Gorges State Park always sounds like ‘gorgeous state park’ in my accent – and it is! The park offers hiking, biking, camping, fishing, and picnicking with 26 waterfalls, the northern boundary of Lake Jocassee, and a portion of the 70-mile Foothills Trail. It sits near where North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia meet.
On my visit I hiked to three waterfalls: Rainbow Falls, Turtleback Falls, and Upper Bearwallow Falls.
Rainbow Falls
Both Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Falls are available along the same trail. They are closest to the Grassy Ridge entrance. I arrived at the trailhead parking area around 9 a.m. There were only 8 other cars. By noon, the lot was full, and people had to move to the overflow area.
The 1.5-mile strenuous trail has orange circle blazes to guide the way. It starts as a relatively easy stroll downhill, with rocks and a creek crossing. Remember that this will be an uphill slog to end your hike.
I heard blue jays and northern parulas singing in the morning stillness.
Fun fact: These two waterfalls are not inside Gorges State Park boundaries. Around halfway into the hike, the trail crosses into Pisgah National Forest.
When the route nears the river, it veers right and up. Then there are so many sets of steps – I counted about 13 sets to Rainbow Falls!
On the Horsepasture River, this 150-foot waterfall is lovely! There are two main overlooks and a spur trail to the base. From the main upper overlook, visitors can see the full length of the falls.
After the main overlook, a spur trail to the left leads to a lower wooden platform. Here views are closer and level with the middle of the waterfall.
Finally, I made my way carefully down a dirt path to the base of Rainbow Falls.
I saw small rainbows in the mist at the base and along the open rockface.
Turtleback Falls
After Rainbow Falls, I returned to the main overlook and trail to continue upriver to Turtleback Falls. Also known as Umbrella Falls, this 20-foot waterfall is only a quarter mile upstream.
I climbed a set of stairs and then followed the wooden fencing along the river.
For me, the best view was on the short spur trail next to a red danger sign about slippery rocks and strong currents.
Here there is a large boulder directly across from the cascade for viewing, photographing, and resting.
From Turtleback Falls, I returned to the trailhead. While on my way back, I took spur trails to the river and saw additional small cascades.
Upper Bearwallow Falls
Upper Bearwallow Falls is the only waterfall actually within the park with a maintained trail to it.
Starting from the trailhead at Picnic Area 2, this short 0.2-mile gravel path still made for a strenuous hike. Its steep descent follows blue triangle blazes and includes multiple switchbacks. There were a couple of benches to rest on, especially on the way back up.
The trail ended with a wooden staircase down to an observation deck.
Upper Bearwallow Falls drops directly across the gorge. The view from the deck is only a small portion of the over 100 feet that make up Upper Bearwallow Falls.
At the end of the day, I was extremely tired from all the ups and downs, but it was well worth it! Gorges State Park was beautiful and there is so much to explore.
Looking for more waterfalls?
The following are nearby waterfalls or state parks with waterfalls: