The Long Shoals Wayside Park is a nice place to stop and take a break while driving through northern South Carolina. The “waterfall” isn’t extremely exciting, but the scenery is beautiful. Exploring Little Estatoe Creek is fun to do, as the shoals are more photogenic than expected. When I visited in early March, there were pools of water with some amphibian eggs that looked very cool. I also saw people fishing in the creek.

After visiting again in March 2017, I realized that getting down to the Long Shoals requires slightly bit more effort than I remember. It’s not a long hike, but you do have to follow a downhill trail to get to the falls. (There might be another trail that leads down to the shoals that is a bit easier to use.)

Directions:

1. The wayside park is found in northwestern South Carolina on SC-11 between Keowee-Toxaway State Park and Table Rocks State Park.
2. If you’re driving east, the park will be on your right.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 15′
Length of Hike: 0.1 mi RT

Long Shoals in March 2009

Long Shoals in March 2017

Where in the World is Long Shoals?