DuPont State Forest · Western North Carolina
Proposal & Engagement Photography at DuPont State Forest
A local photographer's guide to every waterfall, the crowds, the timing, the permits, and the things nobody else tells you.
The short version
The quick answers, before the deep dive
DuPont State Recreational Forest sits between Brevard and Hendersonville in North Carolina's Land of Waterfalls. Six major falls, two granite summits, 80+ miles of trail. Open 5 AM to 10 PM daily, admission free, roughly 50 minutes from Asheville on paved roads the whole way.
Best all-around
Triple Falls
My go-to. Works in every season, and the crowds are a solvable problem.
Most dramatic
High Falls
150 feet of thunder. The iconic shot takes extra effort. Worth it.
Most private
Wintergreen Falls
Opposite side of the forest. Very likely all yours on a weekday.
Easiest access
Hooker Falls
Six flat minutes from the car. Good for family reveals and mobility concerns.
Permits?
Handled.
We carry a current Commercial Use Permit and renew it every year. Read the full permit breakdown.
Best time
Weekday, before 9 AM
Soft light in the gorge, empty trails. Weekend? Arrive by 7:30.
Rather skip the research and just talk to a human? Call or text and we'll figure out your spot together.
828-243-2755, call or textEverything you need is open. Don't let old posts scare you.
Trail status: DuPont came through Helene fine and is fully open for proposals and engagement sessions. The Triple Falls stairs and viewing platform are open. You may still find posts online saying otherwise. The only closure is a small section on the back side of the forest near Fawn Lake, an area we'd never use for a session anyway. We were in the forest on July 12, 2026, and Julie confirmed all of this directly with a ranger.
Permit facts, because there's confusion online: DuPont has two completely different permits, and AI chatbots and forum posts regularly mix them up. The Film/Photo Shoot Permit (roughly $760 per day) is for movie productions and large commercial crews. A proposal or engagement session requires the photographer to hold a Commercial Use Permit, which we do. Current for 2026, renewed every year. You don't need to arrange anything. If your date involves an elopement ceremony, that uses a separate free Special Use Permit at Guion Farm. Read the full DuPont photography permit breakdown below.
Last confirmed: July 12, 2026, on site, with a ranger.
The Land of Waterfalls
What is DuPont?
DuPont State Recreational Forest covers 12,500 acres in Transylvania County. The county holds 250 waterfalls, and DuPont has the most accessible collection of them: six major falls, two exposed granite summits, five mountain lakes, a covered bridge, and more than 80 miles of trail. Hollywood knows it too. The Hunger Games and The Last of the Mohicans were both filmed at the same waterfalls available for your session. More on that below.
I've been photographing proposals and engagements at DuPont for more than a decade. I know which waterfall catches the best morning light, which trail empties out by 4 PM on a Tuesday, and where to stand at Triple Falls so the mist catches the backlight without fogging your partner's glasses. This guide is everything I've learned.
Getting oriented: roughly 50 minutes south of Asheville, an hour from Greenville, SC, under three hours from Charlotte. The roads are paved and in great shape the entire way. The parking lots are gravel, but no part of this drive needs anything more than a regular car.
Location profiles
Every location, honestly rated
Each location below gets the same honest assessment I give my own clients. The ratings are mine, from a decade of shooting here. Not everything gets five stars, because not everything deserves five stars.
Triple Falls, my go-to
If you ask me for one recommendation, this is it. Triple Falls performs in every season, gives you three stacked cascades in one frame, and the granite platform between the tiers gives you room to move. Yes, it can get extremely crowded. But crowds at Triple Falls are a solvable problem, and solving it is literally our job:
It's a hiking trail, not a theater. Crowds move through. If it's packed when you arrive, wait 30 minutes and it can be yours. We've watched it happen hundreds of times.
The second-deck trick: from the upper viewing deck you can see straight down onto the falls. When the bottom clears, you'll know, and you're a two-minute walk from having it to yourselves. We've used this exact move to save a proposal after a busload of people showed up out of nowhere. Full story below.
Weekday before 9 AM is still the golden rule. If it must be a weekend, arrive by 7:30.
Triple Falls, the lower base
Most visitors shoot from the platform and leave. The base is where the proposals happen. Down here you're looking up at the full height of the lower cascade, and the sound of the water makes it feel private even when the platform above has twenty people on it.
