Whitewater Falls is the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains, and it's shared between South Carolina and North Carolina. The sound is distant, but thundering. Meanwhile, the trail itself gets consistently steeper as it plunges downhill towards Lower Whitewater Falls. A hike a bit south of here leads to the lower falls. More energetic hikers can continue down the half-mile spur trail that drops 600 feet in elevation to the Whitewater River and Foothills Trail. A lower overlook is located at the bottom of 154 wooden steps. This waterfall has a claim as the tallest waterfall east of the Rockies, which is apparently disputed. Difficulty: moderate. Not quite as high as its much more well-known and visited big brother, Lower Whitewater is none-the-less a sight to behold. You bound up the steps to the edge of the rail for a better look. Distance: 1.9 miles (in and out trail, total 3.8 miles). The parking lot, and part of the trails in this area, are maintained by Duke Energy Co. From this trailhead, you can h There is a pretty spacious parking lot with a $3 fee that you pay via envelope station. From the base of the stairs, an unpaved trail provides access to the 76-mile Foothills Trail, descending along the river to Lower Whitewater Falls in South Carolina. The 400-foot Lower Falls can be accessed from a different location in South Carolina. Lower Whitewater Falls cascades down the plain gray rocks of the mountain, and for a moment, it takes your breath away. Whitewater Falls is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies, falling 811 feet! This out-and-back hike follows blue blazes to a constructed viewing platform for an optimal vantage point to see the falls, though visitors shouldn't expect access to the falls themselves. The hike reaches the lower observation deck at just under .3 mile, catching broad views of the rushing waterfall. Lower Whitewater Falls trail is located off of Bad Creek Rd. Lower Whitewater Falls is the second in a series of massive drops the Whitewater River makes in its final few miles before emptying into Lake Jocassee. The creamy, white cascades flow powerfully down the rock face. Whitewater Falls is one of the tallest chains of waterfalls in the eastern U.S. and the Lower Falls are not as frequently visited but just as impressive. Charles Runge / AllTrails The waterfall is made up of six different sections, and the beautiful Lower Falls can be accessed via a 2-mile trail. The last 0.2 miles are the steepest, before it suddenly levels out, turns right, and reaches the observation platform for Lower Whitewater Falls at 2.4 miles. The Whitewater River, starting with the larger Whitewater Falls upstream just across the border into NC, falls 1,500 feet over 3.5 miles. The Upper Falls plummets 411 feet. Blazes: Reddish Orange. There are several more falls downstream of the Lower falls, but most are quite inaccessible. Features: Viewing Platform; 200 ft. tiered waterfall Lower Whitewater Falls is an incredibly beautiful waterfall. Trail Head: SC Hwy 130, Duke Energy Bad Creek Facility (Foothills Trail Guide Mini Map #6). From the … Lower Whitewater Falls cascades a spectacular 200 feet down a rock face in the Jocassee Gorges area. To experience these breathtaking falls up-close-and-personal, take the paved ¼ mile walkway to the upper overlook. The walkway begins at a parking lot and is accessible to wheelchairs. It’s on the Whitewater River in the Jocassee Gorge area of North Carolina. GPS for waterfall: 35.01641, -82.99368 Water source: Whitewater River Height: Approximately 200 feet The upper portion of the falls: Along the way to the base of Lower Whitewater Falls lies the remains of a small plane, which crashed in 1972, killing all four of its passengers. The series falls is 800+ feet in total, but this hike only catches the upper 400 feet of the falls. 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