Maxie Duke Falls
- Height: 88 feet
- Type: Cascading staircase
- Stream: Opossum Creek
- River Basin: Savannah River
- Elevation: 1,346 feet
- Landowner: U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Recreational Area: Sumter National Forest, Andrew Pickens Ranger District
- State: South Carolina
- County: Oconee
- USGS Map: Rainy Mountain
- Difficulty: Strenuous to very strenuous
- Accessibility: Forest road, trail & scramble path
- Trail Blaze: None
- Admission Fee: None
- Hike Length: 3 miles
- Waterfall GPS: 34.75459 -83.30872
- Parking GPS: 34.74179 -83.29893
Overview
Maxie Duke Falls is named after waterfall extraordinaire Maxie Lee Wright Duke. (June 16, 1927 - December 16, 2020). Maxie and her two close friends John Danner and Sidney Ballenger self-published the first known waterfall book of Oconee County waterfalls in September 24, 1983, entitled Some Waterfalls, Shoals, and Cascades of Oconee County, South Carolina. Nine books were produced in total, three of which were kept for themselves and six were presented to the Oconee County Library in Walhalla, The State Library in Columbia, the County Planning and Development Commission, Walhalla High School, Walhalla Middle School and the Stumphouse Ranger Station (Sumter National Forest, Andrew Pickens Ranger District).
Driving Directions
From Westminster, South Carolina. From the intersection of US-123, head north on US-76 for 12.9 miles and turn left onto Damascus Church Road. Drive 0.8 miles and turn right onto Battlecreek Road. Drive 3 miles and turn right onto Damascus Church Road. Drive 0.8 miles and turn right onto the gated FS 2616 (Opossum Creek Road.) Do not block!
From Clayton, Georgia. From the intersection of US-441, head east on US-76 for 10.7 miles and turn right onto Orchard Road. Drive 2.4 miles and turn right onto Battlecreek Road. Drive 2.6 miles and turn right onto Damascus Church Road. Drive 0.8 miles and turn right onto the gated FS 2616 (Opossum Creek Road.) Do not block!
From Clayton, Georgia. From the intersection of US-441, head east on US-76 for 10.7 miles and turn right onto Orchard Road. Drive 2.4 miles and turn right onto Battlecreek Road. Drive 2.6 miles and turn right onto Damascus Church Road. Drive 0.8 miles and turn right onto the gated FS 2616 (Opossum Creek Road.) Do not block!
Hiking Directions
From the parking. Head around the gate and follow the road to a fork and keep right. Continue down the road for 500+ feet to the first of four wildlife clearings. Continue for 0.20 miles to a fork and head right, heading around the second clearing. Continue following the road for 0.64 miles to the third opening on the right. Follow the road for 0.23 miles to the forth and last wildlife clearing and head to the western side of the clearing to a trail (Was flagged 3/27/2018.) Follow the trail for 880+ feet to a faint path to the left. Follow the faint path southwest, bushwhacking and sliding down the side of the mountain to the creek. Once at the creek, head upstream to the base of the tree covered Lower Maxie Duke Falls and cross the creek and head upstream to the falls. Proceed at own risk!
My GPS track can be found below. Click on the track name to be taken to the Gaia GPS website where you can save the track to your phone or computer.
My GPS track can be found below. Click on the track name to be taken to the Gaia GPS website where you can save the track to your phone or computer.
