We have a family vacation home in Highlands NC. Flying into the Asheville airport, rent a car and…read moretake the 1.5 hour drive through the serpentine mountains to the tranquil Town of Highlands where the golf courses are top notch and in every community. Endless mountain views with high end boutiques and even a local favorite gathering called The Ugly Dog Pub. Shopped today on Main Street and had a good espresso at Calders Coffee. Parking on Main Street is simple. Its a laid back area to relieve stress from the big city traffic.

Not my cup of tea...snooty and pretentious. Perfect if you want to walk around in your high priced…read moreouterwear feeling superior to everyone. Upscale shopping and restaurants. We strolled the well groomed streets of downtown after a long day of hiking. We ate a few miles down the road in Cashiers. Wanted a quick walk before heading back to our cabin. I would come back to this area for the surrounding hiking opportunities...hence 2 stars. I feel no need to venture back into downtown Highlands for any reason.

Most of the obelisks near courthouses in the South relate to the Civil War. And yes, this is one…read morebut is mostly a memorial to one of the founders of this city, General John A. Wagener. The marker reads, "Founder of Walhalla. Born in Sievern, Kingdom of Hannover, Germany July 21, 1816. He emigrated to Charleston, SC where he became a leader in the German emigrant community. Elected Mayor of Charleston. Organized the German Colonization Society with the purpose of finding a suitable place for German emigrants to settle in upstate South Carolina. During the War Between the States, he served as a Colonel in the German Artillery, South Carolina Militia, Confederate States Army, and was later promoted to Brigadier General. Died August 29, 1876 in Walhalla, and was buried in Saint John's Lutheran Church cemetery at his request. His remains were later removed to Bethany Cemetery, Charleston, SC, where a monument was erected to him by the veterans of the German Artillery." In addition to his better-known civic and military roles, General John A. Wagener was a merchant by trade and a passionate advocate for German-American identity in the antebellum South. He arrived in Charleston in 1833 and quickly became a bridge between immigrant communities and local institutions. Beyond founding organizations, he also played a key role in integrating German customs into Charleston's civic life, helping to normalize bilingual publications and cultural events in a predominantly Anglo-American society. Wagener's leadership extended into education and urban planning. He was instrumental in shaping the early infrastructure of Walhalla, not just as a founder but as a planner who emphasized orderly development, public squares, and civic buildings. His vision for the town reflected Enlightenment ideals of community, self-governance, and cultural preservation. Later in life, Wagener remained active in veterans' affairs and was revered by Charleston's German community as a patriarchal figure. [Review 1280 of 2025 - 1306 in South Carolina - 24832 overall]

Worth the stop…read more The Sequoyah Falls is not marked and is man made. Look for the lake and a small gravel pull over along the road near "Highlands elevation 4118'. sign. From the gravel lot, go towards the lake and to the right, there's a quick 3 minute trail to the Falls. From the road, you can see a glimpse of the Falls, but it's much better view from below. When we were there, no one else was around unlike nearby falls. The spill over from the lake above was striking and was a fun 15 minute pull over.

Really cool man-made waterfall, with beautiful sunset lighting. Easy to get to right off the road…read moreand plenty of angles for pictures. Definitely a must see in the area during sunset.

Beautiful falls! You can find the trail head near the entrance of the campground parking lot. Then…read morefollow the white paint marks to the falls!

Second on the list was Kings Creek Fall on the last Hiking Yelp Event hosted by Richard and…read moreJamarcus which was also my first one. Not only my first Hiking Event but also my first time hiking. This time this guys took us to chase waterfalls to Walhalla, South Carolina. Definitely a great choice with beautiful views (which is why I live for, great views). The itinerary consisted on the following waterfalls: Station Cove Falls * King Creek Falls Spoonauger Falls Issaqueena Falls Yellow Branch Falls This trail was a little more tricky than the one before. First of all. The GPS would make you turn left right before the actual parking lot of this trail and it'll take you somewhere else. Right ahead you'll see the parking lot which it is where it actually starts. Everything was well signaled and mark for everyone to follow the directions but trail was full of roots making it a little harder. Even though I was already exhausted when I got to the waterfall once I saw it, it refreshed me and gave me energy to keep going. This waterfall is about 70 ft and it is absolutely majestic. I brought my chacos to this event so I was able to get inside the river and closer to the waterfall and I believe here is where I got better pictures. I think I was pretty brave to do that too. LOL. I had so much fun on this event and I discovered what can be my new passion. Shoutout to Richard and his wife Dani for being so helpful and awesome. Every single person at the group was super nice too and willing to wait for me when i was getting too slow. LOL. Thanks y'all. Can't wait for the nexts events coming up. ESPAÑOL El segundo lugar de la lista fue Kings Creek Fall en el último Evento de Yelp de Senderismo organizado por Richard y Jamarcus, que también fue el primero. No solo mi primer evento de senderismo, sino también mi primera vez. Esta vez, estos muchachos nos llevaron a cazar cascadas a Walhalla, Carolina del Sur. Definitivamente una gran elección con hermosas vistas (por lo que vivo por, excelentes vistas). El itinerario consistió en las siguientes cataratas: Estación Cove Falls * King Creek Falls Spoonauger Falls Issaqueena Falls Rama amarilla Falls Este camino fue un poco más complicado que el anterior. Ante todo. El GPS te haría girar a la izquierda antes del estacionamiento real de esta ruta y te llevará a otro lugar. Justo delante verá el estacionamiento, que es donde realmente comienza. Todo estaba bien señalado y marcó para que todos siguieran las instrucciones, pero el camino estaba lleno de raíces, lo que lo hacía un poco más difícil. Aunque ya estaba agotado cuando llegué a la cascada una vez que lo vi, me refrescó y me dio energía para seguir adelante. Esta cascada es de unos 70 pies y es absolutamente majestuosa. Traje mis chacos a este evento, así que pude entrar al río y acercarme a la cascada, y creo que aquí es donde obtuve mejores fotos. Creo que también fui muy valiente para hacer eso. Jajaja Me divertí mucho en este evento y descubrí cuál puede ser mi nueva pasión. Grita a Richard y su esposa Dani por ser tan serviciales e increíbles. Cada persona del grupo también era súper agradable y estaba dispuesta a esperarme cuando me estaba volviendo demasiado lento. Jajaja Gracias a todos. No puedo esperar a los próximos eventos.

