Jones Gap State Park sits on the Blue Ridge Escarpment in northwestern South Carolina very near the state line with its neighbor to the north. Along with Caesars Head State Park, these two share an area known as Mountain Bridge Wilderness. The Jones Gap Trail follows the Saluda River along an old interstate road built by Solomon Jones in the 1850s. In this backcountry the river is quite wild with many waterfalls and rapids that add exciting sights and sounds to a dense hardwood and laurel forest. Near the eastern terminus of Jones Gap Trail are two remarkable waterfalls, named Jones Gap and Rainbow. The wilderness area contains more than 50 miles of diverse trails offering a variety of challenges and options. This hike occurred on Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 11:15am to 3:35pm. The plan was to start at the Raven Cliff parking along Hwy 276, take the Tom Miller connector trail to Jones Gap Trail and proceed to Jones Gap Falls. We would make a loop of the return by climbing up Coldspring Branch Trail.

South Carolina State Parks have a voluntary $6 hiking fee, so be sure to register either at the Visitors Center or at the sign box at the parking area. It really helps keep all the trails in great shape.

The Tom Miller Trail is a short 3/4 mile connector from the Raven Cliff parking area to the Jones Gap Trail. I was surprised when it began climbing uphill, thinking it was supposed to go significantly downward. Well, it does, but not before it crosses a little rise that provides a fabulous view of the gorge that is Jones Gap. In fact, all of us kinda looked at each other upon reaching the top, “Well, there’s Jones Gap.” It’s that obvious. The down part on the backside of the mountain is very steep, so watch your step. It was a bit slick for us from the heavy rain the day before. That rain would end up making this hike even more exceptional, and dangerous, than usual.

The Middle Saluda River headwaters are in Jones Gap and it flows through, or more appropriately plunges, through the gap. The Jones Gap Trail follows the river. The day after a major rainstorm (more than 2″ in 24 hours) the river was roaring. That is what we were treated to. The rapids made great visuals, but also made crossing difficult and treacherous. Fortunately some of the crossings have bridges — some permanent, some logs — but others were dicey boulder jumps. In summer I would take off my shoes and socks and wade through. On a cold winter day though, not my idea of fun hiking. So we jumped… and stumbled, and stretched and leaned, but never panicked. There are also any number of feeder streams and brooks running down the escarpment that must be negotiated as well.

The trail itself is beautiful. The state has done a yeoman’s job maintaining it. It is quite wide, and smooth, with few loose rocks and few exposed roots to snag your toes. The blaze color is blue. I know there is debate about leaving the woods the way we found them, but the SC State Park system deploys a feature I find quite helpful and useful. At every trail junction they put a trail map of the area so you know where you are, and the options available for exploration. It would be hard to get lost.

About a mile down Jones Gap Trail you begin to see the trail below you. Then, shortly after you enter a series of switchbacks known as “The Winds.” This is a particularly scenic area with imposing cliffs high above on each side of the gorge, and the rushing sounds of the Saluda down below. At the bottom of “The Winds” is a series of small slide falls in the river known as Dargans Cascade. I suspect this is a popular area for summer water fun.

For the next three miles the trail is either right on the river bank, or just 10-20 feet above. The river is one long continuous series of rapids as it drops into the gap. The trail is a steady decline, though not harshly steep at all.
Another mile and a half past Dargans Cascade we came to the junction with the Coldspring Branch Trail. That would be our return ticket to the top of the gorge.

But first we wanted to see Jones Gap Falls. Along the way we passed rapids in the river with names like Toll Road Falls and Ben’s Sluice. The river truly is wild through the gorge, and on this day following the large rainstorm we were treated to whitewater at its best. You can’t hear much else. There are campsites along the river every 1/2 mile or so. We were thinking if you like to sleep with white noise, you surely wouldn’t have any problem sleeping by the river. It would probably be a good idea to put out some cowbells attached to trip wire in case you’re visited by a black bear at night.

Jones Gap Falls is 4.2 miles from the western end of Jones Gap Trail and 1.5 miles from the eastern end. When you reach the trail sign for the falls, head uphill away from the river. It isn’t far, perhaps 70 yards. Once you clear the first rise you will know you’re there. This is a large waterfall — 50 feet in height, probably 20 feet wide. Because of the previous day rainstorm, it was flowing pretty good. Both sides of the falls are surrounded by extremely thick rhododendron. I suspect this area is a chromatic delight during bloom season.

