Waterfalls in Upstate South Carolina

Picture of a waterfalls within a mountains-cape

Your Guide to Waterfalls in Upstate S.C.

It’s finally that time of year when the weather is getting nice and it’s starting to warm up in the Upstate of South Carolina. It’s no secret that the Upstate is full of waterfalls, but did you know we are known for having one of the highest concentration of waterfalls in the United States? The specific area is called the Blue Ridge Escarpment, also known as “The Blue Wall.” The Blue Wall rises 3,554 feet at its highest peak and spans around 20,000 acres through South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Many of the waterfalls are located in Oconee, Pickens, and Greenville Counties, this area has an average rain fall of 80 inches which creates beautiful rushing waterfalls. We did some reading and spoke to a couple of locals to create a list of a of waterfalls in each area of the Upstate that are perfect for every kind of adventurer!

Click on the section heading to be directed to one of the many state parks found in that county.

Oconee County Falls

Waterfall in North Carolina

Oconee County is also known as “The Golden Corner” and it runs along the Chattooga River and marks the border between South Carolina and Georgia.

  • Bee Cove Falls: This waterfall is divided into four sections. The hiking distance is about 2 miles to see all four and the hike is considered difficult.
    • #1. 40 foot waterfall
    • #2. 30 foot waterfall
    • #3. 40 foot waterfall
    • #4. 20 foot waterfall
  • Big Bend Falls: This 30 foot waterfall gets its name from the hairpin curve where it is located on the Chattooga River just before the falls. The hike to Big Bend is almost three miles and is considered an easy hike. The shoreline of the river below the falls is beachy and boulders where you can relax, have a snack, or take a swim after your hike.
  • Brasstown Falls: This series of three waterfalls is located on the edge of Sumter National Forrest. It is a quick hike, only .3 miles to see all three but is not recommended for new hikers!
    • Cascades: 50 feet
    • Veil: 35 feet
    • Sluice: 35 feet
  • Disappearing Falls: This 12 foot waterfall is one of the more interesting waterfalls in the upstate. At first glance, it appears to be a small stream, but when you get closer there is a 12 foot drop over a black granite rock, the water ends up in an underground stream.
  • Hidden Falls: This 60 foot waterfall is best viewed after a rainy day and was unnamed until 1995. The hiking distance is a little over two miles and is considered a moderate hike.
  • Issaqueena Falls: This 100 foot waterfall is one of the easiest to access in South Carolina. Just a 10 minute hike, perfect for all kinds of hikers!
  • Whitewater Falls: This 200 foot waterfall is located north of Salem. There are two major falls, and it is considered the highest series of falls in North America.

Pickens County FallsWaterfall

Pickens County is known as the upper Eastatoee Valley. Eastatoee is a Cherokee word that translates to Valley of the Green Bird, which is a reference to the now extinct Carolina Parakeet. Pickens County is located he northwest part of the U.S. state of South Carolina, between Greenville and Clemson and up to the North Carolina border.

  • Carrick Creek Falls: This 15 foot waterfall is an easy .2 miles hike in Table Rock State Park.
  • Eastatoee Gorge Falls: This 25 foot waterfall is an amazing sight after a difficult 2.5 mile hike. The fall is at the point where the 15 foot wide river is forced into a three-foot-wide sluice.
  • Gauley Falls (also known as Sliding Rock Falls): This is a 12 foot waterfall that is made up of a series of large boulders that the water flows over. There is no need to hike to get here, it is located right off the golf course at The Rock at Jocassee.
  • Mill Creek Falls: This waterfall is divided into two parts, upper and lower.
    • Upper: This 25 foot waterfall is about a three mile hike that will take you to the bottom of the falls so you can look straight up at it.
    • Lower: This 50 foot waterfall is technically located on private property, but can be seen taking a quick road side break on your way to Table Rock State Park.
  • Pinnacle Mountain Falls: This 100 foot waterfall is a 1.4 mile hike through a rough trail but is totally worth the view. This multi-tiered waterfall runs over rocks and fallen trees.
  • Todd Creek Falls: This 20 foot waterfall is breathtaking and only a 20 minute hike.
  • Twin Falls: This 75 foot waterfall is located an easy ¼ of a mile hike, it even has a viewing deck with seating. If you visit after a heavy rain, you can sometimes see a third waterfall to the right of the falls.

Greenville County Falls

Waterfall in GreenvilleGreenville County is located north of Pickens and Oconee Counties. The waterfalls in this area are surrounded by a rich history of mountaineers in the Upstate.

  • Ashmore Falls: This 150 foot waterfall is located in the Ashmore Heritage Preserve. While it is only a short walk to be able to see the waterfalls, if you want to get a closer look, you’d have to hike a bit further into the steep terrain.
  • Drip Rock Falls: This 12 foot waterfall is located right on the side of the road and is best viewed during the winter months. The slow flowing water creates beautiful large icicles in the winter.
  • Falls Creek Falls (not to be confused to Fall Creek Falls): This 125 foot waterfall is a 1.2 mile hard hike in Westminster, SC and is one of the most unique waterfalls in the Upstate.
  • Firewater Falls: This 20 foot waterfall is located 1 mile into a Caesars Head State Park. The name came from an old moonshine still that once was on top of the granite shelf.
  • Jones Gap Falls: This 50 foot hike is located only one mile down a well maintained hiking trail. The water flows over many multi-colored ledges of granite.
  • Mashbox Falls: This 80 foot waterfall is a difficult hour long hike near Caesars Head State Park. This waterfall location is interesting because of the mashbox and two 55-gallon water drums used for making moonshine that are stuck in the ground around 300 feet from the base of the waterfall.
  • Rainbow Falls: This 140 foot waterfall is located a hard half mile hike in Cox Camp Creek. The hard hike is worth it to see this beautiful thin ribbon of water falling and swaying in the wind.
  • Reedy River Falls: This 28 foot waterfall is located in the heart of downtown Greenville. If you want to take a long or short walk on the Swamp Rabbit Trail to check it out, this waterfall is hard to miss.

