Trip report
Jun 22, 2020 — Most hike only to Apple Orchard Falls, but I thought this hike would work well as a way to summit Apple Orchard Mountain as well since both destinations share an approach trail. Yay for peaks and waterfalls! Starting from an overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway that also serves as the trailhead, a trail descends through the forest to a junction. Left leads down to the falls, right goes to the mountain. I headed up Apple Orchard Mountain first, crossing a dirt road before hiking up a light incline that swerved back and forth to the summit. A small grassy meadow with some minor views and a big tower weren't much to stick around for, so I headed back to the junction to go down to the falls.
Apple Orchard Falls were more interesting than the mountain, a fair amount of elevation loss required to get down to them. Along the way, the trail parallels a creek, then uses a bridge to cross beneath a smaller waterfall, the name of which I'm not sure. It's pretty enough to think it might be Apple Orchard Falls, but the trail continues down farther, wooden stairs aiding in the steepest section to get to the base of the falls. While not as photogenic as the smaller falls I had just passed, Apple Orchard Falls is tall and powerful, and a boardwalk offers a nice place to sit and enjoy the forested spot.