This is the best waterfall we got to visit in SC this far. After we left Reedy Branch Falls we…read moredrove here. Well, as close as we could get. I didn't realize that we couldn't drive all the way to the trailhead so we had a long hike in store due to me having to carry my toddler most of the time. I should have re-read the previous reviews before coming. My friend did help me carry her as well and for that I was very thankful. So definitely don't recommend this hike with a little one unless strapped in a carrier. Also, I don't recommend it for the elderly either. It's definitely a wilderness hike deal with roots and elevation change. In fact, it's mostly downhill on the way to the falls, but on the way back it's pretty much all uphill, which was not fun with aforementioned young child. It's about a half mile to the actual trailhead and then another 0.7 mile to the falls. That's about 2.4 miles round trip. The reason of course that my boys absolutely became enamored with this place is the large swimming hole. It is wonderful and has plenty of space. The waterfall itself is beautiful and although it's not as tall as others, its width is quite impressive. I was trying to get as close as I could and even noticed a hidden part of the falls inside of the rock structure. That was so cool!! The sand at the base and shore give it a beachy vibe. We definitely packed it in and out making sure not to leave anything behind as to preserve the area as best as possible. Needless to say we were wiped by the time we made it back to our vehicles, but we're still glad we decided to venture here. Coming back with my hubby and boys in the very near future. Happy yelping!

I just wanted to update my 3/15/20 review below to add I've now done this hike several times, but…read moreTHIS time I had the chance to hike it with a friend who is directly related to the namesake of the waterfall... Riley Moore. Sandie is a church friend of mine and Riley Moore was her Great Great Uncle (I believe that's right). He once upon a time operated a grist mill here at the top of the falls. She's been trying to get here to see the waterfall, but couldn't find it and wanted to join us (along with her family) since I knew the way. Upon further research I discovered there are actually still remnants of the mill including visible drill holes, spikes and bolts. Thought that was pretty cool info to share! [ [ [ PREVIOUS REVIEW ] ] ] Riley Moore Falls is small in height but HUGE in personality. It's located off State Road S37-748, which is a nicely maintained gravel road where cars and trucks alike can comfortably traverse. ~~~ DIRECTIONS From Westminster, SC - DO NOT turn onto Cobb Bridge Road from Long Creek Hwy (Hwy 76) where you will see the brown & white sign pointing you in the direction of Riley Moore Falls. Our GPS had us go this way, then left onto State Road S37-748, but the road was CLOSED during our visit! INSTEAD, turn onto PU-32 also known as Rocky Fork Road. Turn left onto a gravel road near Rocky Fork Baptist Church and follow that until it dead ends @ State Road S37-748 (also known as Spy Rock Road). Turn right and drive approx. 1.4 miles (4 minutes) to 748c (aka Riley Moore Shoals Road). Park at the intersection of State Road S37-748 and 748c. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE 748c in a car or minivan. Low clearance vehicles will find the terrain on this road to be VERY difficult to navigate without bottoming out or getting stuck. I'd also recommend 4x4 capability on wet days! There can be several deep-pocketed muddy areas after heavy rains. ~~~ THE TRAIL Once you reach the intersection of Spy Rock Rd (S37-748) and 748c, park roadside on Spy Rock, secure your vehicle and begin your hike approx. 1/2 mile down the "primitive road." IF you have a high ground clearance SUV or truck, you can drive the primitive road another half mile or so to a second parking area near the trailhead. The primitive road is VERY BUMPY  and can be muddy in spots after heavy rains, so a 4x4 is best. After reaching the second parking area, follow the marked trail on the left!!! The trail is a little over a 1/2 mile to the falls from here. The trail is fairly straightforward and easy to follow. ~~~ THE FALLS Once you reach the Chauga River, you will notice a large sandy area with plenty of room for an entire horde of hikers!!! Riley Moore Falls is not very tall (only about 12 feet), but it is very wide and has a deep base pool. PRO TIP - Bring swimwear, towels and a picnic, but be sure to pack it in and pack it out. ~~~ THINGS TO KNOW Hiking Distance: 2 miles (round trip to falls from S37-748) Difficulty of hiking 748c: All downhill to trailhead (moderate return) Difficulty of hiking trail to falls: EASY Creek Crossings: NO Elevation Gain: 357 feet Waterfall Height: Approx 12 feet Access to top of falls: NO - not without getting wet Access to base of falls: YES Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: YES + sandy beach RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES (along road) + secondary parking area closer to trailhead for trucks and high ground clearance vehicles with room for about 6 cars. ~~~ [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] A lovely waterfall in any season, but also a great spot for a summer swim. While we had the waterfall practically to ourselves during our Mid-March expedition, be advised other trail website reviews say it gets trashy & crowded in summer months. What a shame if that is true because it truly is a treasure. ENJOY! 2022 / 74 #UPDATE 178

