Accessibility – Moderate+
Height – 25′ (several drops)
Distance – 0.8 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 5
Photo rating – 3
Solitude – 4
GPS Info: LAT 35.00046 LONG -83.05619
Last Updated – 12-31-2024
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The trailhead: The trailhead is on SC107 at Sloan Bridge Picnic Area. This is 0.2 miles North of the SC107 with Wigington Rd, and a few miles south of the NC/SC state line. The parking GPS id right about here: 35.00355, -830.5415. It’s a popular spot so don’t be surprised if the lot is full. I was there on 12-30 and the lot was full, but this is a trailhead for the Foothills Trail.
The hike: The hike leaves the lower end of the parking area on an obvious trail and heads down to a open area where it bends to the right toward the river. The trail was in good shape, with only a few wet areas, but there had been a lot of rain the day before. The trail will bend away from the river to cross through a small drainage, and on the other side it will rejoin the river and follow it on the slow lefthand bend that will take you past the top of Upper Sloan Bridge Falls. Once you pass the falls, start looking for the extremely steep path leading to the base. The upper portion wasn’t too bad, but closer to the river it’s eroded. There was a strap tied to a tree that helped, but who knows how long that will remain. On my visit, it looked pretty new, and it did come in handy. The angled rock at the base of the steep part was covered in leaves and super slippery, something Axel didn’t care for when it was time to leave and he initially couldn’t get any traction.
The waterfall was nice, but the slick rock, high water and low temperature prevented me from exploring too much or getting into position for a better shot. There are three levels to the falls, and my vantage was from the middle of the second ledge. It’s definitely a summer visit waterfall.
