I didn't realize just how massive Gorges State Park was until I read more about it. It spans over…read more8,000 acres and has 26 waterfalls. We hiked to Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Falls, both of which were well worth the effort. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to Drift Falls (I'll blame the IPAs from the night before and my hiking attire). It's located on private property, but from what I've read, the views are still good. The hike is moderately challenging, so come prepared with proper footwear and plenty of water. The trails can be demanding, but the waterfalls and scenery make every step worth it.

I'm not sure I can add anything more to the story than these pictures tell. ABSOLUTELY worth the…read moredrive and hike! COMPLETELY stunning!!!

Beautiful falls but only gave it 4 stars because it's the kind of place that you get to it, take a…read morepicture, and leave. After walking down wooden stairs, you end up on a viewing deck. The waterfall is in the distance. It's a fairly easy hike. Getting there is easy but after you do have to walk back up the stairs but there is a bench at the halfway point to take a rest. We did this along with Silver Run Falls, 9 miles away. Both of these hikes are fairly easy and would be good for small children and/or dogs. I recommend doing both of these falls on same day because you can easily do both within 90 minutes.

The area is a very complicated series of different jurisdictions; this is federal land under the…read moreFish and Wildlife Service. A parking lot has self-pay stations for a small fee (national parks passes can be displayed in your car instead). The walk to a first view is short, but if you can handle a stair workout, the resulting platform is eminently worthwhile. I've done my fair share of waterfall viewings, and you could hardly imagine a better sight than this complex cascade and the fall color show I arrived just in time for. A separate trail ran down into the valley, with signs saying there were no more waterfall views; and thus presumably no way to get to the falls directly.

We had an AMAZING time with Justin and Highland Excursions! My husband & I have been to Highlands…read moremany times, but we thought it would be fun to actually learn about the area and go see some areas we hadn't seen yet (like Satulah mountain). What a great decision! My husband commented that we should have started our week this way (instead of our last day). We went to a section to hike that we never would have tried (as it's on the Highlands Cashiers Land Trust) that was a beautiful hike with amazing views. Justin was a delightful guide, providing a rich history of the area. We also enjoyed talking geology with Justin, who was a wealth of information. Even if you've been to Highlands & Cashiers many times, treat yourself to a Highlands Excursion to see the beautiful waterfalls, mountain ranges & more. You won't regret it! Can't wait til the next time!

My third tour this season with Justin and Aimee! I learn something new each tour. It is a MUST…read morewhen visiting Highlands or even if you live there!

My husband and I are staying (late Sept, 2023) at the Club Wyndham-Sapphire Valley, and we were…read moregiven a "Sapphire Valley Master Association Amenity Card" for use of amenities while staying on-site. One of the amenities is access to Fairfield Lake, an 80 acre lake at 3,160' elevation in Sapphire, NC. The lake's length is 1 mile, and it is 35' at its deepest point. The amenity card also allows us to use the private beach, picnic tables, a grill, rest room, and to rent motor boats, canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, fishing poles, etc. at the boat house. There is also a Lake Trail around the lake, which is the private property of Camp Merrie-Woode. However, the trail is open to the public (at your own risk) for hiking purposes only during daylight hours from August 15th to May 15th, when camp is not in session. Dogs are allowed but must be on leashes. We saw two brochures, one of which stated that the trail is a 3.3 mile loop while another said that it's 3.8; my Fitbit recorded 3.55 miles. The trail is mostly flat, with an occasional incline or descent, and has a variety of trail surfaces (gravel, pine needles, small rocks, tree limbs, etc.). Besides the lake, there are a few highlights on the trail -- (1) Fairfield Falls. With a height of 25', the waterfall is created by the stream of the Trays Island Creek, a tributary of the Horsepasture River, which runs along the western side of the all Bald directly into Lake Fairfield. (2) Presley Pass. The Iron Bridge across the stream above the waterfall was built by Camp Merrie-Woode caretaker, James Presley, in the mid-1950s. (3) Intersection with the trailhead for the Old Bald Trail, a more strenuous 3 mile hike. The trail is mostly well-marked with small green-white tags. We walked clockwise, and got a bit confused relatively close to our ending point (after a paved road when the signs seemed to disappear).

We did the walk while in Sapphire for the week, and it was beautiful! Luckily, the camp was closed,…read moreso we are able to do the entire loop around the lake. It ends up being about 3.5 miles from end to end. There are some steep areas, and some areas are challenging to navigate due to the rocks, but it was worth it. There is even a waterfall you pass if you need another reason to check this out. The photos do not do justice to the beauty.

Its a long hot hike in the summer, but when you finally make it to the falls, the water is cold!…read more The climbing rope is not very safe, I slipped due to so many people being there and the rock being so slippery and had massive bruises on my knees for weeks. A little overcrowded in the summer.

