Hiking the Cascades Trail & Tomkins Knob Overlook

We love finding ways to link up different trails to make our hikes more interesting, especially when the trails are on the shorter side. The Cascades Trail and the trail near Tomkins Knob Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Purlear, NC, Wilkes County are each great on their own — and combine into one of the most rewarding short outings you can make on this stretch of the parkway. Along the way, you’ll pass a preserved 19th-century mountain homestead, walk a quiet section of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail, and finish at a beautiful 35 to 40-foot waterfall.

Here’s the story of how we hiked both trails, along with some of the highlights we found along the way. Before we begin, we’ve compiled some additional resources you might find useful for planning your visit. Come along for the hike, and happy adventuring!

1. Start – Tomkins Knob Overlook
2. Jesse Brown Cabin
3. Trail to Cascades Parking Area
4. Cascades Trail Trailhead
5. Cascades Falls
6. Back on the Cascades Trail Loop
7. Final Thoughts

1. Start – Tomkins Knob Overlook

Tomkins Knob Overlook sits at Milepost 272.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We parked in the lot at the overlook and took the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail (MST) that begins to the left when you face the overlook sign. The first part of the trail is about 500 feet long and leads to the Jesse Brown Cabin historic site.

2. Jesse Brown Cabin

Our first stop on the hike was the Jesse Brown Cabin site, which features three preserved historic structures: the log cabin itself, the old Cool Springs Baptist Church, and a log springhouse. Together, these buildings give visitors a vivid sense of what daily life was like for early settlers in this part of Appalachia during the 1800s. We spent about 20 minutes exploring the site. The fog on the day of our visit made for some genuinely beautiful photos, with mist rolling down from the ridge and over the cabin — a moody, atmospheric scene that’s captured in the photos above and in our YouTube video on the Tomkins Knob Overlook page.

3. Trail to Cascades Parking Area

The MST resumes just past the old Cool Springs Baptist Church. From there, it’s about a 0.3-mile walk through a lovely mixed pine and hardwood forest until you reach the Cascades Parking Area at E.B. Jeffress Park. The walk is gentle and shaded, with the surrounding forest giving the section a peaceful, secluded feel.

4. Cascades Trail Trailhead

The MST ends at the far side of the Cascades Parking Area. To reach the trailhead, follow the sidewalk next to the picnic tables. The Cascades Trail is part of E.B. Jeffress Park, which covers more than 600 acres along this stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Cascades Trail is a loop just under one mile long. We think it’s one of the more underrated trails on the Blue Ridge Parkway — it offers a short, easy hike with mountain streams and a waterfall without the crowds you’ll find at trails near Blowing Rock or Asheville. We went left at the start of the loop, which we’d recommend for the most rewarding approach to the falls.

5. Cascades Falls

The highlight of the Cascades Trail is its namesake waterfall, located about halfway along the loop. A short side path takes you straight to a viewing platform where you can watch the water slide 35 to 40 feet down the mountainside, rushing right next to the platform. The falls are especially impressive after rainfall, when the water volume picks up, and the entire setting feels even more dramatic.

6. Back on the Cascades Trail Loop

After visiting the waterfall, we returned to the main loop trail and headed back to the parking lot. This section featured the steepest inclines of the hike, but they weren’t too bad — manageable for most hikers with reasonable fitness. The fog lingered over the trail throughout the climb, giving the hike a moody, atmospheric character that we genuinely enjoyed.

7. Final Thoughts

After returning to the Cascades Parking Area, we began the half-mile walk back to the Tomkins Knob Overlook to close the loop. The combination of these two short hikes gave us everything we look for in a quick parkway outing — a real waterfall, some honest mountain history, peaceful walking through hardwood forest, and a chance to step onto the iconic Mountains-to-Sea State Trail. The full outing took us about 3 hours, including time to explore the Jesse Brown Cabin site, pause at the falls, and enjoy the foggy atmosphere along the way. Plan for less if you’re moving quickly, more if you want to settle in and explore.

A few practical tips: pack plenty of water, wear sturdy shoes with good grip (especially on the steeper section back up the Cascades loop), and consider visiting after rainfall when the waterfall is at its most dramatic. If you’re looking to extend the day further, the nearby The Lump Overlook at Milepost 264.4 makes a great additional stop along this stretch of the parkway.

Thanks for coming along on the journey. We hope you feel inspired to plan a parkway double-dip of your own — and happy adventuring!