Beautiful waterfalls for just a short hike** from the parking lot. Has 3 sections,…read moreCascades/Veil/Sluice, the Cascades is the first one to get to and the easiest. The Veil section is probably my favorite part, it's a picture I see when someone mentions "waterfalls". I didn't hike down to the Sluice section as it didn't seem worth the effort after seeing the Cascades and Veil sections. ** excerpt from Richard R's amazingly detailed review and great tips "The hike is short to the first section of the falls known as "The Cascades." This is a highly appropriate name since this section really is more of a series of cascades than a waterfall. On the day of my visit, there had been several days of rain making the trail extremely muddy, but also making the falls extremely full! The flow was so strong that it was hard to see where the Cascades separated from the second section known as The Veil. You reach 'The Cascades' by following the trail on the right after the information board. You will go uphill slightly before making your descent down to the cascades. You will hear the falls long before you reach them. The downhill trail to the cascades is relatively easy, but it gets far more difficult when you continue downhill to see the two lower sections. NOTES: This is a class three hike, meaning you will need both hands to navigate the steepness of the trail. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND good hiking boots and a backpack for any camera, phone or other items you might carry in your hand. You will definitely need both hands to hold on to branches, tree roots or whatever you can find. * SCOUTING TIP - It is better to take the higher routes as you navigate your way to the lower falls. * SCOUTING TIP 2 - This trail IS NOT suitable for young children or anyone who doesn't have sure balance. Your legs, knees and upper body will be heavily used! * SCOUTING TIP 3 - DO NOT bring a walking stick. Again, you will need both hands to navigate this trail safely. I personally did not see the advantage to hiking down to the base of the second section known as 'The Veil'. However, if you are feeling adventurous, you can actually walk behind this section of the falls on low flow days. The trickiest part of the trail is finding your way to the base of 'The Sluice' section. At first I considered forgoing the hike since it was rather steep, but another hiker on his way up showed me pics on his camera that convinced me to continue. There is also a downed log you can use as a bridge to balance across to the other side for an even closer view of this third section of the falls, which looks a lot like a powerful water slide." https://www.yelp.com/biz/brasstown-falls-long-creek?hrid=Weq_6ZUYbqLd0Ao6QafbDg&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

This was well-worth the drive from Columbia, SC. The hike wasn't that long. There were some stairs…read morethat were pretty steep but hand rails were available. Absolutely Stunning views.

Overall great hike. A few steep sections but nothing too crazy. Beautiful scenery the whole way…read more Would recommend for anyone looking for a solid outdoor experience.

