A beautiful 50ft waterfall that is a very short and easy hike to reach.
Up on a hillside inside the Sumter National Forest in Oconee County is the easily reached 50 foot high Spoonauger Falls. This beautiful cascade is a moderate 20 minute walk from the trailhead and is great for all ages. It is located near other great attractions like the Chattooga River, which you parallel on the on hike, or King Creek Falls.
The trailhead to Spoonauger Falls is located along Burrells Ford Road near Mountain Rest South Carolina. Burrells Ford Road is a small forest road off of SC Highway 107 that quickly turns to a dirt road as you travel deeper into the forest. The trailhead to Spoonauger Falls is located about 1,000 feet past the Burrells Ford Campground Parking Lot just before the road crosses the Chattooga River and enters into Georgia. Note that during our trip, the road sign for Burrells Ford Road off highway 107 was missing from the post. So if you see a pole with just F-708 on it, this is where you turn.
The parking area for Spoonauger Falls is located at the trailhead for the Chattooga Trail which is more of an extended shoulder area for you to park versus a parking lot. It is long and can accommodate several vehicles but parking may be somewhat limited on busy days. If the area is full you could park at the Burrells Ford Campground Parking Lot and walk to the trailhead. Look for the information sign on the side of the road indicating the start of the trail.
The trail is well marked and easy to follow as it starts off following the large and beautiful Chattooga River for about 1/4 of a mile. Immediately after crossing Spoonauger Creek, look for the sign indicating the start of the Spoonauger Falls trail that follows Spoonauger Creek up the hill to the right. After an easy ascent up a few switchbacks through a nice forest of rhododendron and mountain laurel , you will reach the quaint and picturesque Spoonauger Falls.
Spoonauger Falls isn’t as tall as its close counterpart, King Creek Falls, but it is every bit as beautiful. The horizontal layers of rocks that the water rushes over seem to amplify the waterfall as it fans out over the rock face.
There isn’t a large area for viewing the falls as the bottom of the falls is somewhat rocky, but there is sufficient space for small groups enjoying the falls. So find your spot, sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of Spoonauger Falls.
This is an out and back trail so when you are finishing enjoying the falls, hike back the trail to the parking lot.