Lower Bearwallow Falls & Auger Hole Hike Route Map

The approximate route of my hike to Lower Bearwallow Falls and the Auger Hole Trail, at Gorges State Park, as depicted a la Google Earth...

***Note my side trip past the lime kilns is not depicted as this was an ill-defined portion of the route and not recommended.***

Lower Bearwallow Falls & Auger Hole Hike Route Map

The (approximate) route...

Auger Hole Trail @ Turkeypen Gap

Being dropped off and picked up at Turkeypen Gap would allow me to make a considerably shorter hike to Lower Bearwallow Falls than starting over at the Frozen Creek Access (5-miles round trip vs. 8-miles). This is the Auger Hole Trail as it arrives at Turkeypen...from here its an almost contuinual 2-mile descent to the Toxaway River...

Auger Hole Trail

Despite the thick cloud cover, the fresh spring leaves still managed to light up the canopy...

Foamflower

Wildflower hunting had been rough so far this year so I was hoping this hike would help improve my record a bit. It wasn't long until I found my first of the day, Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), which was growing in very large numbers all along the trail...

Auger Hole Trail

The Auger Hole Trail as it winds through a dark cove about a half mile down from Turkeypen Gap...

Northern White Violet

Violet season has seemed to go on forever this year...even so, I hadn't got a shot of one of these yet...Northern White Violet (Viola macloskeyi)...

Auger Hole Trail

Passing a huge pine that almost seems to be oozing over the bluff above the trail...

Auger Hole Trail

Green, as only spring can provide...

Auger Hole Trail

Cloudy days...good for pics of waterfalls but incredibly frustrating for properly exposed trail pics...

Auger Hole Trail

About 1-mile in the Auger Hole Trail reached its first 'wet' crossing of the day, at Bearwallow Creek...I prepared myself for a shallow wade...

Auger Hole Trail

It doesn't take much rain to turn Bearwallow Creek into a more dangerous animal but the recent dry spell we'd had meant I wouldn't even have to take off my boots...no wading today...

Auger Hole Trail

A look at the Bearwallow Creek Crossing on the Auger Hole Trail. Just upstream beyond the rhododendron I could hear the unmistakable sound of falling water. No named waterfalls are listed near here so I immediately decided to add a short exploratory bushwhack to see what I could find...

Bearwallow Creek

Just upstream from the rhodo's in the previous shot I found this pretty 10' cascade...it sounded like there was something bigger above it so I set about trying to get around the ledges this falls drop over...

Ted's Falls

What I found above the first set of cascades was a deep, rocky pool with this beautiful 15' waterfall above it. As far as I can tell it doesn't have a name (I later saw it referred to as Ted's Falls), probably because there are many bigger falls on Bearwallow Creek both up and downstream...

Auger Hole Trail

Back on the Auger Hole as it leaves Bearwallow Creek headed east...

Auger Hole Trail-Indian Camp Road Junction

From Bearwallow Creek the trail begins a steady climb over a steep ridge. Near the top I passed a gated road, known as the Indian Camp Road, which follows a high ridge 4-miles or so to the upper portion of Bearwallow Creek...

Wild Columbine

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)...always a pleasant find...

Auger Hole Trail

As the Auger Hole Trail reaches the height of land east of the Bearwallow Creek crossing it traverses a large slide area from a few years back. The park has done a good job of cutting through the slide but one gets the feeling that it won't take much effort for mother nature to make a mess of this stretch once again...

Auger Hole Trail

From the trail atop the steep edge of the slide Bearwallow Creek can be seen far below...

Lime Kiln Spur Path

One of my planned 'side-trips' for this hike was down to the old lime kilns along Bearwallow Creek. A very overgrown old path is the best way to descend but that didn't make it easy as briars and blow-downs made the going quite rough in spots...

Lime Kiln Spur Path

As I neared the point where the old path makes its final drop down to the creek I found this old iron something lying in the middle of the trail. So focused was I on this peice of metal that I completely missed the lime kilns themselves which are dug into the hillside right next to where I was standing...

Lime Kiln Spur Path

Making my way down to the valley floor, continuing my search for the lime kilns I had already passed, I found more evidence of man along the Bearwallow...

Bearwallow Creek

The serene Bearwallow Creek as it passes by the lime kiln area above Lower Bearwallow Falls...

