Aaah, summer in North Carolina. Our little garden is burgeoning, overflowing with tomatoes, okra, and jalapeños. Soon it will become impossible to keep up, but until then, our sunrise harvests are a delight.

Early morning is a magical time for hiking, too. Quiet and peaceful. And, if you’re lucky, the path is yours alone.

That was the goal for Dave and me when we headed to Saluda, NC, for a hike to Little Bradley Falls. Thanks to our Arizona roots, a mere three days of rain made us a bit stir-crazy. Thirty years of living in the Valley of the Sun will do that. Fellow hikers had recommended this hike as short and sweet, with a great payoff—seemingly perfect for an early-morning outing.

We arrived around 7:30 am on a Wednesday. We weren’t the first in, but essentially the place was ours.

Lots of roots and downed trees to navigate, path narrows a lot in places.

I wouldn’t call this an easy hike. Although there isn’t much elevation, the terrain can be a bit dicey to navigate at times. This moderate 1.9-mile hike crosses shallow streams and winds through woods, culminating in a beautiful waterfall. Although there are trees marked in red to keep you on track, there are also plenty of side trails to mix things up.

If you are averse to getting your feet wet, bring water shoes. The trail narrows in places due to washouts, and there are trees to climb over, under, and around. There is also an area of boulders to scramble across—most likely some residual damage from Hurricane Helene.

Creek crossing—the water was quite warm.

Prior to the falls, we passed the remnants of an old homestead, with only fireplaces intact. Was it, perhaps, someone’s summer getaway?

Even though we could hear the rushing of water, the falls appeared unexpectedly—just off trail. It was as if we just happened to look up—and there they were. So magnificent—tucked within layers of rock, deep in the woods.

Dave and I found our return much faster—as we knew every crossing and scramble that lay before us. That is, until we crossed the last stream. A wrong turn led us on a rustic path towards the water, rather than above it. So, we got to scramble another outcropping of boulders before working our way back to the creekside trail close to the road. Who doesn’t love a good detour? For a short hike, this had a little bit of everything.

There’s something to be said about starting the day before your immediate world really gets going. It seems that those early-morning outings can help set the tone for everything that follows.