There are some flat rocks at the base of the falls that are perfect for lunch. They were just far enough away from the falls that we didn’t get mist in the face as we put on the feed bags. When I’m hiking my lunch usually consists of a turkey sandwich for protein, some pretzels and wheat crackers for salt, and some kind of fruit. Apples are my favorite, but occasionally I’ll bring craisins and dried cherries. One of my hiking buddies likes apricots. Those work well too. We usually pass around some of what we brought so we all can get a taste of everything. We spent about half an hour sitting, munching, taking pictures and enjoying a beautiful waterfall.

Following lunch, we turned around and headed back west up Jones Gap. It’s about 1.7 miles to the junction with Coldspring Branch that we passed on the way down. It was fun getting another look at all the rapids in the river, now to our left and in front of us.

The Coldspring Branch Trail is one of a few alternatives to get back to the hike origin at Raven Cliff parking. The trail is marked with orange blaze, crosses Coldspring Branch 10 times, and climbs nearly 1400 fatiguing feet. But first you have to get to the south side of Saluda River. Not long past the trailhead they’ve built a very nice wooden and steel foot bridge over the river. Remember how nice this bridge is… because it will be the last one you will see.

Just past the bridge is a trail junction. The pink blazed Bill Kimball Trail goes to the right and the Coldspring Branch Trail bears left. Either will get you to the same place, and both combined would make a nice loop hike. We chose to stick with Coldspring Branch. At first the Coldspring Branch creek is nice to look at. That was about to change.

See above where I just kind of casually mentioned that the trail crosses Coldspring Branch 10 times? That’s probably not a problem in summer when you can put on your water shoes and wade through. That’s probably not a problem under normal circumstances when the water level is customary. Notice how I keep mentioning it rained two inches the day before? Well, that rain was seemingly all running off the escarpment in Coldspring Branch. The crossings were dicey at best, treacherous and downright dangerous is more like it. I have taken two falls in creeks over the years on past hikes. It isn’t fun. So I am quite leery now in conditions like we had. Poles were a must… for stabilization. The rocks were moss covered and extremely slippery.

Just when you think there can’t be anymore, the trail crosses the creek again. Whoever designed this trail is laughing from on high. I just know it. Back and forth, forth and back, with each crossing the tension and nerves mounting even more. And in between? Climbing, then climbing some more. This was a very hard trail for me. My companions didn’t seem to have as much trouble as I did, but some days our bodies just aren’t working as well as other days. Perhaps my biorhythms were down. Perhaps I’m just an old, whiney Meanderthal. Regardless, this trail wore me out. The hike we did last week was higher and steeper and I did just fine.

By the time we got near the top of the elevation gain my lungs were burning and my hips were complaining. I stopped more frequently that usual for 30 second breathers. Once I even plopped down on a log to catch my breath. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. In the end, I made it back safe and sound.

As the Coldspring Branch Trail approaches Hwy 276, it reaches the road about .2 mile above the Raven Cliff parking area. You have two options. You can either take the road down to the parking, or continue on the orange blazed trail that cuts through the woods to reach the parking. Problem is, the trail goes down about 100 feet and then climbs back up. If you’re tired like I was I recommend simply going back to the parking on the road. I’ll know next time.

We were extremely lucky. It started raining about 30 seconds before we got back to the car. If I had taken one less rest stop we wouldn’t have gotten rained on at all. Our timing was impeccable. Despite my fatigue, this was a very nice hike that I would do again. There are several options in Jones Gap and the Mountain Bridge Wilderness for covering this territory on different trails. I definitely recommend stopping at the Caesars Head Visitor Center and picking up a trail map of the wilderness. I’m already planning many future hikes there, and I know you will too.

Part II

Update We liked this hike so much that a week later, on January 19, 2012 we went back to Jones Gap to check out the eastern end of the gorge. We wanted to visit the state park Learning Center and take a hike up the escarpment to Rainbow Falls.

