King Creek Falls
Sumter National Forest
Andrew Pickens Ranger District
112 Andrew Pickens Circle
Mountain Rest, South Carolina 29664
(864) 638-9568
The Chattooga River begins in the mountains of North Carolina as small rivulets, nourished by springs and abundant rainfall, high on the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. The water drops a half mile in elevation over fifty miles as it winds its way to Lake Tugaloo where the river ends between South Carolina and Georgia. The Chattooga is one of the few remaining free-flowing streams in the Southeast, and the setting is primitive with dense forests and undeveloped shorelines on most of its route. On May 10, 1974, Congress designated the Chattooga a Wild and Scenic River – a honor reserved for rivers with outstanding scenery, recreation, wildlife, geologic, and cultural values.
This is a short loop hike that starts at the Burrell’s Ford Campground and follows the Foothills/Chattooga River Trails for 0.4 miles before connecting with a short side trail that leads to Kings Creek Falls. The falls drop 60-70 feet into a U-shaped cove that has a small beach and a nice swimming hole at the base. It is well worth the trip if you are camping nearby. On our trip, we circled back to the campground via the parking area at Burrell’s Ford for ~2.6 mile loop hike.
- click to hear podcast Episode 101 recorded during this trip to Burrell’s Ford Campground
- click to see a video of Therm Rider’s late night pyrotechnics to ring in the Holiday
- click to see photos from this hike to Kings Creek Falls: July 3, 2023
- click for a trip report from this backpacking trip to Burrell’s Ford: July 3, 2023 (password required)
- click to view a map of the intersecting trails at the Burrell’s Ford Parking area (password required)
- click for a topographical and profile map to Kings Creek Falls (password required)
- click to see a topo and profile map of this hike near Burrell’s Ford Campground (password required)
- click for a trail map of the Chattooga River from Bad Creek to Burrell’s Ford (password required)
- click for a trail map of the Chattooga River from Burrell’s Ford to Russell Bridge (password required)
- click for other hikes on the Chattooga River Trail in Georgia
- click for another trip we did to King Creek Falls in June 2002
- click for more hikes along the Chattooga River in North Georgia
- click for links to other outdoor books and magazines at N2Backpacking