First off the Old Iron Bridge is not a business but rather a scenic stop on the Chattooga river…read more The bridge crosses the river between Cashiers and Highlands and is located on a dirt forestry road. It is certainly worth the visit. The original poster here offers a great deal of information about this bridge.

Do you ever see a landmark on Google Maps and wonder what it looks like in person? I do! I actually…read morespend hours when I'm bored traveling the world via Google Earth. It's how I find interesting things to do when I plan to be in a specific area either hiking or on vacation. ~~~ What makes this Old Iron Bridge special is its location over the mighty Chattooga River very early in the rivers journey. My guess is it's about 8 miles from where its headwaters begin @ Cashiers Lake. The Chattooga eventually becomes a much larger, wider and wild river as well as the defining squiggly boundary line between northeast Georgia and western South Carolina. This same river eventually bleeds into Lake Hartwell and soon after becomes the Savannah River, dumping all this fresh water into the Atlantic ocean. So, almost its entire journey defines South Carolina from Georgia, and it all begins very near this Old Iron Bridge. Call me a nerd if you want, but it simply fascinates me that I could possibly drop a note in a bottle from this bridge, and it has the potential of reaching Savannah, Georgia on a long journey 300+ miles away. Of course the bottle would have to survive the Class V crushing rapids + overcome multiple dams on the way to Savannah, but a fun thought nonetheless. Or what if you could drop a gallon of dye into the water that doesn't dissolve and track how long it takes to make it to the Atlantic? As a kid, I always has a fascination of how things work... like how far up does a helium filled party balloon travel and how many miles away will it be found? Coordinates: 35°00'57.5"N 83°07'34.8"W ~~~ [ WATERFALLS ] The most interesting highlight of this bridge is the waterfall below it! It's not a huge one (more of a large rapid in high water), but a thunderous spot in the river nonetheless as the southbound river takes a sharp turn east just past the bridge! I didn't know it until after I got home, but there was a spot on the other side of the river where I could have gotten a great pic of the falls, like this pic I found on pinterest: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/31/f6/fa/31f6fa1c47cfb5c0b57bc8417bea56aa.jpg My photos are from the opposite side of the bridge, which by the way, has a trail and a small parking area good for two cars. The trail leads down to the river and in a rainy period, you may also spot a LARGE 100'+ waterfall in the distance coming off the Chattooga Cliff on Bullpen Mountain. I only took the trail a short way to get a better pic of the distant waterfall, but it seems to follow the river north. ~~~ [ HISTORY ] Style: Pony truss bridge Status: Open to traffic Built: 1934 Length of largest span: 79.7 ft. Total length: 81.7 ft. Deck width: 11.8 ft. Also called Chattooga River Bridge Bull Pen Bridge Ammons Branch Bridge ~~~ [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] If you are a fan of bridges, this is a great one to add to your photo collection. Bull Pen Road is a nice wooded drive from Burrell's Ford Campground to Highlands, North Carolina. IF you are a fan of waterfalls, Kings Creek Fall and Spoonauger Falls are near the campground, and Secret Falls, Dry Falls as well as a high concentration of other named waterfalls are all near the Highlands! Enjoy 2020 / 8