Heading up the Triple Falls Trail, you'll first cross a big metal footbridge. That's how you know you're on the right track. When the trail bends right and heads straight up a hill, don't follow it. Walk out toward the river instead and follow the water's edge upstream. That puts you at the base. Every client gets these directions before the day, including a scouting video of the exact walk from the parking lot. We've been providing those for years.
Footing note: uneven rock, wet in high water. Trail shoes down, portrait shoes in a bag.
High Falls & the covered bridge, maximum drama
For pure drama, nothing in DuPont touches High Falls. 150 feet of thundering water. In summer it's packed, because it's a huge waterfall with beautiful swimming holes at the bottom. In winter, if it's iced up, it's a no-go. The rock becomes genuinely dangerous.
Here's the honest part: the standard overlook shot makes you look tiny. The photo you actually want, the one at the top of this page, requires more work. There's a water crossing to get into position, and you have to want it. But when you're there and we frame it tight, you don't shoot the whole waterfall. You shoot the wall of white water behind you, and it looks unreal. We help every couple decide whether that shot is worth the effort for them. Usually the answer is yes.
The covered bridge is the most underused photo location in the forest: rustic timber spanning the river directly above the falls, warm wood tones, 0.2 miles from parking. I use it as the opening act. Bridge, then overlook, then downstream to Triple Falls. One trail connects all three.
Cell service note for planners: Verizon is completely dead at the covered bridge. AT&T works fine there. Both work at the bottom of High Falls and Triple Falls. Plan your coordination accordingly. Details in Getting there.
Hooker Falls, the friendly one
Hooker Falls isn't trying to be dramatic. It's 12 feet tall and river-wide, more serene swimming hole than thundering gorge. If you're chasing pure spectacle, its neighbors upstream deliver more of it. But Hooker is the specialist of the forest, and for three specific jobs it's exactly the right call:
1. Accessibility. Six flat minutes from the car. If your partner has mobility concerns, or grandparents are hiding nearby for the reveal, this is the spot. Nice, new flush-toilet restrooms right at the lot.
2. Summer swim sessions. The only waterfall in DuPont where playful in-the-water photos are practical and safe. If you want a swim before or after, this is it.
3. Icy-winter sessions with dogs. The trail is wooded and the terrain at the falls is flat rock, no climbing on slick slopes. When ice makes Triple and High Falls dangerous, Hooker is the play. More in the dog section.
Wintergreen Falls, maximum privacy
When a client says privacy is the top priority, this is my answer. Wintergreen sits on the opposite side of the forest from the waterfall corridor, and that separation does the work: on a weekday, you will very likely have the entire waterfall to yourselves. A twenty-foot main drop, boulders at the base for natural seating, rhododendron all around. The sound of the water masks everything, including a photographer repositioning.
Guion Farm, where you park, is the only approved ceremony location in DuPont. Couples who get engaged at Wintergreen sometimes come back and marry 200 yards from where they parked that morning.
Bridal Veil Falls, the name sells itself
A 120-foot two-part cascade that spreads into a thin sheet of water sliding down smooth granite, exactly like a veil. The 4.6-mile round trip filters out nearly everyone, and the route passes the covered bridge and lakes, which turns an engagement session into a full story. Spring gives the widest veil. Fall gives the most colorful approach in the forest.
The rocks along the sides of Bridal Veil are extremely slippery when wet and have injured plenty of people. Stay at the viewing areas. Mountain bike option: ride in, change, shoot, ride out. Cuts travel time roughly in half.
Grassy Creek Falls, bonus stop only
A 60-foot slide viewed from the top down, which makes for awkward couple portraits. I include it for completeness. Where it works: a quiet bonus stop on a session already covering the bridge and High Falls.
Cedar Rock & Stone Mountain, the follow-up summits
DuPont isn't just waterfalls. Cedar Rock's summit is a huge granite plateau with panoramic views and no stomach-dropping edges, ideal if one of you is nervous about heights. Stone Mountain is the forest's highest point, more exposed, and at sunrise you're likely alone up there with valleys full of mist.
Almost nobody thinks of this one. DuPont is one of the Southeast's great mountain-biking forests, and Cedar Rock sees plenty of riders. If you two ride, you can literally bike to the spot. "Let's take a break before the downhill" is the most natural cover story there is. The proposal flows out of the ride instead of a suspicious hike. We love shooting these.
