Spoonauger Falls is a 50-foot, multi-tiered waterfall located off of Forest Road 646/Burrell’s Ford Road in Sumter National Forest. The road is paved for about a quarter mile, then turns to uneven gravel.
Learn about other Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area waterfalls.
Drive just beyond the Burrell’s Ford parking lot until you reach the next information board on your right. There is no parking lot for this trail so you will have to park along the side of the road. Start your half-mile hike at the information board and follow the signs for the Chattooga River Trail.
You will walk parallel with the river which is left of the path. Some openings are accessible to walk to the river’s edge, which was calm and beautiful when I visited. Several people took advantage of the nice day to fish in the river.
There are a couple of sections where you will need to cross small streams and Spoonauger Creek. One area had logs placed across the trail to help with muddiness.
Spoonauger Falls Trail
You will see the metal trailhead post indicating the breakaway for the Spoonauger Falls Trail to the right. The trail runs to a small waterfall on the creek.
Take the switchback up the hill to continue on to Spoonauger Falls. The route includes some wooden steps. Once you make the turn you get your first look at the falls in the distance. Here the path includes more tree roots, rocks, and drop offs so watch your step.
Spoonauger Falls
Spoonauger Falls is a 3-tier waterfall. You can see the upper main falls, and the middle section from the trail. The path loops around a tree near the falls and you are able to walk out onto a large rock for closer viewing.
The middle section is rather flat, so we were able to walk up even closer to the falls on the flat rocks near where the main section breaks. Be careful as the rocks in and around the waterfall are slick!
We had Spoonauger Falls to ourselves. There were several cars at the nearby King Creek Falls that day but no one came to Spoonauger while we were there. These are two beautiful, lesser-known waterfalls. I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area!
Slippery rocks and fast-moving water can be dangerous! Please don’t climb, stand on, swim near, or jump from any waterfall.