Yellow Branch Falls was the last waterfall we went to on the last Hiking Yelp Event hosted by…read moreRichard and Jamarcus which was also my first one. Not only my first Hiking Event but also my first time hiking. This time these guys took us to chase waterfalls to Walhalla, South Carolina. Definitely a great choice with beautiful views (which is why I live for, great views). The itinerary consisted on the following waterfalls: Station Cove Falls King Creek Falls Spoonauger Falls Issaqueena Falls *Yellow Branch Falls Yellow Branch was one of my favorites too. I was told the hike was about 1.5 round trip but it happened to be 3 miles total! I was exhausted but I have to say it was worth it. The trail is super easy, very spacious too so I felt free LOL. Yellow Branch was great and definitely one of my favorites places we visited on the trip. I think it's great for everyone including children. I didn't realize how easy hiking can be. There are indications and marks all over the place to help people follow the right way. My group was super experimented but I feel it would be totally fine for beginners too. No worries. I had so much fun on this event and I discovered what can be my new passion. Shoutout to Richard and his wife Dani for being so helpful and awesome. Every single person at the group was super nice too and willing to wait for me when i was getting too slow. LOL. Thanks y'all. Can't wait for the nexts events coming up. Thanks Richard for the great pictures you took of me!! :D ESPAÑOL Yellow Branch Falls fue la última cascada a la que asistimos en el último Evento de Yelp de Senderismo organizado por Richard y Jamarcus, que también fue el primero. No solo mi primer evento de senderismo, sino también mi primera vez. Esta vez, estos muchachos nos llevaron a cazar cascadas a Walhalla, Carolina del Sur. Definitivamente una gran elección con hermosas vistas (por lo que vivo por, excelentes vistas). El itinerario consistió en las siguientes cataratas: Estación Cove Falls King Creek Falls Spoonauger Falls Issaqueena Falls * Yellow Branch Falls Yellow Branch fue uno de mis favoritos también. Me dijeron que la caminata era de alrededor de 1.5 ida y vuelta, ¡pero resultó ser 3 millas en total! Estaba agotada pero tengo que decir que valió la pena. El sendero es muy fácil, muy espacioso también, así que me sentí libre LOL. Yellow Branch fue genial y, sin duda, uno de mis lugares favoritos que visitamos en el viaje. Creo que es genial para todos, incluidos los niños. No me di cuenta de lo fácil que puede ser el senderismo. Hay indicaciones y marcas por todo el lugar para ayudar a las personas a seguir el camino correcto. Mi grupo fue súper experimentado, pero creo que también estaría bien para los principiantes. Sin preocupaciones. Me divertí mucho en este evento y descubrí cuál puede ser mi nueva pasión. Grita a Richard y su esposa Dani por ser tan serviciales e increíbles. Cada persona del grupo también era súper agradable y estaba dispuesta a esperarme cuando me estaba volviendo demasiado lento. Jajaja Gracias a todos. No puedo esperar a los próximos eventos.

Today I spent the entire day with my wife (of 21 years this month) hiking 5 waterfalls, a 1850's…read moreincomplete railroad tunnel, and a historic park. We logged approximately 8 miles and our award for favorite destination of the day goes to Yellow Branch Falls. Here's what we loved: + It is a popular waterfall for both people and pets! Plenty of cute doggies to play with along the trail. + Because it's popular, it didn't feel remote and dangerous, making my non-hiker wife feel more comfortable. + Parking was plentiful + Restroom facility + Wide & spacious trail for the most part and easy to follow + Woods were not dense with foliage and lines of sight were sometimes well over 100 yards. + Creek crossings were easy as the trail made use of bridges, stepping stones and even downed trees. ++ And the biggest reason of all, A STUNNING WATERFALL as a reward for your 1.5 mile efforts. YELLOW BRANCH FALLS is only 50 feet tall, but feels so much larger because its multi-tiered face is about 80 feet wide! It is a magnificent specimen of a waterfall due to the fact that you can not only see ALL of it head on, but it also has an easy to photograph side profile. The reward of a gorgeous waterfall coupled with a pleasant trail that feel like Red Riding Hood's walk to grandma's house makes this our top hike of the day! Our other hikes today included nearby: - Lick Log Falls - Pigpen Falls - Issaqueena Falls - Station Cove Falls (2nd favorite of the day) - Oconee Station Historic Site - Stumphouse Tunnel Be sure to stop by King Taco in Walhalla as a reward for all the calories you will burn on these hikes. Great tacos and burritos! 2019/22

I was enjoying a walk at the botanical gardens and saw the sign near where I'd parked. It's a…read moresteady, mild incline 1/2 mile up and down a gravel road to the viewpoints. Not by any means the prettiest trek, but lovely views at the top of course. I did encounter sections of monster mosquitos about 3/4 the way up and around the rocky viewing areas. I didn't arrive at sunset or rise, so I can't account for that aspect. But I found some of the other viewpoints in the area equally pretty, so I probably wouldn't go out of my way for these. And, I enjoyed the setting of the botanical preserve trails below much better. Still yet, I'm sure it would've been a different experience during the right time of day.

Loved this place! It's a half mile walk in a gravel road but to be able to watch the sunset was so…read morebeautiful!! Will definitely be back.