My partner and I recently visited Clarksville for a spontaneous hiking trip. Panther Creek Trail…read morewas at the very top of our list and we were not disappointed. At first we were worried that the trail would be closed due to the storm damage that occurred during the prior year but we drove by and there were multiple parties going in and out of the trail so we figured we would go for it! This trail is long and arduous, so be prepared! Us Floridians definitely overestimated our hiking abilities but we still got it done (thankfully). Bring around 2L per person or more if it's a hot day. We started on a Friday around 2pm and finished by 6:30pm and clocked in a total of 8 miles round trip. If you can go earlier, I highly recommend doing so to have plenty of light. There's two main parts of the trail where the bridges were damaged and removed. In one section, there's several logs that lay across the stream. Find a big stick, and scramble across. In the second section, the water is shallow enough to walk across without the possibility of getting your legs wet. But even if you get wet, both sections are not deeper than your ankle. I don't know if I'd recommend this for children as there are multiple sudden drop offs but more power to you if your family can do this! If you are a hiker, this does not disappoint!

I came here on a very hot summer day with the plans to see some waterfalls. We got here around…read more8:30am which I believe is when the park opens. We took the South Rim (At least I think it was the South Rim) and went to all 5 viewing points which is a flat walk and a round trip of about 1.5 miles. Then we went down into the Gorge which includes 1,099 steps (actual staircase) to the bottom and of course that many steps back up. You can't go all the way to the Gorge floor without a permit but that just means you can only walk down 1,089 steps to a platform. There are plenty of places to stop including a very cool suspension bridge that overlooks Hurricane Falls. This was pretty tough for a 50-year-old fat boy like me but it's doable if you can simply climb stairs. The views are amazing and worth the quads burning for the next 3 days. The visitor's center is really nice. There is of course a gift shop. a huge display of taxidermy of all the local wildlife and a very nice museum that goes through the history of the region. The most important part is they have air conditioning. Suck it up, take the stairs and buy the t-shirt saying you did it when you are done.

The visitor center is phenomenal! Movie was down for some reason. The gift shop has loads to choose…read morefrom and the rest rooms were clean and there were many stalls available. There is almost a museum quality to the taxidermy animal scene they have in the middle of the room and along the walls. Truly a special visit! The hike to see the inspirational point and the swinging bridge wasn't too strenuous for my 4 or 5 year old for people's reference when considering it. We are an active family who hikes etc. There were a lot of warnings but we found it wasn't as bad as it seemed.

It is my honor to introduce Sid's Falls to the yelp community…read more [ THE STORY BEHIND THIS WATERFALL ] It is named after Sidney Holmes Ballenger, Jr., a man who loved waterfalls so much that he literally wrote the pioneering book on finding them in Oconee County, South Carolina. He died @ age 73 and a 1993 petition was sent to the U. S. Department of the Interior in hopes of naming one of the local UNNAMED waterfalls in his honor. By his side on many adventures was his friend Maxie Duke, who actually helped discover and officially name the waterfall currently known as Sid's Falls. While her 1993 petition was denied, the effort didn't end. In late 2014, Renee Hattenstein reapplied to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to have the falls officially named Sid's Falls and in April of 2016, the name Sid's Falls was accepted by the board. *** I absolutely love chasing waterfalls despite TLC's song warning otherwise, so this story of friendship and determination to honor all he had done for Oconee County touched me deeply. I simply couldn't, as an avid hiker and purveyor of waterfall adventures, pass on the opportunity to visit Sid's. During my research of this waterfall duo I discovered a third member of their hiking team, a man named John Danner. Sadly I found an online obituary stating Maxie Lee Wright Duke passed away in December of 2020. Both her & John have waterfalls unofficially named in their honor in close proximity to Sid's Falls. As a matter of fact, Maxie Duke Falls shares most of the same trail and parking that you would use to visit Sid's Falls. [ THE EXPERIENCE ] I WANT TO GIVE FAIR WARNING right up front that while 95% of this trail is super easy, the final leg of the trail to the base of the falls is NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART or anyone not capable of using BOTH HANDS during the descent. You will absolutely need to posses basic skills in climbing and some upper body and leg strength. The trail to the bottom at minimum fits the CLASS 3 hike rating and the breakoff trail to Maxie Duke is practically CLASS 4 as ropes are available to assist climbers on the steep, steep terrain. PARK at the small area off Damascus Church Road between Damascus Baptist Church and Cool Springs Road (State Route S-37-797). Walk around the gate and enjoy approx. 1.4 miles of easy hiking on a wide old road that passes two open grassy fields along the way. The grade varies, but typically stays within a 5% differential. However, once the trail enters into the woods and narrows, it becomes steeper. You will reach a point where the trail forks right or left. RIGHT is to Sid's Falls and LEFT is to Maxie Duke Falls. Here is where either trail gets noticeable difficult as the grade to Sid's can exceed -34% (according to AllTrails). You will absolutely need both hands and a lower center of gravity to remain balanced, but the payoff is fantastic! Sid's is a beautiful 50+ foot natural wonder. NOTES: Plan on getting your feet wet to attain the best vantage for photos. I walked all the way to the base through the water and did not find the stone ledges to be particularly slippery. Still, proceed with caution and know your own ability. See pics to determine the water level during my hike. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] When returning, you could also continue your adventure and follow the trial left of the split to Maxie Duke Falls. But again, BE FOREWARNED the trail to Maxie Duke is even steeper than to Sid's and may require the assistance of a preinstalled rope for most of the descent. Here you will also need to wet cross the creek to the right side of the falls in order to achieve the best view. It took us about 2 hours 20 minutes to hike from parking to both falls and back, which included rests and about 25 minutes of picture taking. ~ Round trip length to both: 3.3 miles ~ Elevation Gain: UNKNOWN (but probably 600+ feet) Overall a wonderful hike that will fool you into thinking it's easy for its majority... But this sweet thang goes GUANO LOCO on you the final 500 feet and leave you contemplating the foolishness of your life choices! LOL NOT RECOMMENDED for young children, dogs, anyone with balance issues or solo hikers because it is not a popular trail and injuring yourself would make the return ascent very difficult. 2022 / 72

