Brasstown Falls is another beautiful falls with 3 distinct sections to enjoy - if you are part mountain goat. I first visited these falls in the winter of 1999, before I got the digital camera. They had been on the list of falls to revisit, but I didn't make it back until Labor Day week end '03, then again in late October '03 to find Little Brasstown Falls. Coming from Lake Toxaway, NC we came down 281 south just into South Carolina and took the 1st right at a sign that points to Hwy 107. At 107 we turned left and followed it to the stop sign at Hwy 28. Didn't get a milage, but it's 12-15 miles or so and we passed Oconee State Park on the left. At Hwy 28, we turned right, drove 2.5 miles and turned left on Chattooga Ridge Rd (196). There's a sign indicating 'to Hwy 76'. At about 3.5 miles is a stop sign at Earl's Ford Rd. Stay straight and Hwy 76 is a total of 9.2 miles from Hwy 28. We turned left on Hwy 76, drove 3.7 miles and turned right on Brasstown Rd. This road starts as paved, but turns to gravel and at 4 miles, just before a small bridge, we took a right on FS751 which ends at the parking area in 1/2 mile. The photos below are a combination of all trips.
From the parking area, the trail starts past the boulders and is an easy 1/4 mile hike to the top of the first section which is about 50 feet of cascading water. From there, the path narrows and is a little steep in places as it descends next to the falls. I've seen kids and seniors down here, so it's very doable, but can be slippery if wet. The above shot is a section of the cascades. On this last trip, it was too sunny to get a good shot of this section. Brasstown Creek flattens out for a short distance before plunging 15-20' over a ledge. From the trail you get a view and on a sunny mid morning with good water flow, you should see a rainbow.
To get down from here requires some steady footwork. The trail heads down and crosses a small creek, then narrowly follows the bank down with roots and rocks as footholds. The mist from the falls makes the rocks slippery, so be careful if you want to get the vantage points for these next 2 shots.
The last section of the falls is a narrow 15' chute that flows into a good sized pool - not very deep but nice for cooling off on a warm summer day.
Update 01-07-05 I was sorting through past images and realized I hadn't added Little Brasstown Falls which I finally found over a year ago. Several people had told me about it, but it took me 2 attempts to find it. From the parking area, look for a side trail to a camp site before you get to the upper section of Brasstown Falls. Go to the creek and look for a creek on the opposite side that feeds into Brasstown Creek. Little Brasstown is a short ways up that creek, but you have to get wet crossing Brasstown Creek. Find a shallow spot and wade across. Here are a couple of shots.
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