Want a rock-face proposal instead of a waterfall? DuPont's summits are great, but if the wide-open granite-outcrop look is the vision, also consider John Rock or the top of Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah (the rock itself, not the falls). More secluded, and unbeatable early morning. We've shot proposals on both, and on similar outcroppings near Black Mountain and Montreat, like the one above. If that's the look you're after, call or text us and we'll match you to the right rock.
At a glance
Quick reference comparison
| Location | Drama | Privacy | Access | Round trip | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple Falls (platform) | ★★★★★ | ★★ | ★★★★ | ~0.8 mi | Best all-around, every season |
| Triple Falls (base) | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ~0.8 mi + river edge | Proposals: drama plus privacy |
| High Falls + bridge | ★★★★★ | ★★ | ★★★★ | 1 mi | Maximum drama, the iconic tight shot |
| Hooker Falls | ★★ | ★★ | ★★★★★ | 0.5 mi | Mobility, summer swims, icy days with dogs |
| Wintergreen Falls | ★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | 2.75 mi | Guaranteed-privacy proposals |
| Bridal Veil Falls | ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★ | 4.6 mi | Hikers, the romantic name, Mohicans fans |
| Grassy Creek Falls | ★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★ | 2.6 mi | Bonus stop only |
| Cedar Rock | ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ~4.5 mi loop | Sunset, bike proposals, easy heights |
| Stone Mountain | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | 2.65 mi | Sunrise solitude |
| Covered Bridge | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★★ | 0.4 mi | Session opener, rustic frames |
Official trailhead distances from the DuPont visitor center map: High Falls 1 mi RT · High + Triple 2.5 mi RT · High + Triple + Hooker 4 mi RT · Bridal Veil 4.6 mi RT · all three falls + Bridal Veil 7.5 mi RT.
Hollywood in the mountains
Where Katniss found Peeta and Hawkeye promised to find Cora
Two generations of moviegoers already know these waterfalls by sight, even if they've never been to North Carolina.
The Hunger Games (2012)
The forest served as the arena for the 74th Hunger Games. Triple Falls is where Katniss finds the camouflaged Peeta at the base of the waterfall. Bridal Veil Falls is where she plunges into the pool after the Gamemakers' firestorm. If you grew up on those books, you already know why proposing there hits different.
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Before the Hunger Games, DuPont was the wilderness backdrop for Michael Mann's frontier epic. The Mohican party navigates Triple Falls, their canoes plunge over Hooker Falls, and at Bridal Veil Falls, Hawkeye and Cora shelter behind the water: "You stay alive. I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far. I will find you." Proposing at a waterfall named Bridal Veil, where a man swore he'd cross any distance for the woman he loved. That's a story your grandkids get told.
Timing your session
Timing and beating the crowds
The golden rule: weekday, before 9 AM. July, August, and October are the busiest months. Weekends are busy all year. Most visitors arrive between 10 AM and 2 PM, and lots can be full by 9:30 on peak days. Tuesday through Thursday mornings are the quiet hours, and the light in the gorge is soft and diffused then too.
If there's a sign saying the lot is full, it often went up hours ago. People come and go constantly. It's worth pulling in to look before giving up.
If Hooker Falls lot really is full, skip the roadside overflow up the road. Turn around and park at Lake Imaging instead. It's a shorter walk than the overflow lot, and almost nobody thinks of it.
The High Falls / Visitor Center lot has its own overflow lot nearby. No lot can be reserved. Free everywhere.
Season by season
Fall: peak color late October into early November. DuPont's color runs 1 to 2 weeks behind the high ridges. Book early. Winter: solitude and moody bare-tree drama, but ice changes everything. High Falls is a no-go when frozen, and dogs plus ice don't mix, so Hooker Falls becomes the winter workhorse. Spring: biggest water, Bridal Veil at its widest. Summer: longest light, biggest crowds, swimming at Hooker.
Even when it rains, you can get some of the most amazing, romantic photos. People leave the trails when it starts to drizzle, which means you get the waterfalls practically to yourselves. The lighting goes soft and even, the mist adds atmosphere, and everything looks lush and cinematic. Some of our favorite galleries came from sessions clients almost canceled because of the forecast. Trust the process.
Logistics
Getting there
From Asheville, you'll come through Brevard. About 50 minutes, paved and well-maintained the entire way. From Greenville, SC, it's about an hour up the Cedar Mountain side.