We drove to Fall Creek Falls today and hiked from the nature center through the trailhead all the…read moreway to the actual falls. We saw about 3 scenic spots to take pictures and along the trail they had signs for other trails(which weren't that much of a detour). At the end of the trail to get to the twin falls it was breathing, well worth the hike but it was very strenuous.

You will totally miss this hidden gem if you are not paying close attention…read more The trailhead is located along Fall Creek Falls dirt road, but there are no signs indicating the trailhead nor is there an adequate pull-off for cars. Since we saw no indication for a trail, I just parked in the best spot possible as I listened for the falls with my car windows down. Turns out when I got out of the car and walked over to the edge of the road, there was a STEEP trail barely visible through the vegetation. The trail leads straight down to the creek, where you will encounter the upper part of the falls. Look to your right and continue downhill to the base of the upper falls, which is about 25-30 feet tall. This was as far as I explored and I was bummed to find out after getting home that there were TWO more waterfalls just a short distance below what I thought was the main falls. The second one is 35 feet tall, multilayered and quite spectacular based on the online pictures I found. The third is shorter, but still attractive. So if you come here, please note the distance to the falls is VERY short, but it is also VERY STEEP and semi-difficult, especially on the return. Enjoy! 2019/77

Just a bunch of rocks in the river. Not worth the long curvy road trip. Don't waste your time.read more