It’s about a quarter mile stroll from the parking area at Jones Gap State Park — along the Middle Saluda River, past the Learning Center — to the eastern Jones Gap Trailhead. This is also an Audobon bird sanctuary and we were fortunate enough to see a few Great Blue Herons. The blue-blazed trail is slightly uphill as it continues to follow the whitewater of the wild river. Less than a mile upriver, look for red blazes bearing right onto the Rainbow Falls Trail. Within a hundred yards this trail will cross the river and begin the ascent to the north rim.

There are two more crossings over Cox Camp Creek, these across logs, then the only challenge remaining is the steepness of the terrain. It’s right at about 1200 feet elevation change from the river to the base of the falls. The state park does a great job at routing the trail to minimize overly steep climbing, but it’s still a strenuous endeavor. Hiking in winter, we were able to enjoy views in every direction through the trees that would not be available during leaf season.

Across the gap on the south side is the sheer cliff of Little Pinnacle Mountain. Due east is a marvelous view down gap as the Blue Ridge Escarpment ends its long and arduous upheaval. The north rim marks the Continental Divide. Unfortunately there has been a problem with erosion on this hillside, so there are a few retaining barriers that distract somewhat from the sheer beauty. There was a fire some years ago.

About half way up, the trail takes a turn to the east along a sharp ridge and offers a nice view of the massive stone wall that is Cleveland Cliffs. The trail then passes directly beneath the cliff as it reverses course back to the west. This area kinda reminded me of the China Wall at Panthertown.

We passed a spot where there was a steady stream of water running down the Cleveland Cliffs, perhaps a hint that Rainbow Falls would be running fast and furious. We were not disappointed. Rainbow Falls is spill from Lake Rotary above at the Greenville YMCA camp. It plunges free-fall 100 feet over a precipice, then bounces another few hundred feet over cataract and slide cascades as it drops toward the river below. You can climb directly beneath the falls, but it was still a cold morning, and we encountered ice on the rocks that we thought it best not to mess with. We are Meanderthals, but not totally daft. The picture at the top of this post is what we saw.

Instead, we dropped our packs, found some flat boulders, and took a break for a snack and pictures. The area is surrounded by cliffs, hardwood forest, rhododendron thickets and rugged terrain… all great pleasures for hiking enthusiasts. You do need to watch your step scrambling among the boulders and water. It’s steep terrain and the slightest misstep could land you hundreds of feet below.

The return to Jones Gap Trail was back the way we came. Since it was still early in the day, we decided to continue in a westerly direction back to Jones Gap Falls where we ended our hike the previous week. It seemed longer than it looks on the trail map, perhaps 3/4 mile. When you cross the river to a campground on the north side, you are almost there. Jones Gap Falls was just as nice as the previous week.

Best Hike At the end of our hike we stopped at the Learning Center and spent nearly a half hour with the park ranger talking about the history and geology of the area. Ranger Lee was extremely informative, and a very nice guy to boot. It was a great finish to a delightful day. This was another very enjoyable hike in Jones Gap State Park. With the one last week and other hikes we’ve done in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness, for me this area qualifies as having some of the best hiking in the region. There are still miles and miles of other trails yet to explore. I can’t wait. I’ve added a few more photos from this update to the end of the gallery below. Enjoy!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Matthews Creek plunges more than 1,000 feet over Raven Cliff Falls into the gorge it has carved below Raven Cliff Mountain. One of a myriad of landmarks along the Blue Ridge Escarpment in Caesars Head State Park, this gorge offers a very challenging yet rewarding hike. Part of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area that also includes Jones Gap State Park, this is the most extensive trail system in South Carolina. More like western North Carolina than the coastal and central regions, the South Carolina Upcountry has similar elevation and forest as its neighbor to the north. There’s a bit of something for everyone on this hike with mountain vistas, aromatic hardwood forest, a creek and waterfalls, plus the massive cliffs that form the edge of the escarpment. This hike occurred on Friday, December 2, 2011 from 9:20am to 3:05pm. The plan was to take the Raven Cliff Falls Trail to the falls overlook, then drop down into the gorge on the Dismal trail. We would follow Matthews Creek on the Naturaland Trust Trail back up out of the gorge and across the suspension bridge over the falls where we would join the Gum Gap/Foothills Trail to complete the loop.