Cell service, the specifics nobody publishes
On the drive in from Brevard: AT&T has strong coverage the whole way. Verizon holds until near the end. Covered bridge: Verizon completely dead. AT&T works fine. Bottom of High Falls and Triple Falls: both carriers work. Coming from South Carolina, expect less coverage on the approach.
Do what we do anyway: download the official DuPont map to your phone before you leave, agree on meeting points in advance, and don't build a surprise that depends on real-time texting. We confirm every logistic with clients the day before.
Restrooms (and changing rooms): nice, new flush-toilet bathrooms at both the Visitor Center and Hooker Falls lots. Genuinely clean, not backwoods pit toilets, and they work great for changing into portrait clothes.
750+ proposals. 100% surprises kept.
How we keep the surprise
This is the part couples worry about most, and it's the part we've refined over 750+ proposals.
You get a scouting video. We've been doing this for years: a video walk-through from the parking lot to your exact spot. For Triple Falls, that's a hyperlapse of the full route down to the base, so you know every turn before you've ever set foot there.
We scout the day of. We're there early, before you, checking crowds, light, and footing at your exact mark, with a backup position picked.
I look like every other photographer shooting a waterfall. Long lens, no attention on you until the moment.
You get a signal system and an exact mark. Where to stand, which way to face (facing the falls, so I get the reaction and the water), when it's on.
Cover stories that work: "it's a content day," "a friend needs hiking photos," or the simplest one: an early waterfall hike with breakfast in Brevard after. It explains the early start, decent clothes, and a small backpack without raising an eyebrow. If your partner checks your phone or email, Julie has discreet ways to keep every planning thread invisible.
Two true stories
We arrived early for a fall proposal at the base of Triple Falls. Scouted, empty, perfect. Then, right as the couple pulled in, what felt like a mall's worth of people arrived at the base. Kids, grandparents, a woman slipping into the river in front of us. Chaos. Our fix: we told him to lead her up to the second deck to "check out the view." From there you can see straight down to the base, and since it was fall, nobody was staying to swim. He watched the crowd melt away in real time, then said, "let's go check the bottom now that it's empty." Walked down, dropped the knee, flawless. She never suspected the detour was the plan working.
Early in our career, fall, slick rock. He pulls the ring out with a little too much enthusiasm, fumbles it, and it bounces. From behind the camera, it looked like seconds from disaster. He caught it without ever leaving his knee and never broke stride. She barely registered it. Afterward he told us his hands were shaking from nerves and cold. The lesson we now give everyone: keep the ring zipped in an interior pocket until you're at the mark, grip it like you mean it, and know that cold hands and adrenaline are real. Also: fingers swell on a hike. If the ring feels tight at the falls, it's not the wrong size.
Getting ready
What to wear and bring
Footwear is still decision #1. Trail shoes to the location, portrait shoes in a bag. Never heels on granite. Julie walks every client through this on the planning call.
Colors: solid warm neutrals. Cream, blush, sage, dusty blue, burgundy. Skip busy patterns, neon, and pure white, which blows out against whitewater.
Bring: water, bug spray in summer, a rain layer, the downloaded map, a small towel (mist is real at the base of Triple Falls in high water), and the ring in a zippered pocket. See the story above for why.
Leave at home: drones (banned by state law), alcohol (not allowed in the forest), confetti, petals, anything you'd scatter.
Bring the pup
Dogs at DuPont
We love dogs on sessions. Wet, dry, muddy, whatever. DuPont allows leashed dogs on the waterfall trails, unlike a lot of Pisgah, which makes it one of the best forests in WNC to include your pup.
The honest rules we give clients:
Winter ice, dogs, and waterfall rock don't mix. One small pull from an excited dog while you're standing on iced granite can end very badly. If your session lands on an icy day, we pivot. The icy-day pivot is Hooker Falls: wooded trail, flat rock at the falls, no slick slopes to climb. Dog-friendly even in January.
Bring a handler. A dog, a surprise, slippery rock, and a ring box is a lot of jobs for one nervous person. Have a friend on leash duty who is not the one proposing, or hand the leash to us. We're happy to hold dogs. It's honestly a perk of the job.
Boarding backup: if it's going to be frozen and the dog can't come, we recommend Crabtree Retrievers. Climate-controlled boarding where your pup gets real walks on the farm instead of waiting in a hotel room. Ask Julie and she'll help you arrange the day.
