Accessibility – Difficult
Height: 30′-35′
Distance – 8.0 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 7
Photo rating – 3
Solitude – 8
GPS Info: LAT 35.30077 LONG -82.85553
Last updated – 12-28-2024
Home Alphabetical Listing Numerical Listing Location Listing FR475 Waterfalls
While this isn’t a terribly difficult hike, the bushwhack down to the base of the falls isn’t ease, and there are some cliffs to contend with forcing a wide route.
Where to park: Lulu Falls and Upper Lulu Falls share the same trailhead as Shuck Ridge Creek Falls and all the others located around Daniel Ridge. The parking lot is located on FR475 at 35.28454, -82.82869. This is a popular mountain biking location so the lot fills up on weekends.
The hike: The journey starts beyond the gate at the upper end of the parking area and follows a wide road as it ascends to the bridge over the Davidson River. Once across the bridge, the road comes to a T intersection. Tom Springs Falls is to the right. Make a left onto FR137 which is the Daniel Ridge Loop Trail (Red Blaze). You will pass by campsites and remnants of the old fish hatchery. When the trail forks, keep to the right, ascending moderately. The trail will come to the site of an old bridge. The stone supports still flank the creek but the structure is long gone. The grade increases at this point and not far from the bridge you will hear falling water on the left. If you elect to take a short scramble down to check it out, this is what you will see. It isn’t a named falls but it is very pretty and worth a peek. Three-quarters a mile from the bridge the trail will split.
The Daniel Ridge Loop Trail goes right. At this point the hike will continue on the Farlow Gap Trail (Blue Blaze). After the split you will rock hop across Right Fork if the water is low enough. The next section is the steep ascent through the switchbacks. At the top of the climb the trail moderates and begins on a long level stretch along the ridge top. A small creek crossing awaits before the trail begins to descend as it heads for a meeting with Daniel Ridge Creek. Lulu Falls and Upper Lulu Falls are located below the trail, but it’s easier to reach them after the trails swings though the head of the drainage and parallels the creek on the other side. We left the trail near 35.29955, -82.85745, went upstream and crossed between the upper and lower falls before making our descent to the base of Lulu Falls. It’s not a difficult descent, but it is overgrown in places, and the cliffs around the falls do force you downstream. Other than the dead trees leaning against the falls, this one would be amazing.
I’m not sure what we saw when we were down there, but on the way out, we went up on river right and basically made a loop around the falls with our descent on river left. After circling Lulu Falls, we headed upstream about a tenth of a mile to Upper Lulu Falls, which wasn’t as spectacular, but it was very nice and it wasn’t as cluttered. From the base of Upper Lulu Falls, we found a spot to climb the bank on river left that we hadn’t seen on the hike in, putting us back on the Farlow Gap Trail on the side of the drainage closer to the trailhead. it’s about a four mile hike back to the parking lot from Lulu Falls, so you can add Twin Boulder Falls to your day, or hike the Daniel Ridge Loop past Tom Springs Falls. There are a lot of different ways to pair these two waterfalls with others in the area,