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Natural Heritage Trail

Graveyard Fields

Graveyard Fields, a short drive from Brevard, North Carolina, off the Blue Ridge Parkway, is one of the most popular hiking areas in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. The Yellowstone Prong of the Pigeon River flows through this high, flat mountain valley, with three stunning waterfalls along its way.

Anyone visiting Graveyard Fields and seeing its open-faced natural beauty might wonder why it is called by such a funereal name. The sign on Graveyard Fields explains one theory, that many years ago a tremendous windstorm uprooted the spruce forest, leaving behind stumps that gave the area the appearance of a graveyard. Another speculation is that it was the logging in the early 20^th century that left tree stumps resembling gravestones.

The Graveyard Fields experienced catastrophic fires, once in 1925 and again in the early 1940s. These fires swept through the area, destroying the stumps and scorching the soil enough to render it sterile, changing the face of the once dense evergreen forest forever.

Today, few signs of this fiery heritage are visible, a testament to nature's ability to heal itself and to create beauty from devastation. Pink and purple blooming mountain laurel and rhododendron now thrive throughout Graveyard Fields, as well as many wildflowers, such as bluets, galax, and a number of asters and honeysuckles. In summer and fall, hikers can enjoy blackberries, gooseberries, and blueberries through out Graveyard Fields. The berries also attract a variety of wildlife, including a large number of white-tailed deer.

Graveyard Fields Hours of Operation
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Graveyard Fields Admission Fee
None
*Prices are subject to change without notice & from what is listed on this website.

Graveyard Fields Location
At Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 418.8.
At the junction of US 276 and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Pisgah National Forest, go south to Graveyard Fields Overlook at Parkway milepost 418.8.

From exit 85 off U.S. 23/74 in Sylva, drive east on U.S. 23/74 for 8.9 mi. then turn left, entering the Blue Ridge Parkway. Proceed in the direction of Asheville, and go 0.8 mi. past milepost 418, then turn left into the Graveyard Fields parking lot.
Pisgah Ranger District Phone (704) 877-3265.