Falls Creek Falls

Location: Marietta, SC

Date visited: 9/19/18

Level: Moderate

The steep trail to Falls Creek Falls is located .4 mile down Falls Creek Road, which is near the Palmetto Bible Camp in Marietta. There is a small parking area near a kiosk at the trailhead. The hike is almost entirely uphill going to the waterfall.

Falls Creek Falls is about 212′ high in its entirety, and is difficult to fit all in one photograph. This was my attempt at it:

The middle section is hidden from view at the base of the waterfall; so, I will post photos of each section individually. Here is the lower section:

Here is the middle section:

Here is the top section:

Just before the parking area, there is a beautiful roadside waterfall that I photographed before leaving:

Pot Branch Falls

Location: South Mountains State Park

Date visited: 9/6/18

Level: Easy to hike, moderate to photograph

This small waterfall is unique enough that it is worth a stop here if you are visiting High Shoals Falls. You’ll want to find Jonestown Road from NC 226. One mile down the road, turn left on Melton Road. At a little over half a mile, go right at the fork on a dirt forest service road (SR 1731). Along this road, you will need to drive through a small creek. On this day, water levels were normal, and the creek was no problem to drive through. I’m not sure how it would be during high flow. After about 3 miles, you will come to a large clearing. Park at the red gate.

Hike the old road which turns into a trail about .3 mile in. Don’t take any trails to the left. The trail will cross the creek several times before you reach the waterfall. The trail is about .5 mile to the falls.

Up until this point, the hike is easy. When you reach the waterfall, you’ll be faced with steep and slick rocks in order to get into a good position to photograph the waterfall. There isn’t a way to get the entire waterfall in one shot because scrambling to the base of it all, means that the top portion gets blocked. The photo I am posting is the top portion, which in my opinion is the most scenic part. In order to photograph it, I had to get into the waist high pool after scrambling across very slick rock.

I have read that since I visited Pot Branch Falls a large tree has fallen here and obscured this view. I’m not sure if that has been removed or not.

High Shoals Falls

Location: South Mountains State Park

Date visited: 9/6/18

Level: Moderate

High Shoals Falls is seen along a loop trail in South Mountains State Park in Connelly Springs, NC. The High Shoals Trail is one of the most pleasant hiking trails that I’ve been on. It’s extremely scenic the whole time, with many cascades before and after High Shoals Falls. There is abundant moss on trees and rocks, and captivated my attention all day. There are many stairs to climb, so be mindful of that if you plan to go.

On this day, I decided to hike to High Shoals Falls, continue past it a little bit upstream, and then return to my car the way I came, rather than hike the complete loop. Here is High Shoals Falls:

Just before reaching the platform for this view, there were many scenic cascades, like this:

Continuing along the path, you come to the upper falls. In order to get an unobstructed view, climb under the fencing and make your way to the water.

If you come to South Mountains State Park, be sure to visit nearby Pot Branch Falls.

Minnehaha Falls

Location: Lakemont, GA

Date visited: 8/30/18

Level: Easy

This one is a great choice to visit after Angel and Panther Falls. If you continue on Lake Rabun Road, you’ll turn left on Low Gap Road, going across a small bridge. After the bridge, continue straight on the road, which becomes Bear Gap Road. Follow this Road until you see a pull off on the left, directly across the road from a wooden staircase and a sign that says “Minnehaha Falls Trail.” Follow the path to the waterfall.

Angel Falls

Location: Lakemont, GA

Date visited: 8/30/18

Level: Easy

The trail head for Angel and Panther Falls is located just before the Lake Rabun Beach Campground on Lake Rabun Road. You can probably shorten the hike about 0.4 miles by parking in the campground and paying the small fee. I choose to park at the signed trailhead a little before the campground. The hike is easy and pleasant, so I didn’t mind the extra little bit of mileage. Follow the trail all the way to Angel Falls, passing Panther Falls along the way. When you get close to Angel Falls, the trail forks, and is a loop to the viewing bridge, so it doesn’t matter which way you go.

This waterfall is breathtaking to see in person, but doesn’t photograph well in Summer, and much of the waterfall was obscured by foliage. Also, the bridge was built right over the base of the waterfall, so get the entire thing in one frame is impossible. It is best to visit this one in winter, when leaves are off the trees.

This last photo is a close up of the upper portion of the waterfall.

Little Brasstown Falls

Location: Westminster, SC

Date visited: 8/30/18

Level: Easy

I debated putting this in the post about Brasstown Falls, but I visited it on a different day, and it’s so pretty, that it deserves its own post.

Start the hike to Brasstown Falls. Before you get to the Upper Falls, you will come to a fork. Take the left path through a campsite. This will bring bring you to the creek. Cross at the shallowest point you can find (you will get wet). If you look to the left, you will see a trail from the creek. Follow this short trail to the waterfall.

White Owl Falls

Location: Sapphire, NC

Date visited: 8/25/18

Level: Easy

From the intersection of 64 and 281 in Sapphire, travel South on 281 for 3.7 miles to a small gravel pull of on the right. This is just past Brewer Road on the left. You can park at the Brewer Road intersection, but you save some steps by parking in the smaller pull off.

Cross the road and walk on the left side to the guardrail. When you see the path into the woods, cross over the guardrail and begin your hike. Follow the path to the waterfall. The trail is a little steep in places.

Split Rock Falls

Location: Sapphire, NC

Date visited: 8/25/18

Level: Easy

This waterfall is technically on private property, but is not posted yet. The land is for sale, so I would guess that eventually, it will not be possible for the public to visit here.

There is a small parking spot near a gated road on Rte. 64 in Sapphire. This spot is close to the Dollar General.

Walk the wide, gravel road behind the gate until it ends. It gets very steep at the end. You’ll be able to see the waterfall through the trees. Continue up a little bit and you will see a faint path cross the small creek. Follow this path to the waterfall.

Pictures I had seen of this waterfall were quite impressive, but on this day, water levels were quite low, so it was less than impressive. I’ll have to revisit after heavy rainfall sometime.