Highlands, NC - Weekend Getaway Trip Rep ort & Pics

“Highlands, NC Trip
SCJack & Amy

Friday, Feb 27, 2004
Lower Satulah Falls
Satulah Falls
Oak Creek Lodge Cascades

Saturday, Feb28, 2004
Bridal Veil Falls
Dry Falls
Cullasaja Falls
Cullasaja Cascades (aka Kalakaleskies)
Sequoyah Dam Falls
Blue Valley Overlook
Catstairs
Glen Falls
Whiteside Mountain
Silver Run Falls
Hurricane Falls
Sunset Rocks

Sunday, Feb 29, 2004
Whitewater Falls
Foothills Trail
Laurel Falls
Twin Falls

Pictures:
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Set 1
Set 2


Trip Report:
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Friday, Feb 27, 2004

We left Spartanburg, SC with 8-inches of snow on the ground after work for the 2-hr drive to Highlands, NC. Fortunately the roads were mostly clear and the closer we got to the mountains, the less snow there was.

We still had a little bit of daylight left as we neared Highlands so we stopped to check out (2) roadside waterfalls on the way:

Lower Satulah Falls:
A roadside pull-off on NC28 provides a distant view of the falls. Worth the stop if you are driving past it, but not worth going out of the way for.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 3.0/10

Satulah Falls:
Again, worth a look if you are driving past, but nothing spectacular.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 2.0/10

We arrived in Highlands and checked into the Old Creek Lodge (www.oldcreeklodge.com), which I would recommend as a good place to stay. It is a Bed & Breakfast type place with (4) lodge rooms and about (20) cabins located along side of Old Creek. After check-in we took a stroll on the lodge's short nature trail, which runs along the nice cascading creek.


Saturday, Feb 28, 2004

Bridal Veil Falls:
Being right along side US64 and only 2.5 miles from downtown Highlands makes this one of the more popular waterfalls in the area. An old section of US64 actually runs underneath and behind this waterfall, but recently this section has been blocked due to a huge section of the cliff next to the falls collapsing on the old roadway. As a result, yellow tape and construction cones now make this an unsightly mess.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 4/10

Dry Falls:
About a mile past Bridal Veil falls is a short trail to this AWESOME waterfall. I consider this to be a "MUST SEE" waterfall and well worth the $2.00 price of admission. The only complaint I had is the trail behind and to the other side of the waterfall was closed off when we visited. I would have liked to walk behind and check it out from the other side, but it gives us a good reason to go back. Not that I need a reason because I consider this to be one of my all time favorites!
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 10/10

Cullasaja Falls:
About 5.5 miles past Dry falls is Cullasaja Falls, another Must See waterfall viewed from US64. The drive there is also enjoyable as US64 twists and turns as it parallels the cascading Cullasaja Gorge making it one of the most scenic sections of road anywhere! A small roadside pull-off allows for an awesome view of Cullasaja Falls!
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 9/10

Cullasaja Cascades (aka Kalakaleskies):
Heading back into Highlands we stopped off at a couple of pull-off areas to check some of the many cascades and smaller waterfalls along the Cullasaja River. Kalakaleskies is the lump sum name given to the series of cascades along this section of river.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 4/10

Sequoyah Dam Waterfall:
Being man-made, it is technically not a real waterfall, but the curved dam on picturesque Lake Sequoyah makes for a pretty sight and worth the stop to check out.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 4/10

Blue Valley Overlook / Catstairs Falls:
From Highlands about 5 miles south on NC106 is the Blue Valley Overlook offering a really nice view. According to Kevin Adam's book, "North Carolina Waterfalls", Catstairs is 0.1 mile past the overlook. We walked down the road at least 0.1 mile and saw some water trickling down the mountainside, but nothing that I would consider to be a waterfall.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 0/10

Glen Falls:
Another MUST SEE series of waterfalls, which together drop a total of about 700-ft. This is the first one of the day that we actually had to hike to. The trail starts off with some nice views before arriving at the top of Glen Falls for an interesting perspective of this spectacular waterfall. After that the trail switchbacks down the side of the gorge to three different drops of Glen Falls. Nowhere can you see the whole waterfall with one view, so this is like you are seeing (3) completely different waterfalls. It is about a mile to Lower Glen Falls and a descent of about 700-ft, making the climb back up a little strenuous. The trail and the creek continue on past the Lower Falls, but we decided to turn around. Upper Glen Falls and Middle Glen Falls are well worth it, but you can pass on Lower Glen Falls if you don't feel up to it.
Difficulty Rating = 5/10
SCJacks Trail Quality and Enjoyment Rating = 9/10
SCJacks Waterfall Ratings: Upper Glen Falls = 8/10
Middle Glen Falls = 8/10
Lower Glen Falls = 3/10


After Glen Falls we stopped off in downtown Highlands for Lunch and so Amy could check out some of the "cute little shops" before heading on to Whiteside Mountain.

