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High Shoals Waterfall and H.Q. Loop Trail route map
Difficulty: DifficultLoop
South Mountains State Park/North Carolina

High Shoals Waterfall and H.Q. Loop Trail

Connelly Springs, North Carolina

5.3 mi

Distance

1,680 ft

Elev. Gain

2h 15m

Est. Time

Loop

Route Type

Difficult

Difficulty

About This Trail

We don't publish a description for High Shoals Waterfall and H.Q. Loop Trail unless we can point you at the agency it came from. We don't have one yet. The planning figures above — distance, elevation gain, estimated time, route type — come from the source listed on this trail.

North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation manages this trail and is the authority for conditions, closures and route notes. See official sources below. Spot something we should add?

Trail Conditions

Trail Conditions

Unknown

We have no current condition data for this trail. Check with the operator before you go, and submit a report below if you've been recently.

No recent condition reports. Be the first to share what you see on the trail.

Elevation Profile

Min:423 ft
Max:692 ft
Gain:512 ft
Loss:512 ft
Elevation profileA line rising and falling between 423 ft and 692 ft across 5.3 mi along the route, drawn from start to end.423 ft513 ft602 ft692 ft0.0 mi1.3 mi2.7 mi4.0 mi5.3 mi

Elevation at the labelled points along this route
PointDistance from startElevation
Start0.0 mi423 ft
High point2.3 mi692 ft
End5.3 mi423 ft

Trail Details

Route Type
Loop

Official sources & verification

Managed by North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation

Verify before you go

Source of truth

Where it is

Nearest town:
Casar, NC · about 5 mi away
County:
Burke County, NC
Jurisdiction:
South Mountains State Park · North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation

Nearest town and county from U.S. Census Bureau place records and county boundaries.

Verify by phone or mail

We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this trail using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 23, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

Reviews

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Legacy import — verify before navigating

Path geometry came from our pre-launch legacy database. Routes have not yet been re-verified against the operator and may differ from the actual trail.

Nearby Trails

More trails near High Shoals Waterfall and H.Q. Loop Trail
Chestnut Knob, Sawtooth, Horseridge, Possum and Shinny Trail Loop

Chestnut Knob, Sawtooth, Horseridge, Possum and Shinny Trail Loop

7.9 mi
TrailDifficulty: Difficult
Hemlock, H.Q., Upper Falls, and Fox Trail Loop

Hemlock, H.Q., Upper Falls, and Fox Trail Loop

10.8 mi
TrailDifficulty: Difficult
Chestnut Knob Trail

Chestnut Knob Trail

4.1 mi
TrailDifficulty: Difficult
Hemlock Nature, Upper Falls, and High Shoals Falls Loop

Hemlock Nature, Upper Falls, and High Shoals Falls Loop

14.3 mi
TrailDifficulty: Expert
Little River to Upper CCC to Horseridge to Upper Falls Loop

Little River to Upper CCC to Horseridge to Upper Falls Loop

11.7 mi
TrailDifficulty: Difficult
Shinny Creek Loop Trail

Shinny Creek Loop Trail

6.4 mi
TrailDifficulty: Difficult

In this park

Other trails in South Mountains State Park

View South Mountains State Park
High Shoals Falls Loop Trail

High Shoals Falls Loop Trail

North Carolina

2.4 mi801 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Moderate
Chestnut Knob Trail

Chestnut Knob Trail

North Carolina

4.1 mi1,053 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Difficult
Chestnut Knob Loop Trail

Chestnut Knob Loop Trail

North Carolina

7.8 mi1,808 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Difficult
High Shoals Falls

High Shoals Falls

North Carolina

1.8 mi581 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Moderate
Possum Trail

Possum Trail

North Carolina

1.7 mi59 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Easy
Little River and Sawtooth Trail

Little River and Sawtooth Trail

North Carolina

5.1 mi1,972 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Difficult

Stay nearby

Campgrounds near this trail

More campgrounds

Similar length

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All North Carolina trails
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Looking Glass Rock Trail

Looking Glass Rock Trail

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Stone Mountain Loop Trail

Stone Mountain Loop Trail

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4.5 mi1,165 ftgain
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Graveyard Fields Trail

Graveyard Fields Trail

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Table Rock Loop from Spence Ridge Trail

Table Rock Loop from Spence Ridge Trail

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3.3 mi1,362 ftgain
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Spot an error in our data on High Shoals Waterfall and H.Q. Loop Trail?