Accessibility – Very Hard
Height – 45′
Distance – 7.2 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 7
Photo rating – 8
Solitude – 10
GPS Info: LAT 35.08038 LONG -82.89134
Last Updated – 12-23-2024
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Where to park: The parking is at the Frozen Creek Parking Area for Gorges State Park which is on Frozen Creek Road about three miles from US64. The parking lot is at 35.10878, -82.88368. Google knows how to find Frozen Creek Parking Area.
The hike: This hike is no joke, and if something were to happen, no one will be happening by to help, so go with a group and tell someone where you’re going. I’m not kidding. I’ll say this. I love this waterfall and the one above it. They were nothing like I expected, and despite the difficulty, I will go back again. You can combine this hike with Upper Maple Springs Branch Falls if you want. I did them as one hike, and while Upper and Lower Fisher Hole are much nicer, adding in the third stop isn’t going to kill you, even though the bushwhack down to it might. If you read the hike for Upper Maple Springs Branch, it should be obvious how to combine the hikes.
This hike will take you to both Upper and Lower Fisher Hole Falls. I had no idea what to expect going in and I was blown away by both. Lace ’em up. Here we go. The hike follows the Auger Hole Trail out of the parking lot, across a bridge and eventually onto Auger Hole Road, which is also the trail. The trail is going to climb to a T intersection at the top of the ridge. The Auger Hole Trail goes to the right. Make a left onto the Canebrake Trail. The hike will stay on Canebrake for the next 2.5 miles until reaching this point 35.07996, -82.89006 where an old road turns sharply to the right.
This road will steer you toward the creek, and when the trail curves to the right, you will hear the waterfall off to your left. You DO NOT want to head for the waterfall. There is a huge cliff in the way. Stay with the riad as it heads upstream and switches back after crossing the creek to river right. You want to be on this side to make your way down to the falls. From the apex of the crossing, it is only a short distance to get to the upper falls. It’s going to be steep getting down to it, but the waterfall is very close to the old road. Upper Fisher Hole Falls is at 35.08083, -82.89068. Put that in your app and make sure to come out below the waterfall.
Climb back to the old road and continue downstream for 0.1 of a mile and head down to the creek. It is going to be very steep going, but it isn’t hard to find a route to the creek. The road is further from the creek at the lower waterfall, so it will take some time to get down to the base. The lower falls is at 1542 ft and the upper is at 1650 ft. I wasn’t expecting anything on this scale, and the picture just doesn’t do it justice.
