Twin Falls

Date: Tuesday, December 28, 2009
Location / Map

Trails: Twin Falls
Distance: 0.5 miles
Time: about 1 hour

Rating: &&&& (out of 5)

Although it is a short trail (just a quarter-mile each way), this hike gets a 4-out-of-5 rating by virtue of the spectacular waterfall at the end of the trail. The waterfall goes by several names, but most guide books I've seen call it Twin Falls. As you can see in the photo, there is a tall plunge on the left (60-70 feet) and a cacade / slide on the right. There was also a smaller falls on the far right due to recent heavy rainfall. The photo was taken from a nice viewing platform (no doubt constructed to save photo-seekers from having to scramble over slippery rocks to get a good shot).

We went with the whole family, including the cousins from Texas! The trail is wide with only a slight incline to start, perfect for our young walkers. It follows the Reedy Cove Creek, with a couple of spots where we could climb onto boulders and view the water (or throw sticks into it!). Near the end, however, after passing a neat waterwheel, the path narrows and gets much steeper, so you have to hold onto the kids and dogs to keep them from going over the cliff.

Everyone really enjoyed the hike! It was just the right length, and the kids loved the waterfall. The biggest adventure is probably getting here, though. We drove to Pickens and went up US-178. After crossing over Hwy 11, we turned left at Bob's Place onto Cleo Chapman Hwy, which soon dumps you into the Eastatoe Valley (beautiful!). At the T-intersection, we turned right, then in less than a mile we turned right again onto Water Falls Road. This is gravel, but it is hard-packed, and in only 0.4 miles we reached the obvious parking area. There were 2 other groups there already. It was a cold morning, but we were all bundled up and had a great time!