Pristine Falls
Height: 56 feet
Type: Cascade into a cascading free-fall
Stream: Fall Creek
River Basin: Savannah River
Elevation: 1,429 feet
Landowner: United States Department of Agriculture
Recreational Area: Sumter National Forest, Andrew Pickens Ranger District
County: Oconee
USGS Map: Rainy Mountain
Difficulty: Moderate
Accessibility: Logging road, trail, steep scramble & creek walking
Trail Blaze: None
Admission Fee: None
Hike Length: 1.18 miles
Waterfall GPS: 34.82183 -83.25656
Parking GPS: 34.82090 -83.24984
Type: Cascade into a cascading free-fall
Stream: Fall Creek
River Basin: Savannah River
Elevation: 1,429 feet
Landowner: United States Department of Agriculture
Recreational Area: Sumter National Forest, Andrew Pickens Ranger District
County: Oconee
USGS Map: Rainy Mountain
Difficulty: Moderate
Accessibility: Logging road, trail, steep scramble & creek walking
Trail Blaze: None
Admission Fee: None
Hike Length: 1.18 miles
Waterfall GPS: 34.82183 -83.25656
Parking GPS: 34.82090 -83.24984
Overview
Somehow this beautiful waterfall went unnoticed by the vast majority of the waterfall community for quite some time, and it's located surprisingly close to the well-known Fall Creek Falls Trail in the Long Creek area of Oconee County. Pristine Falls is also known as Upper Fall Creek Falls in some publications.
This waterfall has an amazing veil that you can safely get behind and even stand underneath the falling water, giving one heck of a hillbilly baptism. Please do be careful not to trample the rare plants near the base of the waterfall!
This waterfall has an amazing veil that you can safely get behind and even stand underneath the falling water, giving one heck of a hillbilly baptism. Please do be careful not to trample the rare plants near the base of the waterfall!
Driving Directions
From Walhalla, South Carolina. From the intersection of SC-183, head west on SC-28 for 6.1 miles and turn left onto Whetstone Road. Drive 4.9 miles and turn left onto Chattooga Ridge Road. Drive 3.8 miles and turn right onto Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.3 miles and turn left to stay on Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.37 miles and park on the left side of the road in a small grassy area in the outer portion of the curve.
From Westminster, South Carolina. From the intersection of US-123, head north on US-76 for 15.4 miles and turn right onto Chattooga Ridge Road. Drive 2.1 miles and turn left onto Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.3 miles and turn left to stay on Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.37 miles and park on the left side of the road in a small grassy area in the outer portion of the curve.
From Clayton, Georgia. From the intersection of US-441, head east on US-76 for 10.3 miles and turn left onto Chattooga Ridge Road. Drive 2.1 miles and turn left onto Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.3 miles and turn left to stay on Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.37 miles and park on the left side of the road in a small grassy area in the outer portion of the curve.
From Westminster, South Carolina. From the intersection of US-123, head north on US-76 for 15.4 miles and turn right onto Chattooga Ridge Road. Drive 2.1 miles and turn left onto Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.3 miles and turn left to stay on Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.37 miles and park on the left side of the road in a small grassy area in the outer portion of the curve.
From Clayton, Georgia. From the intersection of US-441, head east on US-76 for 10.3 miles and turn left onto Chattooga Ridge Road. Drive 2.1 miles and turn left onto Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.3 miles and turn left to stay on Fall Creek Road (FS-722). Drive 0.37 miles and park on the left side of the road in a small grassy area in the outer portion of the curve.
Hiking Directions
From the parking. Look for a trail on the southwest side of the road and follow it for about 300+ feet to an old logging road. Head left and follow the logging road for 650+ feet to a junction and head right. Continue following the logging road for about 0.23 mile to another junction and head left to begin heading downhill. Continue down the logging road for 380+ feet and look for a faint path to the left and follow the path down towards the creek. The last section of the path is a steep scramble down to the stream, once down to the stream carefully creek walk upstream to the waterfall.
From the Fall Creek Falls Trail. Continue driving down Fall Creek Road (FS-722) for 0.15 mile and park on the left side of the road in a small pull-off, just past the large culvert that runs beneath the road. (Parking GPS 34.82253 -83.25067.) Head towards the southwest corner of the parking and look for a tree with red painted bands on it and a trail heading downhill to the left of it. Follow the trail downhill for 200+ feet to a junction in the trail. (You'll pass by Andrew Ramey Falls on your way down.) Keep right to stay on the main trail and continue following the trail for 100+ feet to where it runs into an old logging road and head left. Follow the logging road downhill a short distance to where the trail splits and the main trail heads right up the hill.
Continue following the trail for 550+ feet to where it curves right and brings you to the top of a short but steep rocky area that drops down into a stream, which is North Fork Fall Creek. Carefully scramble down the steep rocky section into the stream and cross over to the other side. (You'll see Rhodo Falls to your left as you're crossing over the stream.) Continue following the trail for about 0.37 mile, and you'll come to another junction in the trail. Head left and follow it a short distance to the confluence of North Fork Fall Creek and Fall Creek. Cross over the North Fork Fall Creek and continue following the trail a short distance to an old logging road. Follow the logging road uphill for about 350+ feet to a faint path to the right and follow the path down towards the creek. The last section of the path is a steep scramble down to the stream, once down to the stream carefully creek walk upstream to the waterfall.
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.
From the Fall Creek Falls Trail. Continue driving down Fall Creek Road (FS-722) for 0.15 mile and park on the left side of the road in a small pull-off, just past the large culvert that runs beneath the road. (Parking GPS 34.82253 -83.25067.) Head towards the southwest corner of the parking and look for a tree with red painted bands on it and a trail heading downhill to the left of it. Follow the trail downhill for 200+ feet to a junction in the trail. (You'll pass by Andrew Ramey Falls on your way down.) Keep right to stay on the main trail and continue following the trail for 100+ feet to where it runs into an old logging road and head left. Follow the logging road downhill a short distance to where the trail splits and the main trail heads right up the hill.
Continue following the trail for 550+ feet to where it curves right and brings you to the top of a short but steep rocky area that drops down into a stream, which is North Fork Fall Creek. Carefully scramble down the steep rocky section into the stream and cross over to the other side. (You'll see Rhodo Falls to your left as you're crossing over the stream.) Continue following the trail for about 0.37 mile, and you'll come to another junction in the trail. Head left and follow it a short distance to the confluence of North Fork Fall Creek and Fall Creek. Cross over the North Fork Fall Creek and continue following the trail a short distance to an old logging road. Follow the logging road uphill for about 350+ feet to a faint path to the right and follow the path down towards the creek. The last section of the path is a steep scramble down to the stream, once down to the stream carefully creek walk upstream to the waterfall.
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.
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