Waterfall Hero Hikes: Yellow Branch Falls (Sumter)

Yellow Branch Falls is a spectacular 50-foot waterfall on its namesake creek in Oconee County. The waterfall is located in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of Sumter National Forest.

Hike Length: 3 miles
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Andrew Pickens Ranger District of Sumter National Forest
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Low
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfalls are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 34.80574,-83.12856
Waterfall GPS: 34.79509,-83.13430

Directions:

To visit the falls, drive west on SC-28 for about 6.8 miles from Walhalla and turn left into the Yellow Branch Picnic Area and park in the lot.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the parking lot, hike about a quarter-mile on Yellow Branch Nature Trail to Yellow Branch Falls Trail. Follow this for just under 1.5 miles to the waterfall. There is an easy stream crossing on Yellow Branch Nature Trail where flat rocks act allow you to cross without getting your feet wet.

Closer to the falls are two more stream crossings, but with wooden footbridges. The waterfall itself is fantastic; one of my favorites in South Carolina. Unfortunately, in dry conditions it may be more of a trickle and not so impressive.

But in wetter conditions, the countless cascades of water over the dark rock is truly gorgeous. Although it's pretty easy to stay dry hiking to the falls, you will need to get your feet wet at the falls if you want to see it from different angles.

Walking around in the shallow pool at the base provides great viewing opportunities. If the weather is warm, it's also a great opportunity to cool off. There are plenty of places where you can sit on the rock and let the cool water splash down on you. When I visited, I spotted a number of blackbelly salamanders (Desmognathus quadramaculatus) in the pool at the base of the falls.