How the day actually goes
Sample day timelines
Option A: sunrise proposal, base of Triple Falls (the classic)
- Leave Asheville. Paved roads the whole way. AT&T signal the whole drive, Verizon most of it.
- Park at Hooker Falls lot. We're already inside, scouted, at position.
- Cross the metal footbridge, which means you're on the right trail. Where the trail bends right and climbs, walk out to the river's edge and follow it upstream.
- You're at the base. Face the falls. You know the signal.
- The yes. Then portraits at the base and platform while the light is still soft.
- Optional: covered bridge and High Falls overlook on the way out.
- Duck fat fries wait. (See below.)
Option B: family reveal at Hooker Falls
- Family parks and walks in first. Six flat minutes, restrooms at the lot, nothing suspicious about a family hanging out by a swimming hole.
- You two arrive "for a short waterfall walk." The knee drops with the falls behind you. Family emerges for the group hug.
- Group portraits on the flat rock, then the couple stays for a mini-session.
Option C: the bike proposal, Cedar Rock
- Ride in like it's a normal ride. Camera gear looks like trail photography.
- "Let's take a break before the downhill." The granite plateau does the rest.
- Golden hour on the summit, the Blue Ridge behind you.
Drizzle: we shoot. Trails empty, light goes soft, everything looks cinematic. Sustained heavy rain or lightning: we talk the night before and shift the timeline or the day. Wet granite is the one thing we never argue with.
Celebrate
After the yes: where we actually send couples
We're partial. These are real recommendations, not sponsors.
Casual, right out of the forest: The Hub at the entrance to Pisgah, on your way back toward Asheville. Beer, food, zero pretension. Dolly's Dairy Bar is right next door if it's an ice cream kind of day.
Our go-to: Sierra Nevada in Mills River, right before I-26 on the drive back to Asheville. The food is legitimately great, the menu changes constantly, and if you eat meat: get the duck fat fries. Trust us. Bocce, cornhole, gardens to walk, live music most weekends. It's the perfect "we just got engaged" energy.
Going all out: Sunset Terrace at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Book ahead, ask for a table on the railing (or near a heater in winter), and time it for sunset. Tell them you just got engaged and they'll take care of you. If you're the literary type: F. Scott Fitzgerald spent two summers living at the Grove Park in the 1930s. Ask about his rooms, 441 and 443, and the bullet hole he left in the ceiling. We shoot proposals and engagements at the Grove Park too. Our take: propose out here in the forest, then celebrate and stay there.
The small-town option: downtown Brevard (charming, home of the white squirrels, watch for them) or Hendersonville, whose walkable Main Street gets you good restaurants without Asheville's crowds.
The practical details
Permits and logistics, the full detail
You already read the short version up top: we handle the permits. Here's the complete picture, because there's a lot of confusion online.
1. Commercial Use Permit. What a professional photographer needs to shoot client sessions in DuPont. We hold a current one and renew it every year. If you book us for a proposal or engagement session, there is nothing for you to do.
2. Film/Photo Shoot Permit (roughly $760 per day). For movie productions and large commercial crews. A proposal with one photographer is not this, no matter what a chatbot told you.
Ceremonies are different from portraits. Weddings, elopements, and ceremonies are only permitted at the Guion Farm Picnic Shelter and surrounding meadows, never at the waterfalls. For an elopement, you (the couple) obtain a Special Use Permit for Guion Farm, and that permit covers photography around your ceremony area. We don't even need a separate one for it. You can absolutely propose at Triple Falls. You can't hold a ceremony there.
Forest rules that affect your session: open 5 AM to 10 PM · free admission · no drones (state law) · dogs leashed at all times · no alcohol · pack out everything · don't move rocks or disturb moss.
The county's rules, and ours: observe posted signs. Stay on marked trails and observation areas. Never jump or dive. Don't climb rocks above waist height. Never swim or wade upstream of a waterfall. Watch children and pets at all times. People die at waterfalls in this region every year. The rules exist for a reason, and every photo we take respects them, including staying behind the cable barrier at Triple Falls.
Investment
DuPont proposal photography packages
Every package includes free proposal planning with Julie. 48-hour gallery delivery guaranteed. Same-day gallery available for $50.