View Raven Cliff Falls Trail, Caesars Head State Park, South Carolina in a larger map

I had the pleasure of hiking with two new companions on this day. I had never met either until the morning of the hike. They turned out to be two of the friendliest trail buddies, and we all hit it off right away. I will definitely be hiking with them again.

This is one of those great hikes where you can see where you are going from where you are, and then look back and see where you were once you get there. Wait, what? Well, the hike spans both sides of Matthews Creek Gorge, so when you are on the north ridge overlooking Raven Cliff Falls, you can see the ridge on the south side of the gorge where you will be later. Then, once you traverse the gorge there is a suspension bridge over Raven Cliff Falls, so you can look back to the north rim and see where you started. Especially with the leaves off the trees, we could pretty much follow our exact path from the top to the bottom and then back up again. Hikes like that are rare.

South Carolina State Parks have a voluntary $2 hiking fee, so be sure to register either at the Visitors Center or at the sign box at the parking area. It really helps keep all the trails in great shape.

The Raven Cliff Falls trailhead is across Hwy 276 from the parking area. You may get a little confused at first though, because the trail sign says Foothills Trail, Caesars Head Access. Don’t worry, you’re on the right trail. It is designated trail #11 on the parks map and has a red blaze. It starts out as a downhill gravel road for the first few hundred yards before turning west along the ridge. About a mile in we encountered a couple levels of wooden steps that helped with navigating a small steep stretch. Another 1/2 mile later, the Gum Gap/Foothills Trail comes in from the north. This is where our loop would return us later, and this is also the Foothills Trail access that was mentioned on the trailhead sign.

We continued on the Raven Cliff Falls Trail for another half mile to the junction with Dismal Trail, #12 on the parks map. More about that later, but first we took the spur trail to the Raven Cliff Falls Overlook. It’s a very short little up and over of perhaps 300 yards to a nice treated lumber shelter. There we found an excellent view across the gorge at the full 420 foot drop of Matthews Creek over Raven Cliff Falls. I am generally a firm believer in the tenets of ‘Leave No Trace’ but this overlook shelter is well done. It’s a good resting spot for the casual hiker who may not be in the best shape, and just wants to view the falls. It’s a great place to get protection from quick moving bad weather. Oh, and did I mention it has an excellent view across the gorge at the full 420 foot drop of Matthews Creek over Raven Cliff Falls. We could even see the suspension bridge across the falls that we would be crossing later in the day.

Back to the junction with Dismal Trail, we headed down, down, down about 1500 feet in 1.5 miles into the Matthews Creek Gorge on this trail with a blaze color I’ve never seen before: purple. Lots of people do this loop counterclockwise and end up climbing Dismal Trail. My new hiking friend (who had been here before) suggested we might like it better going down Dismal. After seeing the steep, rocky terrain I agreed wholeheartedly. There’s nothing subtle about Dismal Trail. There are very few switchbacks. The trail is really in pretty good shape for the rugged contour it has to cover — perhaps unfairly named in my mind.

There’s an oddity in several places along this trail. There are short stalks of bamboo in small groves scattered here and there. Maybe they know something we don’t. Hey! Are the SC State Parks getting a panda? Otherwise, the forest is typical oak and hickory that are so common to this region. It was our good fortune to catch this trail in late autumn when the leaves were all off the trees. Heading east now, we had a clear view of Caesars Head and other cliffs of the Blue Ridge Escarpment directly in front of us. All the while we could hear the rush of Matthews Creek getting closer and closer. We could also feel the air beginning to chill — perhaps an 8-10 degree drop since we left the overlook — usually a good indicator that you’re approaching a creek.

Very near the creek the Dismal Trail meets trail #14, the Naturaland Trust Trail, named for a land conservancy operating in North and South Carolina. This pink blazed (yes, I said pink) trail heads back west right along the creek bank. Not long after entering this trail we came to a creek crossing. This is not just any ol’ creek crossing mind you, but a parallel pair of cables suspended from trees on either side that would be our bridge. But first, a spot of lunch. We made a table out of a huge boulder, took off our packs, and nourished ourselves for the climb back out of the gorge.

