Opossum Creek Falls is a 50-foot waterfall in upstate South Carolina. The waterfall is upstream from the convergence with the Chattooga River, meaning that this is near the state border with Georgia.
The trailhead is just off a gravel forestry road. The road widens and there is room for several cars to park. There are no amenities onsite. You just park and start walking. There are campsites where the trail meets the river’s edge, but none on the way to the water. If you’re planning to camp here, then you need to commit to going the whole way. It’s only 2.2 miles from the gravel road to the falls, making this a 4.4-mile out-and-back hike.
Once at the river, the trail turns sharply to the left and you go another 1/3 mile to the falls.
The trail is very well maintained. Even though you lose elevation the whole way to the waterfall, it’s actually a pretty flat trail. I would describe it as hilly. Some portions of trail appear to be an old roadbed, meaning it’s a wide and very smooth surface. The pathway is flanked by ferns and small streams for most of the hike.
This reminded me of Yellow Branch Falls in that it’s a mostly flat trail until you descend to the water. And even then it’s not strenuous at all. I had the place entirely to myself and would have enjoyed the hike more if my leg wasn’t hurting so bad. This was the longest hike I’d done since breaking my leg and I could feel every step on the way back to my car.
There’s not really a swimming hole beneath the falls, but you do have access to the Chattooga River. There’s probably enough room for a half dozen tents, so you could make a nice little weekend out of this trip if you wanted to play in the river and visit the falls as a side attraction.
If you’re in the area, you should continue on the gravel road for about a half mile until it dead ends at the Long Creek Falls trailhead. That’s a 3.3-mile out-and-back hike and would make for a great pair of cascades in one trip. The area is muggy and buggy, so bring insect repellant.
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