There are a so many great waterfalls to visit in the Upstate. We only picked some local favorites, there are so many more to choose from! Hopefully, we’ve inspired you to visit these beautiful Upstate waterfalls for yourself. If you enjoyed this guide, please share it with other hikers and lovers of the great outdoors and check out some of our other guides to the Upstate. Happy adventuring!

 

Take a Look At Our Other Prime Realty Guides For Upstate S.C.

New Year, New List of Must Try Places in the Upstate

Kid Friendly Activities in the Upstate

Food Worth Trying in Greenville

8 Dog Friendly Places in Greenville

State Parks Not Far from Greenville

Happy Hours Around Town

Resource:

Waterfall Hikes of Upstate South Carolina by Thomas E. King

Prime Realty Agent Spotlight: Sierra Wright

Prime Realty’s First Agent Spotlight

Are you interested to learn more about what being a realtor is all about? Once you’ve read Sierra’s story, we encourage you to submit a contact form. Click here.

Meet Sierra

The agents at Prime Realty are dedicated professionals that have a genuine passion for the industry. For our first agent spotlight, I chose an agent that is relatively new to the industry and in the short amount of time she has been an agent, she has proven that she contains the work ethic that this industry demands from real estate agents.

Sierra Wright is a Residential Sales Specialist who joined Prime Realty just under two months ago in December of 2021. Before real estate, Sierra was working as a banker and teller at two local branches for six years. Sierra loved building relationships and assisting her customers financially in her day-to-day role at the bank.

Before Joining Prime Realty

To Sierra, timing is everything. Sierra has always been interested in real estate. She has always admired the realtor profession. Sierra says that riding around looking at neighborhoods and searching for houses online has always been something she enjoyed doing. Entering the field was something that crossed Sierra’s mind frequently while she was working in the banking industry.

Sierra entered the field because she wanted a career change and decided to register for online courses just to give it a try. When I asked Sierra why she decided to become a real estate agent, she said:

The greatest joy in life for me is making others happy. I’ve always wanted a career that was rewarding and gave me a chance to make a positive impact on someone’s life. Real estate allows me to run my own business and help someone achieve one of their biggest goals in life and nothing satisfies me more than that.

Since Joining Prime Realty

Sierra is grateful that she entered the field when she did because otherwise, she isn’t sure she would have had the chance to meet the management team at Prime Realty. Had she started her search sooner, they wouldn’t have been able to invite her to join. Sierra values the team-oriented environment Prime Realty facilitates. Stepping foot into the office for the first time, Sierra recalls feeling assured that she made the right decision. At her start at Prime Realty, Sierra recalls everyone being so willing to help her:

When some people are in the same industry as you, they aren’t as willing to help or give advice. I love that everyone looks out for one another because that’s the personality that I have. I wouldn’t have learned as quickly as I did if it wasn’t for everyone at PR.

In the four months since Sierra was onboarded, Sierra has noticed a positive change within herself. She is finding herself to be more organized since becoming an agent and feels confident she has better time management skills because of it. Even with her career change, she is still able to enjoy all the things she loves about Greenville! She mostly enjoys going to Downtown Greenville because there are so many restaurants to choose from, favorites like: Larkins, Trio, and Ink & Ivy. She also absolutely loves Legacy Park for how relaxing it is for her.

All in all, Prime Realty takes the time and dedication necessary to ensure all the agents that are onboarded, share the same sentiment as Prime Realty: Our customers are our #1 priority. Sierra recently personified that sentiment by successfully going under contract within two days of posting her very first listing into the MLS. Within the short span of time Sierra has been a Realtor® at Prime, she has been making strides and it’s all thanks to her dedication and persistence!

Now that you’ve heard Sierra’s story, are you ready to take a leap of faith?

So many Realtors® experience a similar feeling prior to entering the Real Estate Industry. They either don’t believe it’s the right fit for them, or they create excuses as to why they should hold off on pursuing the profession. Rest assured, the agents at Prime Realty are licensed Realtors®. Prime Realty focuses on training and education. From the moment our agents are onboarded, they are provided their very own binder with several resources, guidelines, industry practices, and more! Prime Realty’s B.I.C. and Executive V.P. of Sales personally host training meetings on a weekly basis, host videos on our online training platform, Prime U., and facilitate mentor and mastermind groups to ensure their agents are well-versed in industry standards and practices.

If you are interested in learning more about Prime Realty and what we can do for you as an agent, submit your information on the ‘Join Us’ page of our website.

Stay tuned for the next agent spotlight premiering in May.