Bushwhack

Standing at the flats below the lime kilns it wasn't all that far to Lower Bearwallow Falls (maybe a quarter mile). The trouble is that a steep ridge protrudes into the river between them making it impossible to follow the bank downstream to the falls. My only option was to hunker down and try to bushwhack my way over the ridge to the faint trail which would lead to the falls on the other side...

Bushwhack

After much cussing and a bit of bleeding (the Greenbrier and raspberry's had taken their toll), I broke out above the Bearwallow on the far side of the ridge. From here it was just a short, steep, drop to Lower Bearwallow...

Lower Bearwallow Falls

The 'trail' literally dropped me out onto the rocky shoal beneath Lower Bearwallow. After a year working at the park I was finally here...this was a big moment for me...

Lower Bearwallow Falls

I had seen pictures and knew that Lower Bearwallow Falls was a beauty but I was still spellbound. The delicate nature of the falling water, the ruggedness of the surrounding cliffs, the lushness of the forest, and the way the mist seemed to just hang in the air all came together here to create one of the most surreal and serene natural settings I've ever experienced...

Lower Bearwallow Falls

A long overdue meeting, and it made me earn it which I appreciated even more...

Lower Bearwallow Falls

Lower Bearwallow Falls (60'), Gorges State Park

Lower Bearwallow Falls Scramble Path

There was no way to avoid it...after fighting my way down to the falls I wasn't looking forward to the climb out...at least I had a trail this time...

Lower Bearwallow Falls Scramble Path

Sitting down for a breather I noticed this interesting plant alongside me sticking through the leaves...this would be squawroot (Conopholis americana), a new one for me...

Lower Bearwallow Falls Scramble Path

A benefit of making such a steep climb is the fact that your face stays a lot closer to the ground allowing you to spot all sorts of interesting things...like this cool little millipede...

Lower Bearwallow Falls Scramble Path

A bit of flagging marks my arrival back atop the ridge...

Fairy Wand

Making my way back to the main trail along the ridge I passed a couple of these unique little wildflowers, known as Fairy wand (Chamaelirium luteum)...

Lower Bearwallow Falls Scramble Path

The 'trail' to Lower Bearwallow follows this ridge down from the Auger Hole Trail...I made much better time climbing out along the path than I did getting in cross-country...

Lower Bearwallow Falls Scramble Path

Arriving back at the Auger Hole Trail I took a good long rest. Removing my backpack I discovered I had a hitch-hiker...

Auger Hole Trail

My final destination of the day would be the Toxaway River which would mean continuing downhill on the Auger Hole for a little less than a mile more...

Auger Hole Trail

The trail as it makes its way for the final mile to the Toxaway River...

Auger Hole Trail

A bit more than 2-miles from Turkeypen Gap the Auger Hole Trail reaches the Toxaway River. This would be my turn-around point, saving the eastern half of the trail for yet another day...

Auger Hole Trail @ Toxaway River

Compared to areas just upstream and downstream, the Toxaway River where the Auger Hole crosses is amazingly calm...

Bearwallow Flats

I decided to make a quick jaunt over to the confluence of the Toxaway and Bearwallow. On the way over I passed through a beautiful open bottom-land known as Bearwallow Flats. After a long cold winter being bathed in green like this is unbelievably refreshing...

state parkToxawayBearwallowwaterfallSapphirewildflowerlime kilnJocasseeHorsepasture

Toxaway River @ Bearwallow Creek

You can hardly see it but Bearwallow Creek enters the Toxaway here from the right. This area is known as the Auger Hole, the spot which lends its name to the whole area and trail I was traveling today...

Toxaway River Flood Remnants

A couple dozen yards up from the Toxaway River was a strange 'wall' of half-buried boulders. I'm curious whether these were left here by the massive 1916 flood following the failure of the Toxaway Dam...

Toxaway River Shore Bushwhack

Even where it's flat the going is far from easy in these parts...

Auger Hole Trail

After finishing my exploration along the Toxaway River it was time to focus on the 2-mile climb back to Turkeypen Gap...

Chestnut Mountain Road @ Horsepasture River

After finishing the hike I decided to take the opportunity to travel the lower portion of the Chestnut Mountain Road as far as the Horsepasture River. The 3-miles from Turkeypen to the Horsepasture was some of the most rugged and narrow I've ever driven in my trusty old Ford, but it was a blast. Here it takes a well-earned break along the banks of the Horsepasture River following the descent...