Spoonauger Falls

The Ellicott Rock Wilderness spans three states, the South Carolina portion measuring 2,859 acres in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest. Bordered on the west by the Chattooga River, there are three main means of access in SC: Chattooga Trail coming in from Burrells Ford, East Fork Trail from the Walhalla Fish Hatchery, and Fork Mountain Trail from Sloan Bridge Picnic Area. The three trails are strenuous treks into the backcountry, but just to the south of this remote area is a 50 foot waterfall reached by just a short trail from Burrells Ford Road – Spoonauger Falls. This hike embodies the spirit of the wilderness area, but is slightly more accessible at just 0.3 miles to reach the base of the waterfall.

We started our hike on Chattooga Trail from the trailhead on Burrells Ford Road. Hiking north in the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River corridor, we passed several nice views of the Chattooga before coming to the Spoonauger Creek crossing.

The creek and the waterfall are both named for the Spoonauger family, which lived somewhere in the area above the falls. I’ve seen the waterfall called Rock Cliff Falls, as well as Spoon Auger Falls, however the Forest Service maps indicate Spoonauger is the most commonly used name.

Immediately after crossing the creek look for the Spoonauger Falls sign, and follow the spur trail east. Just a short ascent later the waterfall is visible to your right – be cautious, as the trail can be slippery after a rain. As always, exercise caution near waterfalls, and be aware that straying off the path can cause irreparable damage to sensitive plant communities, as well as allow for erosion on the steep walls of the gorge. I have read that bats will roost in the rock crevices of the cliff, however on our visit we didn't see any bats, only salamanders in the pools below the falls. Once you've taken in the falls, head back the way you came.

The ramifications of the hemlock woolly adelgid were easily visible on this short hike, in the form of enormous dead and dying hemlocks, as well as egg sacs of the invasive insect, which resemble small tufts of cotton clinging to the underside of hemlock branches. The tiny brown-colored insect sucks nutrition from the tree’s stored reserves, and injects a toxin while feeding, causing the tree to lose needles and not produce new growth. Death of the tree typically occurs 4 to 10 years after infestation.

Having returned to Burrells Ford Road, take a short stroll down to the bridge for the view up the Chattooga. Of course, make sure to cross into Georgia so that you can make this a two-state excursion. If you were to continue on the Chattooga Trail north of the Spoonauger Falls spur trail, you would reach Ellicott’s Rock with a 4.4 mile hike from the Burrells Ford trailhead. East Fork Trail is only 2.7 miles from the trailhead, but continues another 2.4 miles to the Walhalla Fish Hatchery. For detailed hike descriptions and trail maps, I use Johnny Molloy’s “50 Hikes in South Carolina.”