It is a rocky area along the creek that was chosen for the cable bridge. Being my first visit to the trail, I can’t judge location. Perhaps it was the easiest place to stretch cables over the rushing water. Despite a few decades of hiking, I actually had never crossed a parallel cable bridge before. So I pulled out the camera to take some shots of the other guys as they showed me how. When it was my turn, it proved to be great fun, and was even easier than I had imagined. I thought it might be difficult to keep the cables from swaying, but they are quite taut. It’s never too late to teach an old Meanderthal new tricks.

Once on the other side of Matthews Creek, the climbing began. The trail follows the creek up the gorge for about half a mile. As the two started to separate, we could see multiple slide-type waterfalls in the creek. Another thing we noticed was very odd trail markers. The South Carolina State Park Service embeds spike-like steel markers (see photo below) in trees. It’s a different concept, but not as different as the pink ‘Hello Kitty’ trail markers that jumped out at us. Every couple hundred yards or so, there was another one. I have no idea if someone was just playing games, or if these were intended to be real markers for the “pink trail.” Live and learn.

As we continued to climb out of the gorge we had changing views of Caesars Head. First we saw it from below, then as we got higher, the sunlight and shadows would change. Around every corner was a new perspective. About half way up we encountered a massive cliff on our side of the gorge. This is Cathedral Rock. It’s about 150 feet straight up, with a constant drizzle of water coming down from above. It would be a nice cool mist in the summer. It was frigid on this December day. The cliff wall is darkened nearly black from the perpetual wetness. There is a bed of thriving ground foliage beneath, galax and fern, slurping up the ever present drink.

The final climb to Raven Cliff Falls is the steepest section on the south side of the gorge. There are a few strategically placed ladders to aid with the climbing, but there are also a few steep downward cuts as well. On one we had to slide on our butts, the only safe way. Fortunately this stretch of the Naturaland Trust Trail makes liberal use of switchbacks, unlike the Dismal Trail on the other side of the gorge. Again, I think my hiking partner was correct. This was a more manageable climb than Dismal Trail would have been.

We rounded a corner and there it was, the suspension bridge. It’s perhaps 70-80 feet long and about 15 feet above Matthews Creek as it plummets over Raven Cliff Falls. The center of the bridge offers quite the view of the falls, and the north side of the gorge. The picture at the top of this post was taken from the bridge. We could easily pick out the overlook shelter where we had been hours before. I don’t know that it would be so visible in the summer when the leaves are out. On the west side of the bridge, there is a very short trail to the rocks beneath the bridge where we had a nice view of the creek in both directions.

From the bridge, the trail continues to follow Matthews Creek — now in a northerly direction — and climbs about another 400 feet at a thankfully more gradual pace. Less than 1/2 mile and we reached the junction with the Gum Gap/Foothills Trail, #13 on the parks map. This blue blazed trail is wide and flat, following the ridge above the throat of the gorge. Gum Gap used to be an old road, so it’s a very easy stroll of about 1.5 miles through the forest. We paused several times to admire the views of the gorge, and the interesting rocks and trees along the way. A pileated woodpecker kept us aware of his business above.

The Gum Gap Trail loops around the northwestern end of the gorge and joins back up with the Raven Cliff Falls Trail at the point I mentioned near the beginning of this post. One feature of the South Carolina State Parks trails that I like is the trail junctions. They are well marked on approach with double blaze dots, and each junction has a sign post with the parks map displayed. It makes it very easy to know where you are and where you might like to go. The final 1.5 miles is back out on the same trail we started on.

This was a very enjoyable hike. Thanks to my new friends for taking me there. No doubt the forest is a lot less stark in spring and summer, but I’m not so sure you could see very much from the overlook and along the trails. That’s what makes seasonal hiking so interesting. Any trail is never the same. The Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area has more than 100 miles of trails in Caesars Head and Jones Gap State Parks. Just across the reservoir from Caesars Head is Table Rock State Park. I’ve written a trail report about our experiences there. There is a wealth of hiking just a short drive from the South Carolina Upstate and from western North Carolina. Take advantage. Take a hike.

Update On February 17, 2012 we did a repeat of this fabulous hike. We remain thoroughly impressed with the South Carolina State Parks trail system. I updated this trail report to post the GPS track map of the hike taken with the Trimble Outdoors smartphone app. See below. I’ve also added some more photos to my South Carolina Parks Flickr set.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.