Turtleback Falls was always so much fun. Everything in this area is spectacular. It is a giant…read morefalls shaped like a turtle's back and you can slide off of it! The rock surface is so smooth and when you slide off the turtle's back you fall 10-15 feet into freezing cold water. There is a hole on turtle back that you can slide into and lean your head back to find an air pocket. You can also swim behind the waterfall and just chill. On the opposite side of the catch pool (natural), you find a giant rock that you can jump off of. I'd say it's roughly 15-20 feet so you may want to wear shoes to assuage the impact on your feet.

Wanna know a secret???…read more There are waterfalls all over this region of the South just waiting to be discovered. Many are known and many more are unknown. While I've been hiking this area for nearly a decade, I only recently heard about this waterfall for the first time last year (2019). A well kept local secret indeed... but y'all dun let the wrong yelper discover this waterfall and the secret is about to be let out! [ THE DRIVE ] There are a shocking amount of natural waterfalls located on private property throughout this area. Thankfully this is not one of them and it can be enjoyed by all. The gravel road to the trailhead is known as Big Creek Road. Since we were coming from the King Creek Waterfall area near Tamassee SC, GPS lead us to the eastern end of Horse Cove Road, which is also known as Bull Pen Road closer to the Chattooga River (where you pass over a cool old iron bridge). I tell you these details because if you happen to follow our driving route on a week after heavy rainfalls, you are likely to see a great number of unnamed waterfalls off in the woods. We counted 5, and only one of them was a named waterfall on Google maps (Scotsman Falls). [ THE EXPERIENCE ] We traveled along Walking Stick Road until it took a sharp right turn towards Big Creek Road. On the day we visited, there was a locked gate blocking the drive onto Big Creek Road, so we parked in a small little niche near the gate and walked about 200 yards to the Secret Falls trailhead (which is marked with a narrow sign). The trail was very muddy, but the descent was slow and steady for the majority of the half mile hike. However, it gets considerably steeper as you approach the portion of the trail leading to the base of the falls. Here you will see poorly maintained wooden timbers actings as steps.They were so poor in fact, that we opted not to use them and walked alongside them. The waterfall was raging from all the recent rain, which limited some of our photo opportunities. It is a gorgeous waterfall with picturesque cascades both above and below it. The cascades below comes as the river takes a sharp left turn just past the pool of water at the base of the falls. Accessing the upper waterfall area is easily done by using a small obvious trail off to the left just before the wooden steps. A downed tree forces you to scramble over it and around large rhododendrons that are bent over from the weight of the fallen tree. Once through the brush, you will be directly on top of the falls, so be careful and exercise good judgement. [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Hiking Distance: 1.3 miles Difficulty: Easy and family friendly (but can be muddy) Creek Crossings: YES (3) Elevation Gain: 255 feet Waterfall Height: Approx 45 feet Access to top of falls: YES Access to base of falls: YES Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: YES RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES if gate is open. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] THE SECRET IS OUT!!! This is a great waterfall for an easy family adventure. We came in the winter, but seems this would be a great picnic spot where kids could play in the water for hours in the summer. The drive to nearby Highlands, NC is only about 6.5 miles away for plenty of food options and even more waterfall adventures. Near Highlands are a number of GREAT waterfalls with very short hiking distances including Ranger Falls, Bust Yer Butt Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Cullasaja River Falls and our personal favorites: Glen Falls, Dry Falls, Mud Falls and Estatoah Falls (which is hidden just next to the Sky Valley Scenic Overlook). ENJOY!!! 2020 / 4

I was somewhat surprised that there are not more reviews of this trail/waterfall. I believe that…read morethe real name of this falls is Big Shoals Falls. In his book on NC waterfalls, Kevin Adams referred to it as Secret Falls and the name seems to have stuck. For years, there was no official trail to this waterfall and the one unofficial trail which existed traversed private property. I've been visiting the area for thirty years and this (October 2021) was my first visit to this waterfall. Bottom line: It is awesome. Truly one of the more beautiful waterfalls that I've been to. I have to disagree with the previous reviewer: IMO, this trail is in horrible shape. Granted, reviews like these are entirely subjective. But I would definitely not bring young children or dogs here. When I visited, the trail was really in bad shape. The first part of the hike was fairly easy. But the farther you go, the worse the trail becomes. Erosion had taken a terrible toll. There are many rutted and washed-out areas. Some were so bad that hikers have bypassed the trail completely. The final descent to the base of the falls was the worst. Wooden steps had been constructed. But the erosion was so bad that much of the soil behind the steps had washed out making the steps all but unusable. There are two water crossings on the trail. One was a couple of planks stretched across a small branch. The other was on a split log over a somewhat larger stream. Neither was too difficult. Then again, the faint-of-heart would probably not care for either one. Trekking poles helped me on both. I was not able to find a path to the brink of the falls. I tried one crude path which seemed to be incredibly choked with rhododenron. So I gave up on getting to the top of the falls. There is a much smaller cascade downstream of the main falls. As with the brink, I could not figure out how to get to it. I visited early in the morning and had the place all to myself. The lighting wasn't terrific. I'm not sure what time or sky conditions are ideal for photography. I drove in on Rich Gap and Big Creek Roads off of Hwy 28 south of Highlands. It wasn't too bad of a drive in my 2WD F-150. But I believe that the drive out on Walking Stick Rd to Horse Cove Rd east of town was easier. If you love waterfalls, definitely put this one on your must-see list. But be aware of the fact that the hike is a challenge. Not so much due to elevation change (which is moderate) but, rather, due to the overall condition of the trail.

