A boulder-filled gorge and an 80-foot waterfall
South Mountains State Park near Connelly Springs in Burke County is one of North Carolina’s largest state parks. Its best-known hike is the High Shoals Falls Loop Trail, a 2.7-mile loop rated strenuous that climbs beside the Jacob Fork River to the park’s 80-foot waterfall.
We hiked it over Memorial Day weekend 2022. The trail climbs through a gorge full of huge boulders, with the river crashing over and around them the whole way up.
🥾 High Shoals Falls
Near the top, a wooden platform looks straight at the falls pouring off the cliff, and long stairs climb past it to the top of the loop.
🥾 Trail facts
- High Shoals Falls Loop Trail: 2.7-mile loop, strenuous
- Falls: 80 feet
- Fees: no day-use fee
- After Hurricane Helene: flooding on the Jacob Fork destroyed bridges, platforms and steps. As of June 2026 the whole High Shoals Falls Trail and the falls viewing areas are closed, with no reopening date. Check the park page before you go.
- Managed by: NC Division of Parks and Recreation
Trail facts checked October 2026. Sources: NC State Parks: South Mountains trails, South Mountains: reopening after Helene. Trails and roads change, so check with the managing agency before you go.
