Great spot for water fun! Parking lot is huge. It took a bit to check in but it wasn't bad. Lots of…read morethings to do to entertain the kids! The lazy river was wonderful and the large splash pad area for the kids was a hit!

Such a fun place! Lots to do for big and little kids. Two slides, one you use a raft to go down,…read moreand even a wave rider for the older kids. Very large pool deck area and lots of chairs, but not a lot of shade. I was impressed with the number of employees and life guards. It was around $14 to get in for any age. Life vests and puddle jumpers available to use. There is a snack bar with a limited selection, and we brought in our own water bottles.

It's beautiful, and in my back yard! I love this place. Do…read moreyourself a favor and get a SC state park pass. It's $6 per person, but if you have a park pass the whole car gets in for free. Park passes are $100. Only $50 for seniors.

Beautiful park! Plenty of well marked trails, lush green forest and numerous parking lots. Kind…read morehikers, walkers and runners on the trail + plenty to explore. My only issue is WHY are there so much paid staff to issue parking tickets in a state park?!?!? They seemed to be a bit too eager on a beautiful Saturday morning to issue whatever was on those adhesive stickers . Otherwise, well worth the drive!

I just wanted to update my 3/15/20 review below to add I've now done this hike several times, but…read moreTHIS time I had the chance to hike it with a friend who is directly related to the namesake of the waterfall... Riley Moore. Sandie is a church friend of mine and Riley Moore was her Great Great Uncle (I believe that's right). He once upon a time operated a grist mill here at the top of the falls. She's been trying to get here to see the waterfall, but couldn't find it and wanted to join us (along with her family) since I knew the way. Upon further research I discovered there are actually still remnants of the mill including visible drill holes, spikes and bolts. Thought that was pretty cool info to share! [ [ [ PREVIOUS REVIEW ] ] ] Riley Moore Falls is small in height but HUGE in personality. It's located off State Road S37-748, which is a nicely maintained gravel road where cars and trucks alike can comfortably traverse. ~~~ DIRECTIONS From Westminster, SC - DO NOT turn onto Cobb Bridge Road from Long Creek Hwy (Hwy 76) where you will see the brown & white sign pointing you in the direction of Riley Moore Falls. Our GPS had us go this way, then left onto State Road S37-748, but the road was CLOSED during our visit! INSTEAD, turn onto PU-32 also known as Rocky Fork Road. Turn left onto a gravel road near Rocky Fork Baptist Church and follow that until it dead ends @ State Road S37-748 (also known as Spy Rock Road). Turn right and drive approx. 1.4 miles (4 minutes) to 748c (aka Riley Moore Shoals Road). Park at the intersection of State Road S37-748 and 748c. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE 748c in a car or minivan. Low clearance vehicles will find the terrain on this road to be VERY difficult to navigate without bottoming out or getting stuck. I'd also recommend 4x4 capability on wet days! There can be several deep-pocketed muddy areas after heavy rains. ~~~ THE TRAIL Once you reach the intersection of Spy Rock Rd (S37-748) and 748c, park roadside on Spy Rock, secure your vehicle and begin your hike approx. 1/2 mile down the "primitive road." IF you have a high ground clearance SUV or truck, you can drive the primitive road another half mile or so to a second parking area near the trailhead. The primitive road is VERY BUMPY  and can be muddy in spots after heavy rains, so a 4x4 is best. After reaching the second parking area, follow the marked trail on the left!!! The trail is a little over a 1/2 mile to the falls from here. The trail is fairly straightforward and easy to follow. ~~~ THE FALLS Once you reach the Chauga River, you will notice a large sandy area with plenty of room for an entire horde of hikers!!! Riley Moore Falls is not very tall (only about 12 feet), but it is very wide and has a deep base pool. PRO TIP - Bring swimwear, towels and a picnic, but be sure to pack it in and pack it out. ~~~ THINGS TO KNOW Hiking Distance: 2 miles (round trip to falls from S37-748) Difficulty of hiking 748c: All downhill to trailhead (moderate return) Difficulty of hiking trail to falls: EASY Creek Crossings: NO Elevation Gain: 357 feet Waterfall Height: Approx 12 feet Access to top of falls: NO - not without getting wet Access to base of falls: YES Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: YES + sandy beach RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES (along road) + secondary parking area closer to trailhead for trucks and high ground clearance vehicles with room for about 6 cars. ~~~ [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] A lovely waterfall in any season, but also a great spot for a summer swim. While we had the waterfall practically to ourselves during our Mid-March expedition, be advised other trail website reviews say it gets trashy & crowded in summer months. What a shame if that is true because it truly is a treasure. ENJOY! 2022 / 74 #UPDATE 178

This is the best waterfall we got to visit in SC this far. After we left Reedy Branch Falls we…read moredrove here. Well, as close as we could get. I didn't realize that we couldn't drive all the way to the trailhead so we had a long hike in store due to me having to carry my toddler most of the time. I should have re-read the previous reviews before coming. My friend did help me carry her as well and for that I was very thankful. So definitely don't recommend this hike with a little one unless strapped in a carrier. Also, I don't recommend it for the elderly either. It's definitely a wilderness hike deal with roots and elevation change. In fact, it's mostly downhill on the way to the falls, but on the way back it's pretty much all uphill, which was not fun with aforementioned young child. It's about a half mile to the actual trailhead and then another 0.7 mile to the falls. That's about 2.4 miles round trip. The reason of course that my boys absolutely became enamored with this place is the large swimming hole. It is wonderful and has plenty of space. The waterfall itself is beautiful and although it's not as tall as others, its width is quite impressive. I was trying to get as close as I could and even noticed a hidden part of the falls inside of the rock structure. That was so cool!! The sand at the base and shore give it a beachy vibe. We definitely packed it in and out making sure not to leave anything behind as to preserve the area as best as possible. Needless to say we were wiped by the time we made it back to our vehicles, but we're still glad we decided to venture here. Coming back with my hubby and boys in the very near future. Happy yelping!

As far as lake beaches go, it is nice. But let's remember, this is NOT A REAL beach! $52 for a…read morefamily of five which includes a splash pad, shelter house, and...um... a lake. If your 8 year old sees the "water park" (of which the big slide from the pictures no longer exists), extra $10/person. Nice kayaks! Sorry not included. Lifeguards on their phones. I could go on. Want the beach, go to a real one. Should be $3-5 a person

Yes, the scenery is beautiful, but you can get that in Chimney Rock, Black Mountain, etc…read more The water and beach are just gross. There are ducks (and maybe geese) that live at the beach. They crap all over the place. The first 10 feet of sand is basically raked kitty litter, with duck poo instead of cat poo. The water and beach smell like poo. The beach (above the poo line) would be fine without the smell, as the sand is pretty clean and fine. Maybe the rest of the lake is clean, but it's hard to tell from the beach. Eww. The staff is friendly but not assertive enough. We went during COVID restrictions and half the people refused masks inside and none of the staff enforced anything.