Came on a weekday morning, not many cars parked, only went to Rainbow Falls. Pretty short hike to…read moreit, although downhill there so uphill on the way back, not too steep. Slightly slippery from rain, lots of dead trees and leaves on the ground. Not a bad hike, would recommend if you're in the area!

What a fun hike! You hike down to the falls and the hike back up to your car. The falls are…read moreamazing. And there are many spots to get off the trail and climb around on the boulders.

Very cool but a bit hard to find. GPS takes you to the road above. We had to find a better view…read morethrough some unmarked roads. Good luck

I truly find it unbelievable that I can come into an area and wrack up so many FTR's (first to…read morereview) locations. Am I seriously the only yelper who hikes in North Carolina? I'm even more surprised this particular waterfall had no Yelp page! It has a commanding presence that you absolutely cannot miss AND no hike is required to view it, so you would think SOMEONE would have yelped it by now. TOXAWAY FALLS is a gigantic roadside waterfall downstream of the Toxaway Lake Dam. Nearly the entire waterfall is surrounded by either CRAZY STEEP terrain or private property and the only way to really get a head-on shot of the falls is by drone or helicopter! There is a pull-off east of the bridge that give you a decent side view, but doesn't show the depth of the falls like a frontal view would! You can also visit nearby Toxaway Cafe for lunch and an incredible, but distant side view of the falls. It's the best frontal view you're gonna get unless you happen to rent one of the nearby homes facing the falls. While Toxaway Falls looks more like an enormous water slide, topography maps show the falls begin at around 2,953 feet just below the bridge and the overall terrain drops to an elevation of 2,658 in just under a quarter of a mile for a total decline of 295 feet. The main fall drops 80 feet, from 2,920 feet to 2,840 into a pool of water then continues to cascade over significant drops for the next 1,000 feet (about 3.33 football fields). *** [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Total Hiking Distance: 0 miles (roadside) Difficulty: Easy (viewing platform) Creek Crossings: NO Elevation Gain: 0 feet Waterfall Height: about 90 feet initial drop and over 275 total with cascades. Waterfall source: Toxaway River WATERFALL ATTRACTIVENESS - 7 out of 10 TRAIL ATTRACTIVENESS - n/a Access to top of falls: YES Access to base of falls: NOT REALLY Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: YES if it were accessible RESTROOM FACILITIES: NO PARKING: YES (space for about 8-10 cars) *** [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] TOXAWAY FALLS is a wonder to behold. MASSIVE in size, but difficult to view in all its glory. Still a worthy stop if you happen to be passing through Hogback, NC on Hwy 64. IF you want to see its true size, click on the link below for a drone video of the falls. ENJOY! Drone video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW-Bj7jSUv0 2021 / 59

We had a late arrival but it was really easy to find the check-in. You receive an email in advance…read moreto so you know the location. They are in the process of updating the wi-fi in the units. You will get an access card to use the facilities at Sapphire Valley. The pool was nice. The place was a little outdated but in general it was good. There was no mention on the mini golf at the place. Basic course but well maintained. Our unit was very clean and remodeled. There was an electric fireplace to use. The four stars is for having to drive over a mile to get to use the facilities.

This resort is absolutely gorgeous! I wish I could post a video here to show you the entire room…read morefrom beginning to end that I took. We stayed here in December 2023 from a road trip from our home state of Florida. The outdoors was so pretty and we had a great view of the forest. At first thought I thought our backyard was an icy lake, but it was so cold that it was a golf course frozen over. We definitely want to stay here again another season, possibly the fall when there are colored leaves on the trees. This resort is great for large families of 4+. We are 4 adults and stayed here very comfortably because the rooms are huge and can connect! There is a REAL fireplace in each room and the kitchen is large with all the things you need to cook, wash, etc. The rooms were also very clean. The community room is huge and real nice as well. I honestly don't have anything bad to say about the resort except that if you want to visit the lobby, you will have to drive a little. But, we didn't need to at all. You can always call if you need something and they will deliver asap. I strongly recommend this place! If you have any questions, I can try to answer them for you.