Due to lack of signs and the
degree of difficulty, the Little Bradley Falls and (Big) Bradley Falls hikes
are usually left to those ‘in the know’; however, judging by the amount of
traffic on our recent visit, these gorgeous waterfall hikes have been
discovered and are quickly gaining popularity as short, but challenging and
rewarding hikes in western North Carolina.
The Green River Game Lands are
a relatively undisturbed wilderness area containing narrow gorges, steep
ravines, coves, old-growth & mixed hardwood forests, and are managed by the
NC Wildlife Resources Commission. The area is named after the Green River,
which runs through a rugged gorge on the Blue Ridge escarpment, at one point
dropping 400 feet in 1 ½ miles through a six-foot wide crevice known as
"the Narrows." Cove Creek, which originates near Saluda (and Pearson’s Falls) flows north and into the Green River, but first flows under I-26 and
over two waterfalls, Little Bradley and Bradley Falls.
One of the most difficult sections traverses a rock slide |
To reach the falls, hikers can
park at a gravel pull-off on State Rd. 1142 (also known as Holbert Cove Rd.), which
is a hair over three miles from exit 59 on I-26 less than an hour away from Greenville. There are no signs, but the
trail for Bradley Falls departs to the north from the parking area, while the
hike to Little Bradley starts on the opposite side of the road, across the
bridge on the east side of Cove Creek. Hikers must immediately climb a steep
section of trail away from the creek; the second trail that leads alongside the
creek is a popular wading and picnic area, and although you can plainly see
where hikers have attempted to reach the trail up the steep mountainside, there
is consequently significant erosion and damage. It’s simple – follow the red
blazes in the two or three places that the trail splits, and you’ll reach the
falls.
follow the red blazes! |
The boys love this hike as
there are several creek crossings, making water shoes a good idea if taking
off/putting shoes back on or attempting to rock-hop isn’t your idea of fun. But
these crossings and a couple rather dicey sections of trail also bring the
degree of difficulty up to moderate, meaning that the older boys require
assistance in several spots and Vilis spends time in the backpack carrier.
The trail ends upon reaching
Little Bradley Falls; you’ll know you’re close when you pass the old chimney
ruins. The 35-foot, triple-tiered waterfall feeds into a large pool at the
bottom, perfect for wading and cooling off on a hot summer day. Exercise
extreme caution on the slippery boulders, and don’t attempt to climb to the top
of the falls; just as with most other scenic falls in the area, dozens of
people have been injured, and even killed in their attempt to photograph and explore
the treacherous terrain. On our visit a professional rappelling team was
practicing waterfall rescue operations up and down the side of the waterfall,
and just this May a 20-year-old man fell about 50 feet from the top of Bradley
Falls and ended up in the hospital in critical condition.
We retraced our steps to the
bridge on Holbert Cove Rd. completing this 2-mile hike. On our way to the car I
stared down the trail that leads to Bradley Falls. Although I long for the day
that I’ll be able to hike the 1.5 mile there-and-back to the 100ft falls, I
realize that it might still be some years before the boys can join me, due to
the 30-foot rappel to reach the base of the waterfall. Until then, I’ll be more
than happy with Little Bradley Falls! We reached the car, grabbed our lunch, and
spent another hour in Cove Creek wading, splashing and catching crawdads before
heading into Saluda for ice cream on Main Street. Summer in the Blue Ridge Mountains doesn’t get
much better than this!
For a video tour of the Little
Bradley waterfall hike view this video by HD Carolina!
Beautiful waterfall. Like you all, we hiked to Little Bradley --but NOT to Bradley.. We probably won't ever be able to do that one.
ReplyDeleteWe found a neat waterfall and hike recently south of Brevard in South Carolina. Not sure you all have ever been there... It is Jones Gap Falls ---at the Jones Gap State Park.... Check it out if you haven't done it... Nice trail/pretty waterfall...
Hugs,
Betsy
Never say never - I say put Bradley on your list ;)
DeleteJones Gap SP is a favorite destination for us, and if you enjoyed Jones Gap Falls, you'll love Rainbow Falls! I bit more of a challenge to get there, but in my opinion worth every bit of it! http://femmeaufoyer2011.blogspot.com/2015/06/rainbow-falls.html