Accessibility – Moderate+
Height – 25′
Distance – 1.7 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 6
Photo rating – 5
Solitude – 8
GPS Info: LAT 35.02149 LONG -82.97403
Last Updated – 05-05-2025
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Where to park: There is ample parking at the hunt camp where Coley Creek Road meets Musterground Road. The GPS coordinates are: 35.0268, -82.97101. To reach the parking, you will need a 4×4 with good ground clearance. The Musterground Road gate at Bad Creek is only open from 9/15 to 1/15, and for six weeks in the spring, limiting the opportunities to hike in this area.
The hike: The hike follows what’s left of Coley Creek Road, which leaves from the back of the hunt camp, and passes an outhouse. A log bridge gets you across a tributary, and the road becomes more obvious. There is some downfall to contend with, but for a road that has not been maintained in half a century, it’s not that bad. I cut through some of the thickest spots, but there was some big stuff to climb over. I left the trail at 35.02096, -82.97412, which is downstream of the falls. There isn’t a good landmark, but the bank is near-vertical, closer to the falls. Downstream, it’s not as steep, but it’s all about picking the right line. I ended up on a narrow ledge that dropped me just downstream of the falls. The creek bed is open below the falls, making for an easy walk up to the falls.
More to see: I hiked Coley Creek Road all the way down to Lake Jocassee, which adds about another mile to the trek, and I went down to the falls on my way back, which made it easier to pick a spot to head down to the creek. The road was surprisingly open down by the lake.
