By: Dan Goodwin is a member of a waterfall hiking quartet known as The Grandfather Mountaineers, all of whom are in their 70s.
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The Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area contains a goodly number of South Carolina waterfalls. Folks will be familiar with the major players in this category such as Raven Cliff Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Falls Creek Falls but may not know about Moonshine Falls, Confusion Falls, Jones Gap Falls, Tollroad Falls, Mashbox Falls, or Buckeye Falls.
Buckeye Falls is a picturesque 60-70 foot waterfall just off the Hospital Rock Trail in Jones Gap State Park. The trail begins alongside the rock-walled trout pond left over from the Cleveland Fish Hatchery built in that location in 1931. Passing the pond, the trail dives into the woods, leading to a group of primitive camp sites. At that point, the trail makes a hard left and begins to climb some 400 vertical feet in the next 2/3s of a mile. This elevation change is due to your moving up the Blue Ridge Escarpment.
Boulder formations + feeder streams give the trail character during this ascent. Should you be hiking in early spring, you will be treated to our mountain wildflowers such as Catesby’s Trillium. Rocky Branch can be heard down below well before you are close enough to see it.
Eventually, the trail will meet up with + cross Rocky Branch. About a hundred yards upstream of the crossing, you will see Buckeye Falls. On river left, you will find a rough trail to take you up to the base and side of the falls for closer photographs.
Once you return to the trail, turn left and continue on toward Hospital Rock. In about 50 yards, you will come out into a power right-of-way. Walk to the middle and check out the sights. You will have an excellent view of the River Falls Valley below you and, on the other side, will be the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Look far to the left of the cliff face and you will see Rocky Branch Falls as the stream comes over the precipice. Looking further left and up will give you a view of Pretty Place not many people get to see.
Return back the way you came. By the time you get back to your car, you will have 2 ½ miles of trail under your belt along with some excellent photographs.
DIRECTIONS: From Cherrydale, takes US 276 through Travelers Rest for 16.9 miles to River Falls Road (look for the F-Mart). Follow the road for 5.6 miles to Jones Gap State Park (you’ll pass the River Falls Fire Department at 3.7 miles). Park and cross the Middle Saluda River on the footbridge. You will see the trout pond and Hospital Rock Trail on the other side of the pond.
