6. Shortcut Trail (read that this is decommissioned) 
7. White Pine Road (renamed Ruffled Grouse Trail)
8. Cannon Creek Trail (now called Wilkie Trail)
9. Buckhorn Creek Road (now called Wilkie Trail). Unmaintained to the west of Cannon Creek Trail.

Closed trails:

1. Barn Trail, 0.5 miles easy (CLOSED)
2. Bridal Veil Overlook Trail (CLOSED)
3. Cart Trail (CLOSED)
4. Flatwoods Trail (CLOSED)
5. Grassy Meadow Trail (CLOSED)
6. Lake View Loop Trail (CLOSED)
7. Nooks Trail (CLOSED)
8. Sandy Trail (CLOSED)
9. Table Rock Trail (CLOSED)
10. Turkey Knob Trail (BRIDGE CLOSED but can do 1/2 mile out and back)

To hike:

1. Airstrip Trail, 1.1 miles, difficult
2. Base of the Falls Spur Trail, 0.2 moderate
3. Big Rock Trail
4. Briery Fork
5. Buck Forest Road
6. Burnt Mountain Trail
7. Camp Summit Road
8. Cascade Trail
9. Cedar Rock Trail
10. Chestnut Oak Road
11. Conservation Road
12. Corn Mill Shoals Trail
13. Covered Bridge Trail
14. Farm House Trail
15. Frank Street
16. Grassy Creek Falls Trail (BRIDGE CLOSED)
17. Grassy Creek Trail
18. Guion Trail
19. Hickory Mountain Loop Trail
20. High Falls Loop
21. Hilltop Trail
22. Joanna Road (closed between Grassy Creek Trail and Pinnacle Mountain Road)
23. Lake Imaging Road
24. Lake Julia Road
25. Laurel Ridge Trail
26. Little River Trail
27. Longside Trail
28. Mine Mountain Trail
29. Oak Tree Trail
30. Pine Tree Trail
31. Pitch Pine Trail
32. Plantation Trail
33. Poplar Hill Loop Trail (NORTH PORTION CLOSED)
34. Poplar Trail
35. Reasonover Creek Trail
36. Ridgeline Trail
37. Ruffled Grouse Trail (formally called White Pine Road)
38. Base of Falls Spur Trail
39. Rocky Ridge Trail
40. Sheep Mountain Trail 
41. Shoals Trail
42. Stone Mountain Trail 
43. Switchback Trail
44. Three Lakes Trail
45. Turkey Knob Road
46. Twin Oaks Trail
47. Twixt Trail
48. White Pine Loop Trail
49. Wintergreen Falls Trail

Flat Rock Trail, Shoal Creek Trail, and Rifle Trail, Dupont

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
2/28/2026	5.2 miles	2 hours 38 minutes	499'	2.2 mph	26.3

Parking: 

• Guion Farm Access Area

Map:

• Gaia GPS app
• Pisgah Map Co. Dupont State Recreational Forest

Directions:

• Walk south on Sky Valley Road (gravel road with occasional cars). Pass Tarkin Branch Road and Shoal Creek Trail. There are 2 small parking areas for Flat Rock Trail, neither marked on the Pisgah Map Co's map. Turn right onto Flat Rock Trail. Hike to the end where there is a wide stream. Turn around and return to Sky Valley Road. Turn left on Sky Valley Road. Turn right onto Shoal Creek Trail. Turn right onto Sky Valley Road. Shortly after the turn, turn left onto an unmaintained trail and hike a very short way. Turn left onto Ruffled Grouse Trail (Pisgah Map Co.'s map shows this as the Rifle Trail). Keep straight/right to take Rifle Trail (Ruffled Grouse Trail leaves to the left). Turn left onto the Boundary Trail. Turn left onto Hickory Mountain Road. Turn right onto Ruffled Grouse Trail. Turn left onto Hooker Creek Trail (Pisgah Map Co.'s map shows this as White Pine Road). Turn left onto Buck Forest Road. Turn right to return to the parking area. 

Another hike in Pisgah to do some new-to-us trails. Dupont is busy on sunny weekends, but this hike worked out well. We didn't run into any hikers and only ran into 1 biker. We walked down Sky Valley Road and first looked for the Flatwoods Trail, but there was no sign. I re-checked Dupont's trail status page, and its listed as closed. I noticed there are fewer closed trails now though, so progress is being made. We ended up walking down Sky Valley Road. The road is open to cars, but few cars go down it, so most of the time it's fine to walk down the middle of the road. It turns out there are two parking areas for the Flat Rock Trail. One is shortly before the trail, and one is at the trailhead. Each has room for 2 cars. Flat Rock Trail has some winter views. On Pisgah Map Co's map, it looks like there is a small pond at the end of the Flat Rock Trail, but it really is just the intersection of two streams. Not even deep enough to swim. But we did take a break there and threw Krumm's floaty toy for him. From there, we returned to Sky Valley Road and headed up Shoal Creek Trail. This trail looks like it either has lots of blowdown or logging. We did see a side trail which was marked as closed due to logging. We continued on to the Rifle Trail and then made our way back. We took a detour due to an oncoming off leash dog.

