Graveyard Fields

Graveyard Fields is a high valley on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 418.8 in North Carolina. From the overlook on the Parkway, an easy 1.2-mile (1.9 km) loop leads through the open valley. A second source describes a 2.3-mile loop that reaches Yellowstone Falls. You reach two waterfalls via spur trails that are steep and add distance.

There are two explanations for the name: a windstorm is said to have uprooted the forest so the stumps looked like gravestones, or early 20th-century logging left moss-covered stumps behind. A later fire destroyed the stumps.

Practical notes: the parking area is limited and fills up on weekends and in peak season, so the National Park Service recommends an early start. Parking is allowed only in marked areas. The trailhead is by the vault toilets; there is no fresh water. Unofficial trails can make navigation confusing. Climbing on the falls is dangerous because the rocks are slippery.