Whiteside Mountain:
About 1/2 way between Highlands and Cashiers, this 2-mile, moderately strenuous loop hike offers some of the most spectacular mountain views anywhere! Many people in the Highlands/Cashiers area have dropped several millions of dollars for these views, but with the Whiteside Mountain Trail you can enjoy the incredible views for only $2.00. It is a very popular tourist destination so I am sure it gets pretty crowded during the peak seasons, but this time of year it wasn't too bad. Whichever way you do the loop, it is about 1-mile uphill, then 1-mile downhill with awesome views all around.
Difficulty Rating = 4/10
SCJacks Trail Quality and Enjoyment Rating = 9/10

Silver Run Falls:
Four miles south of Cashiers is the pull-off for the trail to Silver Run Falls. The trail is short and easy enough for just about anyone and the waterfall is well worth the hike. This is another one I want to get back to when the conditions are better suited for waterfall photography.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 8/10

Hurricane Falls:
This waterfall is viewable from Norton Road about 3 miles North of Cashiers. Hurricane Creek spills into Thorpe Lake forming this nice 40-ft cascade. A private residence is located right next to this waterfall with a small deck sitting on the lake about 20-ft from the base of this waterfall. I am sure the view is much better from these people’s deck or from a boat on the lake, but we had to settle for the view from the road. I probably could have been able to scramble down the bank for a better view, but it didn't seem worth the effort.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 4/10

Sunset Rocks:
This is supposed to be a 0.8-mile hike up a gravel road to a view overlooking downtown Highlands. I think Amy had enough hiking for the day because she ended up driving up the road that we should have been hiking. We missed the sign that said, "Park here for hike to Sunset Rocks" and instead turned at the sign that said "Sunset Rocks ------->". While driving up the narrow, winding dirt road I kept telling her that I think we were suppose to park at the bottom and hike up this road, but it was too narrow to turn around until we got to the top. There was another vehicle parked at the top so apparently we weren't the only ones to make this mistake. Anyway, it’s a nice view overlooking downtown Highlands, but nothing compared to the spectacular views from Whiteside Mountain earlier in the day.



Sunday, February 29th, 2004

We slept in a bit, had a nice breakfast, checked out of the Oak Creek Lodge, and picked a few destinations to hit on the way back to Spartanburg. We wanted to do some of the Falls on the Horsepasture River, but there were intimidating "NO PARKING" signs all along the road including the pull-off areas. So we went to Plan B and hit Whitewater Falls.

Whitewater Falls:
Another MUST SEE. As soon as you get out of the car you can hear the roaring Whitewater Falls in the distance. A short hike on a paved path (handicap accessible) takes you to the first overlook. Pictures can never do it justice; you have to see Whitewater Falls in person. From the 1st overlook, a long series of wooden steps leads to a lower overlook, which offers an even better perspective. From the lower overlook the steps go away and turn into an actual trail, which meets up with the Foothills Trail a short distance later.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 9/10

Foothills Trail - Whitewater Falls to Laurel Falls and back:
This awesome trail descends via a long series of switchbacks to the Whitewater River downstream from the base of Whitewater Falls. At the river, you have to climb over and around some huge boulders to get to a bridge crossing the river. From there you can see a little bit of Whitewater Falls in the distance. Any attempt to actually get to the base of Whitewater Falls would be extremely dangerous and many people have died trying. Past the bridge there is a campsite and shortly after Laurel Falls, which we made our turn around point. It is approximately 2-miles and an 800-ft elevation drop to Laurel Falls, making for a 4-mile out and back hike.
Difficulty Rating = 5/10
Trail Quality and Enjoyment Rating = 8/10

Laurel Falls:
You get your first glimpse of Laurel Falls from the pave path to Whitewater Falls. Across the gorge you can see Corbin Creek plunging down to form Laurel Falls. You get several more views from the series of switchbacks on the Foothills Trail. A short distance after crossing the Whitewater River, a footbridge crosses over Corbin Creek at the base of Laurel Falls. From here you can only see a small lower section of Laurel Falls and the abundant vegetation and rocks block any really good views.
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 5/10

Twin Falls (Pickens County, SC):
Our final stop of the weekend was to Twin Falls, one of my favorite SC waterfalls. I consider it another MUST SEE and Amy has never seen it. Plus it was only a few miles out of the way. A short easy hike of less than a half-mile takes you to this spectacular waterfall
SCJacks Waterfall Rating = 9/10


Overall a great weekend. Highlands, NC is a great place to spend the weekend, and it will take much more than that to see everything in the area. We will definitely be back as there are many more trails and waterfalls in the area that I still want to get to. Plus, many of the waterfalls are well worth a 2nd (and 3rd, 4th, etc) visit.

SCJack”

“Here they are:

http://community.webshots.com/album/122241572lPFUXW

http://community.webshots.com/album/122248270eCCdOH”

“Jack sounds like you covered some ground..but then again you usually do! You had a great weekend for it weather wise.

I want to get up that way this year myself”