The falls downriver from the better-known Whitewater
Falls are nearly as tall and just as beautiful
Difficulty (1-5): 2
Distance (round trip): 3.4 miles
Trail time: 2.5 hours
Driving time: 1 hour
Elevation: 500 feet
From Lake Toxaway’s main entrance, drive west on Highway 64 toward
Cashiers. After about one mile, turn left at the Sapphire Country Store,
heading south on Highway 281. Drive 9.5 miles to the entrance to Duke
Power’s Bad Creek property. The gate opens automatically for vehicles, but
only from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m., so plan to be off the property by that time.
Inside the Bad Creek generating station, Duke drains water from a series of
reservoirs to turn underground turbines and generate electricity during
periods of peak demand. At nights and on weekends, it pumps the water
back up to drain it again.
Drive two miles into the property and turn left at a sign pointing the way to
the Foothills Trail. After .3 miles, turn into the Bad Creek Parking Area on the
right.
Start by leaving the parking area on a half-mile trail to the Whitewater River.
(Just before the river, note the Coon Branch Trail leading to the left into a
rare patch of virgin forest.) You’ll stay on blue-blazed trails for the entire hike.
The patch of forest on the far side of the river was a working farm growing
vegetables and cotton as recently as 1950. Continue on the trail directly in
front of you, which carries the white blazes of the Foothills Trail in addition to
the blue blazes you are following. The signs on this portion offer confusing
and apparently contradictory length indications; nonetheless they show
directions clearly and are easy to follow.
When the trail splits, take the spur to the lower falls. When you emerge onto
a road, follow it left for about 250 yards before picking up the trail again on
the far side. You'll soon arrive at a platform that offers a commanding view of
the falls.
If you view the falls during winter, when the leaves are down from the trees,
the wreckage of a plane will be visible on the mountainside to the left of the
falls. In the early 1970s, two couples died while trying to get a good view of
the falls from the air.
Retrace your footsteps to get back to the car.
Copyright 2008 by Tony Austin
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