Waterfall Hikes in South Carolina
10 Curated Trails
This page lists 10 waterfall hikes in South Carolina from the Summit Seeker trail database. Summit elevations run from 1,050 ft (Brasstown Falls) to 2,880 ft (Rainbow Falls).
10 of the 10 routes have a distance we can quote from a published source. The shortest is Issaqueena Falls at 0.4 mi; the longest is Laurel Fork Falls at 16.8 mi. Together the quoted routes add up to 45.2 miles of hiking.
7 of the 10 guides name a specific trailhead or parking area; the others give the summit location and route line only.
Figures are as recorded in each trail's own data and are planning estimates (≈ marks a figure estimated from the mapped track); confirm conditions and route length with the land manager before you go.
| Trail | Summit | Route | Distance | Gain | Time | Difficulty | Trailhead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Falls | 2,880 ft | — | 5 mi round trip | — | — | — | Jones Gap State Park |
| Raven Cliff Falls | 2,810 ft | — | 4.4 mi round trip | — | — | — | Raven Cliff Falls parking area |
| King Creek Falls | 2,330 ft | — | 1 mi round trip | — | — | — | Burrells Ford Parking Area |
| Lower Whitewater Falls | 1,970 ft | Foothills Trail | 4 mi round trip | — | — | — | Foothills Trail/Whitewater River parking area (Bad Creek Access) |
| Big Bend Falls | 1,960 ft | Chattooga River Trail | 6.8 mi round trip | — | — | — | — |
| Hidden Falls | 1,650 ft | — | 4.2 mi round trip | — | — | — | Foothills Trail sign near Cabin Area 14-20, Oconee State Park |
| Issaqueena Falls | 1,430 ft | — | 0.4 mi round trip | — | — | — | Stumphouse Tunnel parking area |
| Carrick Creek Falls | 1,270 ft | Carrick Creek Trail | 2 mi loop | — | — | — | — |
| Laurel Fork Falls | 1,260 ft | Foothills Trail | 16.8 mi round trip | — | — | — | — |
| Brasstown Falls | 1,050 ft | — | 0.6 mi round trip | — | — | — | FS 751 parking area |
