Triple Falls is a 100-foot tiered waterfall on the Little River in DuPont State Recreational Forest, Transylvania County, North Carolina. The river steps down three distinct ledges between Hooker Falls and High Falls, and the falls became widely known after the forest passed into state ownership and later served as a film location for The Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger Games.
The falls
The falls drop in three steps of roughly 25, 30 and 40 feet, for a total of about 100 feet; the long-published figure for the tallest drop is 45 feet. Wikipedia gives 125 feet and notes that each of the three tiers has a different shape. From the upper overlook the whole fall is visible; the lower viewpoint at the base shows only the bottom tier.
Getting there
Most visitors park at the Hooker Falls Access Area and walk the Triple Falls Trail, about 0.5 mile to the falls; the High Falls Access Area is the other starting point. The trail is foot traffic only, with a steep section climbing from the Hooker Falls side.
The trail reopened in May 2025 after temporary repairs from Hurricane Helene flooding. The wooden stairs down to the base were partly washed away and remain fenced off with no reopening date. The forest has ticketed people who ignored closure signs. DuPont is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. with no entry fee; the Hooker Falls lot has restrooms.
When to go
July, August and October are the busiest months, with lighter crowds Tuesday through Thursday. Arriving before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m. helps find parking.
On site
The overlook and the Triple Falls picnic shelter both face the falls. Forest rules prohibit swimming or wading above waterfalls and jumping, diving or sliding off them, and visitors must stay inside the barricades. Deaths have been reported at Triple Falls. Dogs must be leashed, there are no trash cans, and cell service is unavailable at most of the forest's waterfalls.
History and name
Rag Falls was a former name. Locals knew the falls long before the 1990s, and a photograph of them helped persuade North Carolina to buy the DuPont land. The Brevard College student newspaper identifies Triple Falls as the Hunger Games scene where Katniss finds Peeta hidden among the rocks.
Nearby
Hooker Falls, downstream on the Little River, and Minnehaha Falls are each about 0.4 mile away, Grassy Falls about 0.5 mile and Bridal Veil Falls, upstream on the Little River, about 1.5 miles. High Falls is reached on the same trail, and Brevard is about 7.1 miles to the northwest.
Distances are straight-line.