Beautiful Contradiction
Published in South Carolina Magazine, March/April 2006
Story and photos © Richard A. Bernabe
The first sound you hear is a distant roar. It comes from no particular direction, yet you are sure the trail you are on eventually leads to the base of the falls. With still another switchback, its tone becomes more defined and its resounding echoes grow stronger. The grade of the twisting stream-side trail accelerates and you push yourself until you reach the top of a formidable knoll. Here, the dense forest opens up and you arrive at the foot of a deep, broad pool fed by cascading torrents of falling water. A cool mist permeates the air and mossy rocks, glistening ferns and lush plant life cover the ground. The scene is peaceful and serene but the collision of water and rock is raucous and violent. It's a beautiful contradiction.
I have hiked hundreds of miles seeking these sensational cascades of falling
water throughout the southeastern United States. Fortunately, most of my
favorite waterfalls are right here in the mountains and piedmont of South
Carolina.
Many can be experienced by merely taking a casual walk in the woods on a
well-groomed, maintained pathway. Others require long, strenuous hikes on
treacherous trails meandering deep into the state's primitive core. Although
you should only attempt to visit the waterfalls that are within your ability
and fitness to reach, the experience is always sweeter when you put more
effort into getting there.
Geology answers many of the questions as to why there is such an impressive array of waterfalls in South Carolina. The Blue Ridge Escarpment - a broad ribbon of land in the northwestern part of the state that drops precipitously from the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Piedmont lowlands - creates dozens of falls when rivers and streams tumble over it on their journey to the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, if you consider that many areas of the mountains receive in excess of 80 inches of rain per year, you realize all of the ingredients needed are there.
Any season is a good time to trek to one of South Carolina's waterfalls, but spring is easily my favorite. The rivers and streams are in prime form with high water flows, energetic cascades and roaring cataracts. In early April, the trees debut their new virgin-green leaves and wildflowers bloom along the stream banks. Flowering dogwood, followed by blooming mountain laurel and rhododendron, can be found around waterfalls in late spring and can enhance the waterfall experience.
Every waterfall is unique and has different characteristics and "personality." Some make an immediate emotional connection with me and I return year after year. With others, I make a single visit and and never return. I find this to be true with other waterfall seekers too, even if we don't agree on which ones we like and dislike.
There are over 50 waterfalls in the mountains and piedmont regions of South Carolina. They should be enjoyed but respected. Do not damage or desecrate any waterfall or its surroundings in any way. Leave these areas as you found them and carry out any trash you might have taken in with you.
The lure of falling water draws thousands of nature lovers each year to these magical places. Let's be sure the magic will be there for future visitors as well.
