Pristine Falls

Oconee County, South Carolina

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height: Not recorded
Location: Oconee County, South Carolina
Access status: Partial guide: unofficial path, ford and scramble
The walk: About 0.8 mile to the base (Hiking the Appalachians figure)
Ground & access: Unofficial, faint path overgrown with dog hobble and rhododendron; a shallow ford; a muddy scramble; rock-hopping and wading. Rocks are very slippery.

Hiking the Appalachians: Andrew Ramey Falls, Pristine Falls, and Fall Creek Falls

Pristine Falls is a waterfall over 50 feet tall in a secluded grotto on Fall Creek: a steep slide and sheer drop that turns into a curtain-like free-fall. From the pull-off, take the faint path on the north side of the culvert down along North Fork Fall Creek, past Andrew Ramey Falls and small cascades, into overgrown bottomland. At 0.6 mile, almost directly across from where North Fork Fall Creek meets Fall Creek, turn left on a faint path and ford North Fork Fall Creek (ankle-deep). Cross a flat, pick up an old logging road up the ridge, and after one-tenth of a mile take a narrow path angling right. It drops to Fall Creek in a muddy scramble; the falls are visible here, and the base is about 200 feet upstream by rock-hopping and wading. There is no official trail.

Plan your visit

Fall Creek Road (FS 722) culvert pull-off, unofficial path down past Andrew Ramey Falls, side path and logging road to Pristine Falls

Hiking the Appalachians gives the Pristine Falls junction at 0.6 mile, the turn off the logging road at 0.7 mile and the base of the falls at 0.8 mile from the road. Its 3.2-mile total covers a longer out-and-back that also visits Fall Creek Falls. The return is the same way.

Unofficial, faint path overgrown with dog hobble and rhododendron; a shallow ford; a muddy scramble; rock-hopping and wading. Rocks are very slippery.

Where to start

From Walhalla, follow SC 28 north 10.6 miles to Mountain Rest, turn left on Chattooga Ridge Road for 7.3 miles, turn right on Fall Creek Road, then left after 0.3 mile to stay on Fall Creek Road, which becomes unpaved FS 722. After another 0.5 mile, park at the small pull-off on the left just beyond the culvert (room for two or three cars) or the larger pull-off before it.

Timing & water

No season limits are stated. The ford and creek wading are harder in high water.

Before you go

No fee is mentioned.

Visitor information

Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore South Carolina

Waterfall location

Oconee County, South Carolina.

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