Yes, BUST YOUR BUTT FALLS (also known as Quarry Falls) is a real waterfall located on the Scenic…read morestretch of Highway 64 near Highlands, NC. It sandwiched between gorgeous Dry Falls upstream and massive Cullasaja Falls downstream and is the smaller of the three at around 25 feet tall from top to bottom. Without people in the picture to show its size, it looks more like a cascade than a waterfall. Most of Hwy 64 is very narrow with the exception of the stretch of road near the falls where plenty of pull-offs for parking are available and even a grassy niche in the mountain capable of hosting at least 15 cars. But be forewarned, BYBF is a very popular swimming hole in the summer time. So while there are dozens of parking spaces, I'm sure they fill up quick when the temperatures outside are hot! It is said many use the rocks surrounding this multi-tiered waterfall to sun, picnic, and people watch. Many also slide down the lower tier of the falls when water levels are low or use a large boulder to jump-off into the pool at the base of the falls. NOTES: Our hike was within a few hours of recent rains, so the water level was high. It is advised NOT to slide on the waterfall in high waters, but using the "jump off" rock for the pool of water near the base is a popular activity in high waters. However, it is ALWAYS advisable to check water levels in the pool before diving in! [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Total Hiking Distance: 20 yards Difficulty: Easy and family friendly Creek Crossings: NO Elevation Gain: none Waterfall Height: 25 feet (approx.) WATERFALL ATTRACTIVENESS - 7 out of 10 TRAIL ATTRACTIVENESS - n/a Access to top of falls: YES Access to base of falls: YES Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: YES RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES (space for more than 4 dozen cars when combining all available nearby pull-offs) [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Whether you are just passing through and want to stop for a quick pic or you plan to spend the day playing in its waters, Bust Your Butt Falls is sure to please! What it doesn't have in height it more than makes up for in beauty and fun!!! ENJOY ;-) 2021 / 51

These falls are beautiful. I highly recommend checking them out. If you want a longer hike start at…read morethe Oconee Station State Historic Site. There are bathrooms there. If you prefer an easier, shorter hike then drive past the historic site and the trailhead, and parking, are on the left. If you start at the historic site, know that you will eventually just be crossing that same street to get to the trailhead.

We started our adventure and family hike #8 (sans toddler - insert sad face) at Oconee Station…read moreState Historic Site. We also combined the Interpretive Nature Trail with the Station Cove Trail, which made for a longer, albeit nice hike around 3.1 miles. There's about a 260 ft. elevation gain, but wooden steps help with this ascent and then descent. Usually such a long walk would make my leg muscles ache the next day, but strangely enough I felt no soreness. I guess that means that I'm finally in shape enough to handle longer hikes. Woohoo! The large pond or small lake, depending on your opinion of what a body of 4 acres should be, was beautiful and shimmering in green and blue hues. Didn't see any fish or other creatures in it, but it is supposed to be full with bluegill and largemouth bass. Maybe we'll return for some fishing. Not long after the nature trail joins the falls trail you'll cross over Oconee Station Rd. There is an area for parking cars and from here the trail to the waterfall is about 0.75 mile, so if you prefer a shorter version this is it. I loved seeing the flowers starting to bloom and caught some good pictures of bloodroots and hepaticas. Down by one of the creeks an open area under a rock revealed animal footprints (maybe a raccoon?), which was cool to spot. There were more than a few trees down (probably from Hurricane Helene), but not completely obstructing the trail. As you approach the waterfall you step over some rocks from Station Creek to the other side. I'm glad that we had a good rainfall the day before, because it made for a great rush of water. Truly beautiful and my favorite falls discovered so far. We did run into a few people so it's definitely not an isolated area by any means (and we went on a Monday morning) although we did not meet another soul on the nature trail. Also, between the 3rd and 4th bridge is the Oconee Connector Trail which leads to Oconee State Park in case you want to add another 5.4 miles (I think) round trip to this one, but beware it apparently has an 800 ft. elevation change. Maybe one day I'll brave it. Overall, this was a great hike and our boys really enjoyed the beauty of the waterfall and easily travailed it. Looking forward to come back one day soon! Happy yelping!

Love to train and take my pup here. Very nice in mornings also she loves the water. Haven't gotten…read morein the water actually but one day I will.

Edge of the World is a great nearby walking trail that winds along Amicalola Creek. The trail is…read moremostly easy, with a mix of wooden walkways (watch out for a few holes) and dirt paths. There are also a few side trails that climb up the mountain if you're looking for a bit more of a challenge (including dodging Joro spiders!). The small waterfalls are beautiful, and the cool creek water is perfect for dipping your feet in on a warm day.