Sid’s Falls

Oconee County is home to some of South Carolina’s most spectacular waterfalls, including Sid’s Falls – also called Sid Falls – seen here. The cascade is named for local teacher Sid Ballenger, who compiled the first book on waterfalls in Oconee County. Located in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest, the waterfall can be found on Shoulder Bone Branch, which feeds Opossum Creek, eventually spilling into the Chattooga River.

The 50-foot falls are accessible to those willing to work for a view of the mountainous cataract. A navigable forest service road marked by a red gate takes trekkers to a rough trail, often hidden with thick brush but marked with orange tape. The forest service road goes for about a mile and a quarter, and the dense, wooded trail follows for another quarter of a mile. The steep climb up the falls at the end of the hike rewards visitors with the roaring rush of Sid’s Falls; however, be warned that places to stand near the falls are scarce, wet, and slippery. The total hike from the red gate at the forest service road entrance to the falls and back is about three miles.