Ira Branch Falls
Oconee County, South Carolina
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Oconee County, South Carolina
- Access status
- Partial guide: no trail beyond the Ira Branch footbridge; winter recommended
- The walk
- About 4.4 miles round trip, per the Oconee County waterfalls site
- Ground & access
- Forest trail, then bushwhacking and creek walking through dog hobble. Map and off-trail experience recommended.
Ira Branch Falls is a waterfall of about 25 feet on Ira Branch. Start at the Foothills Trail parking at the end of Nicholson Ford Road, the same as for Pigpen and Licklog Falls. The Oconee County waterfalls site says to hike about 2 miles on the trail it calls the Chattooga Ridge Trail to the footbridge over Ira Branch, then bushwhack and creek-walk up the branch to the falls. There is no trail beyond the footbridge. The source recommends going in winter because dog hobble makes summer travel extremely difficult. This partial guide relies on one source.
Plan your visit
Nicholson Ford Road trailhead (Licklog Falls parking), about 2 miles on the trail to the footbridge over Ira Branch, then a bushwhack and creek walk up Ira Branch
The Oconee County waterfalls site gives approximately 4.4 miles round trip: about 2 miles on the trail to the Ira Branch footbridge, then off-trail.
Forest trail, then bushwhacking and creek walking through dog hobble. Map and off-trail experience recommended.
Where to start
Foothills Trail parking at the end of Nicholson Ford Road, off Village Creek Road from SC 107 (keep right where the road splits for a private driveway), GPS 34.92488, -83.12238.
Timing & water
Winter is recommended; in summer the dog hobble is described as impenetrable.
Before you go
SC Trails lists no fee for this trailhead.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Licklog FallsNational forest trail route and trailhead documentedOconee County, SC0.9 miNE
- Pigpen FallsFoothills Trail and Chattooga Trail from Nicholson Ford RoadOconee County, SC1.0 miNE
- Upper Pigpen FallsOconee County, SC1.0 miNE
- Cheohee Road FallsPartial guide: roadside falls; no parking describedOconee County, SC2.2 miE
- Big Bend FallsNational forest trail route documented; steep final descent to the riverOconee County, SC2.6 miNE
- Upper Wash Branch FallsOconee County, SC2.7 miE
- Lower Wash Branch FallsOconee County, SC2.9 miE
- Lee FallsPartial guide: no official trail; old fields and an unofficial creekside pathOconee County, SC3.0 miSE
- Deadfall FallsOconee County, SC3.0 miE