Mini Package
Proposal + mini engagement
- Proposal shoot documentation
- Mini engagement shoot at proposal location
- 15 hand-edited high-res images of your choice
- Complete gallery (100 to 175 photos)
- Raw video OR instant iPhone delivery of proposal
- Full proposal planning with Julie
- 48-hour turnaround guarantee
Waterfall Package
Proposal + extended engagement
- Proposal shoot documentation
- Extended engagement shoot throughout location grounds
- 25 hand-edited high-res images of your choice
- Complete gallery (150 to 300 photos)
- Raw video OR instant iPhone delivery of proposal
- Full proposal planning with Julie
- 48-hour turnaround guarantee
Cinematic Package
Extended + highlight video
- Proposal shoot documentation
- Extended engagement shoot throughout location grounds
- 30 hand-edited high-res images of your choice
- Complete gallery (150 to 300 photos)
- Professional highlight video with real audio of the moment
- Full proposal planning with Julie
- 48-hour turnaround guarantee
Every package includes our full planning support at no extra charge: location scouting, seasonal timing, parking strategy, weather backup plans, vendor coordination, and a final week-before checklist call so you walk into your proposal day with zero stress. If you need to keep planning hidden from a partner who checks your email or phone, I have multiple ways to keep everything discreet. I have this process down to a science.
Already thinking about engagement photos? Bundle a full engagement session, different day, different location, different outfits, with any proposal package: $600 $400. Ask Julie about the bundle.
Real reviews
What our couples say
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Are the Triple Falls stairs and platform open in 2026?
Yes, fully open. Some older posts and AI answers still say they're closed from storm damage. We were there July 12, 2026 and confirmed with a ranger: everything used for proposals and engagement sessions is open. The only closed section is a small area near Fawn Lake on the back side of the forest.
Do I need a permit for a proposal or engagement photos?
You don't, but your photographer does. We hold a current Commercial Use Permit, renewed annually. Don't confuse it with the roughly $760 per day film-production permit. That one is for movie crews, not your proposal.
Can we have our ceremony at a waterfall?
No. Ceremonies are only allowed at Guion Farm with a free Special Use Permit. Proposals and portraits at the waterfalls are a separate, permitted activity.
What's the best waterfall for a surprise proposal?
Triple Falls at the base level is our go-to, for drama plus workable privacy. Wintergreen for guaranteed privacy. High Falls for maximum drama if you're up for the extra effort. Hooker if easy access matters most.
Is there cell service at DuPont?
Depends on carrier and spot. AT&T: strong on the drive in from Brevard and at the covered bridge. Verizon: good until the end of the drive, completely dead at the bridge. Both work at the bases of High Falls and Triple Falls. Download maps before you arrive.
Where can we change clothes?
Nice, new flush-toilet restrooms at both the Visitor Center and Hooker Falls lots. Clean, and they work well as changing rooms.
What if the parking lot sign says FULL?
Pull in and look anyway. The sign often went up hours earlier and turnover is constant. If Hooker really is full, park at Lake Imaging, which is a shorter walk than the overflow lot. We brief every client on the parking plan for their specific date.
Can we bring our dog?
Yes, leashed, and we love it. Winter ice is the exception. Icy rock and dogs don't mix, so we pivot to Hooker Falls (flat rock) or arrange a farm-kennel day for the pup. Bring a handler who isn't the one proposing, or let us hold the leash.
Can we bring champagne?
Alcohol isn't allowed in the forest. Save it for The Hub, Sierra Nevada, or the Sunset Terrace an hour later. Better light for a toast photo anyway.
Is this where The Hunger Games was filmed?
Yes. Triple Falls (Katniss finds Peeta) and Bridal Veil Falls (the firestorm pool), plus The Last of the Mohicans (1992) at Triple, Hooker, and Bridal Veil.
How far is DuPont from Asheville?
About 50 minutes south, through Brevard, paved the whole way. An hour from Greenville, SC. Under three hours from Charlotte.
What if it rains?
Drizzle is a gift: empty trails, soft light, mist. Heavy rain or lightning, we adjust. We watch the forecast with you all week.
Are drones allowed?
No. Banned in all NC state forests by law. Ours stays home too.
Real sessions, every season
DuPont proposal and engagement gallery
Every photo below was taken inside DuPont State Forest at real proposals and engagement sessions.
Ready?
Let's find your spot at DuPont
We'll help you pick the waterfall, dodge the crowds, keep the secret, and capture the moment. Permits and planning included. Rather just talk it through with a human? Call or text Julie.
Forge Mountain Photography · Asheville, NC · Photographing DuPont State Forest proposals and engagements since 2010