Slave Falls
Trailhead: Sawmill
Trail Type: Out-and-back
Payoff: Waterfall, rock formation
Length: 2.46 miles
Elevation Gain: 220 feet
Difficulty: Easy
We’re beginning the final month of the Spring Hiking Challenge with a visit to Slave Falls, and a hike along one of the more under-rated trails that can be found in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area.
Slave Falls Loop, located in the Divide Road area of the national park, is a treasure that is often overlooked simply because it is overshadowed by the nearby Twin Arches Loop. But this is a beautiful trail that can hold its own with any hike in the Big South Fork in terms of the sheer natural beauty it offers, which is why we chose it to kick off the final month of this hiking challenge.
The entire Slave Falls Loop is 4.4 miles in length, featuring 383 feet of elevation gain. It isn’t a difficult hike, but its length would earn it a difficulty rating of moderate. We’re offering the entire loop as an option to “Make It Better,” but for the purposes of completing the challenge, we’re only asking for an out-and-back hike to Slave Falls and the nearby Needle Arch. Both are impressive, and can be hiked via an out-and-back route of 2.46 miles featuring 220 feet of elevation gain, with a difficulty rating of easy. The reward for completing the entire loop is the trifecta of natural features on this route: Indian Rock House.
This is our first trip to the Divide Road area since the hiking challenge began in March. Seasoned hikers know that Divide Road is a dayhiker’s paradise, and the various trailheads along Divide Road are starting points for backpackers making multi-day trips into the backcountry.
This particular hike — Slave Falls — begins at the Sawmill Trailhead. To get there, take S.R. 297 west to its terminus at S.R. 154, turn north onto S.R. 154 and continue to Divide Road, then turn right onto Divide Road. Take the first right, which is Fork Ridge Road, and drive past the Middle Creek Equestrian Trailhead, then watch for the signs for Sawmill Trailhead. There is ample parking, and the trail is well-maintained.
Mile 0.00: The trail starts by following one of the old logging roads that are prevalent in this area, from the mid 1900s when this was the site of a major logging operation (hence the name, “Sawmill Trailhead”). The trail is surfaced in red gravel, and treks through a lush forest that has recovered nicely from a couple of generations ago, when it was stripped of its timber.
Mile 0.10: The spur trail from the trailhead reaches the actual Slave Falls Loop. Turn right to head toward slave falls.
Mile 0.16: The trail enters a beautiful hemlock forest with a rich understory of ferns and other perennials that thrive in shaded conditions. This is one of the best examples of a hemlock forest that would fundamentally change the entire landscape if the hemlocks are wiped out by the hemlock woolly adelgid pest that is currently infesting hemlocks throughout the northern Cumberland Plateau region. There are also enormous white pines mixed in with the hemlocks, creating a dense evergreen forest.
Mile 0.35: You begin to see the destruction from the devastating Memorial Day weekend storm in 2024 that knocked down thousands of mature hardwood trees in the Divide Road area. The storm caused damage all the way from Pickett State Forest to the Bandy Creek area. It is often called a tornado, but the National Weather Service declined to survey the area, believing the damage was instead caused by straight line winds.
Mile 0.45: Check out the enormous beech tree growing on the right side of the trail. Also, a tributary of Mill Creek comes into view for the first time. It is this stream that will create Slave Falls as it empties into the gorge.
Mile 0.54: The trail crosses the stream on a wooden footbridge.
Mile 0.73: Thick stands of mountain laurel surround the trail. This stretch of the trail is especially beautiful earlier in May, when the laurel is in bloom.
Mile 0.85: You can hear Slave Falls, though you can’t see it.
Mile 0.89: The canyon that the falls dumps into opens on your left.
Mile 0.98: The trail forks. Stay straight to go to Slave Falls. It is here that you’ll turn right to complete the entire loop later on.
Mile 1.03: The trail forks again. Go left for Slave Falls.
Mile 1.06: The trail descends over small rock ledges to the base of the bluff line.
Mile 1.09: The trail enters a rock shelter that is fronted by a small, wet-weather waterfall.
Mile 1.28: After you pass between the bluff line and a huge boulder, the trail rounds a bend, and the roaring sound of falling water becomes obvious. Slave Falls is just ahead. Slave Falls drops 70 feet into the gorge, creating one of the tallest waterfalls in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. A huge rock shelter opens behind the waterfall, and the spray field from the waterfall supports a rich and diverse habitat of plant life. There is a fence around the observation area that is not intended to protect hikers so much as it is to protect the sensitive plants, which can be easily disturbed and trampled if hikers venture off-trail to scramble to the base of the waterfall.
