The One County In South Carolina With 150 Waterfalls You’ll Want To Visit
The name ‘Oconee” means ‘Land beside the water,’ and that’s entirely true when we speak of Oconee County, South Carolina. The area is also known as the ‘Mountain Lakes Region’ for that very reason. But Oconee County has more than just gorgeous mountain lakes, rivers, creeks and streams… it also has more than 150 waterfalls just waiting for you to discover them all. The Mountain Lakes Convention & Visitors Bureau is a terrific resource for discovering all that Oconee offers to nature lovers – especially waterfall chasers. They even have a waterfall app to guide you to their best spots! Of course we can’t feasibly feature all 150 waterfalls in one single article, so here’s the highlight reel:
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The trail to Opossum Creek Falls is four miles round trip and because of the elevation drop on the way to the falls (and the elevation gain on the way back), it can be relatively strenuous to non-seasoned hikers — yet doable with some strategic stops to rest along the way. The payoff is this gorgeous 50-foot beauty surrounded by nothing by wilderness.
Travel less than a mile down the Chattooga Trail and you'll discover Locklog Creek and Pigpen Falls; one is an 80-foot cascade and the other is a 25-foot stack with water rushing over and down. Consider this hike a two-for-one.
Perhaps one of the most striking waterfalls in Oconee, Lee Falls is difficult to get to because there is no official trail. The trailhead carries you through a field in the beginning so if you're going in summer, wear long pants. Directions to this trail, located in Tamassee, can be found here.
The 3.3-mile round trip hike out to see Long Creek Falls is easy - until you get to the last little bit right before the waterfall. At that point take the trail to the right (not left) and then you'll find it drops significantly as it descends down to the bottom of the falls. When all is said and done, you'll find yourself staring up in awe at a 50-foot tiered beauty.
It's certainly difficult to see the scale of this waterfall from just a photo. But Riley Moore falls is 15 feet high and 100 feet across! Getting here is an easy one mile hike each way which should take about 15-30 minutes. The trail is well maintained and located on a forestry road.
On the same note of perspective and size, this image of Blue Hole Falls doesn't show the grand scale of this narrow waterfall. Blue Hole Falls is a 75-foot narrow run and drop into the (enormous) blue waterhole you see at the bottom. Beautiful! The hike getting to Blue Hole is quick and can usually be accomplished in approximately 30 minutes.
A 70-foot cascade awaits at the end of the trail to Kings Creek Falls. The trail is accessible year round and is a short 1.7 miles total, out and back.
As you may expect, the easiest hike with perhaps the biggest payoff isn't the one where you'll find the most peace and quiet. Don't let the traffic on this short half-mile trail keep you from exploring Brasstown Falls, or its four different sections. The trail is easy and has only an 88 foot elevation gain. Go for it!
The trek out to Bee Cove Falls is a strenuous 2-3 hour hike. Seasoned hikers may even find it challenging as they traverse the miles of up and down terrain making their way over 2.1 miles to get to the 40-foot cascade, but as you can see from the above photo, the payoff is worth it.
Waterfall chasers know the thrill in the adventure of hiking to find yet another beautiful waterfall in the middle of nowhere. The Mountain Lakes CVB has a website with many of the Oconee waterfalls listed, and a link to their waterfall app. For more waterfalls spread throughout the Upstate, follow this waterfall road trip for a self-guided trip.
Robin Jarvis is a travel and entertainment writer and editor for OnlyInYourState.com with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. Her love for travel has taken her to many parts of the world. She spent more than two decades living on the coast in South Carolina and currently lives in the mountains of North Carolina - although she still makes it back to see family in South Carolina quite often. When she's not working, she loves to hike, kayak, and check out new adventures. Get in touch at [email protected]
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