Dugger’s Falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Dugger’s Creek Trail

Length: .4 mile loop
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: The National Park Service claims the hike is easy, but there are stairs to climb, root-filled terrain, and a steep hill to descend at the end. It’s somewhere between easy and moderate in difficulty.

Linville Falls Area Trail Map (click to enlarge)

The Dugger’s Creek Trail is a short loop that starts at the Linville Falls Visitor Center and leads to Dugger’s Falls, a small but picturesque waterfall located at the halfway point on the hike. You can photograph the falls from a bridge, but the area around it is getting overgrown. The only way to get a clear shot at it is to wade up the creek, which I was not about to do. The water looks to be knee deep in places.

To begin the hike, look for a set of stairs to the left of the Visitor Center. These lead up a hill and into a thicket of rhododendrons. A directional sign is located about twenty feet from the top of the stairs. Take a left at the sign to hike to the falls. There is a second left turn just a little farther ahead, and this is also marked with a directional sign.

The trail surface is full of roots once you get near the falls and on the trail past the falls, so watch your step. Furthermore, there is a really short-but-steep hill if you continue past the falls. In truth, you aren’t missing anything by simply heading back the way you came after you see the waterfall. It’s about the same distance either way.

Typical terrain on the Dugger’s Creek Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway

If you opt to complete the loop, the trail eventually comes out at the start of the Visitor Center parking lot. There is a small creek at the end. Take a left on the road and hike back to your car or the Visitor Center through the parking lot. Round trip is .4 mile. Allow 30 minutes for the hike and time to take photos.