From the waterfall, retrace your steps to the last fork in the trail, at the top of the bluff line.
Mile 1.9: The trail reaches the fork where the Slave Falls Spur left the main trail. Turn left here to continue to Needle Arch. The trail will travel the top of the ridge for a short distance, before dropping slightly below the ridge top to the arch itself.
Mile 2.15: Arrive at Needle Arch. This arch stands 13 feet tall and spans 35 feet, making it one of the more impressive arches in the BSF. There’s a sign asking hikers not to climb on the arch. Please obey this request so that the arch is not damaged.
Beyond Needle Arch, the trail continues into the Middle Creek gorge and connects with the Twin Arches Loop at Jake’s Place, which was the old Jacob Blevins homeplace. This is a backpacking route that provides a connection to Charit Creek and Twin Arches, and points beyond. We’re not going any further than Needle Arch, of course. From here, we’ll retrace our steps to the trailhead — unless you choose the “Make It Better” option and complete the entire loop.
Make It Better: When you’ve reached the first split in the trail, which was Mile 0.98 on your way in, and will be Mile 2.43 on your way out, turn left. As spectacular as the first half of the Slave Falls Loop is, much of the rest of the loop is uneventful, which is why we’re adding it as simply an option for this hike. At Mile 2.47, there are barriers that once blocked vehicles from traveling beyond that point (vehicles are no longer allowed this far in). For the rest of the way back to Fork Ridge Road, the trail will follow an old road trace. At Mile 2.53, the storm damage from Memorial Day weekend 2024 becomes obvious again. Here on top of the ridge, without the terrain to provide a natural shelter from the wind, the damage is much more obvious than it was earlier in the hike. You can see how it fundamentally transformed the forest. At Mile 3.11, the trail crosses Fork Ridge Road. At Mile 3.18, the trail enters another road trace and joins a multi-use trail that is also used by horses. At Mile 3.27, the Slave Falls Loop turns right off the multi-use trail. Again, the storm damage becomes prominent. Because the shade-providing canopy of the mature hardwoods is gone, the undergrowth is growing at a much quicker rate along this section of the trail, and it is overgrown and in need of trimming. If you decide to hike the entire loop, be sure to apply insect repellent to ward off ticks! Notice how bigleaf magnolias are absolutely dominating the forest here in the absence of the mature hardwoods that were knocked down by the storm. Literally thousands of them are growing along this stretch of trail. At Mile 3.69, the trail reaches an intersection. Turn right to continue on Slave Falls Loop. At Mile 3.93, the trail enters a beautiful stand of ferns and rhododendron. Indian Rockhouse is just ahead. From Indian Rockhouse, the trail will travel back to Sawmill Trailhead.
Scavenger Hunt: We’re looking for a huge hemlock tree that is located along the route. There are lots of hemlocks, of course, but none will be bigger than this one. You’ll know it when you see it. It’s located along the spur trail to the waterfall, and the trail passes between the tree and the bluff line. Snap a picture and post it on social media with the hashtag #SpringHikingChallenge to be entered into this week’s random prize drawing!
Historical Context: Slave Falls takes its name from the fact that the rock shelter behind the waterfall was once used to hide runaway slaves. There were very few slaves owned in this area in the antibellum era. As a result, the famed Underground Railroad routes were not prominent here. Still, there were a few runaway slaves who sought freedom in the North by traveling through the rugged terrain of the Big South Fork region. Very little information is available about this particular part of the BSF region’s history, and the name of Slave Falls is mostly oral legend, handed down through the years by word of mouth.
Be Careful For: There are several foot bridges along the trail that can be slippery when wet.
Please Remember: Hikers are encouraged to obey the “Leave No Trace” ethic. “Leave only footprints, take only memories.” Please do not litter! Also, remember that while all trails in the Big South Fork are dog-friendly, all dogs must be leashed and kept within six feet.
Document Your Hike: Record your participation on this week’s hike by taking a photo of you and your group and tagging it with the #SpringHikingChallenge hashtag on social media (make sure the post privacy is set to public!) or emailing newsroom@ihoneida.com.
Hike #1: Sunset Overlook
Hike #2: Angel Falls Rapid
Hike #3: Yahoo Falls
Hike #4: O&W Bridge
Hike #5: Northrup Falls
Hike #6: Burnt Mill
Hike #7: Buzzard Rock
Hike #8: Cracks in the Rock
Hike #9: Angel Falls Overlook
Hike #10: Kellogg’s Crack