Posted in South Carolina
January 12, 2017
There’s A Waterfalls Trail In South Carolina And It’s Everything You’ve Ever Dreamed Of
There’s a trail of waterfalls through the Sumter National Forest in South Carolina’s Upcountry and you’ll want to do it. South Carolina has some truly beautiful and spectacular waterfalls. For the most part, the ones listed here, unless otherwise noted, are fairly easy hikes and family-friendly.
Follow the “trail” to discover some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Palmetto State.
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
Let's hit the "trail" through the Sumter National Forest and chase some waterfalls!
A short hike from this parking lot on Burrells Ford Road takes you to this 70-foot beauty. The trail rises only 270-feet in the .7 mile distance making this hike easy on the ticker. But don't leave just yet, there's more to see downstream!
Bonus: Kings Creek continues to deliver more cascades and waterfalls like this smaller one above for nearly 200 feet beyond the bottom of the big waterfall! Location: Access this short family-friendly trail from Burrells Ford Road, Mountain Rest, SC 29664.
This skinny waterfall chute is a mere 25-foot drop that goes on for a narrow 200-foot run. The sound, the sight and the spray are all magnificent! See for yourself in the video above. The trail is less than half a mile and can get a little slippery the closer you get to the narrows. Location: Off Whetstone Rd (Co Rd 193) near Blackwell Bridge, Walhalla, SC 29691.
Yellow Branch Falls are a moderate 1.5 mile hike that starts across the road from the Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel Park. Mutliple ledges make for a stunning drop of 60 feet from the top of Yellowbranch Falls. Location: South Carolina Hwy 28, Sumter National Forest, Mountain Rest, SC 29664, 2907-, 3023 SC-28, Walhalla, SC 29691
A short hike from the parking area leads to the upper Brasstown Falls, or "Cascades." The beautiful 50-foot flow is worth the hike altogether, but there's more if you're up for it...
However getting to the Veil from the Cascades, it's not a trek for a beginner. You'll navigate some steep terrain and steer around and over some boulders getting there, but the payoff is a million dollar photo and a fresh water spray that's said to dampen camera lenses as far as 50 feet away. Location: GPS Waypoints Lat: 34.7182 Lon: -83.3038. This location is pre-charted on the Google Map link above.
A short, family-friendly hike into the Sumter National Forest yields a stunning bottoms-up view of this 60-foot stepped waterfall. Note there are some staggered hours and days of operation that this historic site is open. You can see those here. Location: 500 Oconee Station Road, Walhalla, SC 29691 -- at the Oconee Station State Historic Site, Sumter National Forest.
Is this a perfect weekend to get outdoors and chase waterfalls? It just may be!
For more outdoor activities in the Palmetto State, Here are 9 Easy Hikes To Add To Your Outdoor Bucket List.