Tonight, I finally ordered a new version of Pisgah Map Co.'s Dupont map. I emailed the business and found out they have a newer version of the map. We've only been here 4 years, but our map is ancient - so many of the trails have been renamed or decommissioned. 

Hiking down Sky Valley Road

Parking lot before Flat Rock Trail - room for 1 or 2 cars

Flat Rock Trail trailhead. Room for 2 cars.

Flat Rock Trail 

Flat Rock Trail 

Time to play at the end of the Flat Rock Trail.

He likes holes and had his head in this one.

Shoal Creek Trail - I found it less scenic. 

This is the trail we were looking for at the beginning of our hike.
I didn't see a sign on the other end. 
Anyways, it says its closed due to logging.

From what I researched, white pines in this area are suffering from white pine bast scale and a fungal pathogen called Caliciopsis pinea. 

Passing Farmhouse Trail.

A short Walk on Sky Valley Road

Turning left onto a short, unmarked trail.

On Ruffled Grouse Trail.

Staying straight on the Rifle Trail.

Rifle Trail.

Walking briefly on the Boundary Trail.

Continuing on Hooker Creek Trail.

Taking Buck Forest Road

Returning on Hickory Mountain Road.

Bull Creek Preserve, Swannanoa

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
2/27/2026	3.5 miles	2 hours 5 minutes	180'	1.9 mph	21.1

Parking: 

• Riceville Road, across the street from Berea Baptist Church

Map:

• Gaia GPS app

Directions:

• Misc trails

Beautiful day out. We heard peepers from the trail - the best sound! And we saw two types of flowers on the trail - winter honeysuckle and daffodils. Krumm had his first swim of the year.

Blurry photo of winter honeysuckle. 
Pretty fragrant if you get up close.

Thomas Cemetery Road and Tarkiln Branch Road loop, Dupont State Forest

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
2/10/2026	4.3 miles	2 hours 4 minutes	295'	2.3 mph	17.6

Parking: 

• Guion Farm 

Map:

• Pisgah Map Co. Dupont State Recreational Forest

Directions:

• Take Buck Forest Road from the parking area. At the end of the field, turn left onto Thomas Cemetery Road. Pass Tarkiln Branch Road on the left. Pass the Thomas cemetery on the left. Reach Buck Forest Road and turn around, hiking back on Thomas Cemetery Road. Turn right onto Tarkiln Branch Rod. Turn left at the field to return to the parking lot.

It was 70 degrees out today! Luckily, I had no appointments, so we could go out for a hike. I wanted to go to Dupont. It was a bit challenging to find new trails to hike, as all of the single-track trails are closed. We started out on Buck Forest Road to get to Thomas Cemetery Road. I noticed some unusual grey objects just off the trail. I went to investigate and they were pieces of marble, obviously cut. Very odd. We continued on ad reached the Thomas Cemetery, enclosed by a split rail fence. Only one of the gravestones had a name. The other ones had initials. We turned around and continued on to Tarkiln Branch Road. We ran into two NCFS employees doing trail maintenance. We thanked them. I asked when they thought the single-track trails would be open, but the woman said its anyone's guess. They talked about how the freeze/thaw cycles made the trails greasy and slippery. I mentioned the upcoming rain, and they said the rain actually helps improve the trail conditions. Go figure. We learned a new mountain word from the man "gaum". It's used to mean mess something up, as in gum it up. We returned to the trailhead. We encountered a handful of bikers, 1 hiker, and 1 jogger. The trails were pretty quiet.

Crossing the meadow, we turned left onto Buck Forest Road

Turning left onto Thomas Cemetery Road

Mysterious pieces of marble in the woods

Passing Tarkiln Branch Road

Stopping at a bridge over a small stream.

I love this tree!

Thomas Cemetery

Reaching the end of Thomas Cemetery Road

Horse tie outs at the cemetery

Turning right onto Tarkiln Branch Road

A wider stream which we luckily could rock hop

Despite it being 70 degrees, there is still some ice left.
The end of Tarkiln Road was muddy and slick.