Best Practices for Hiking / Adventuring

1. Make sure to have plenty of water / snacks.  A good rule of thumb is 1 liter / ¼ gallon / quart of water per 1 hour / 2 miles of hiking.
2. Make sure to have appropriate footwear.
3. Make sure to bring clothing options for potential weather changes.  Light / rain jackets, towels, changes of clothes can all be helpful.
4. Be aware of activity risks and help potential.  The further away you are from the parking lot, the longer it takes help to arrive, so take fewer risks.  Even turning an ankle at a waterfall can increase time to help by hours.
5. Have a plan for bathroom emergencies.  Peeing can be done in the woods and needs to be away from trails and water sources.  Defecation needs to be done in a hole that you dig and the toilet paper needs to be carried out in a trash bag.  Please cover the hole once finished.
6. Please carry out ALL of your trash and at least 1 piece of trash found on the trail.  Use your spare grocery bags as trash bags for hikes.
7. Do not climb waterfalls.  The rocks are slick and the flora is often sensitive.

Option 1: Hike / Lunch  / Swim (Riley Moore Falls)

Riley Moore has a great swimming / beach area. Please be respectful of others and be aware of the time.  It is easy to find yourself hiking out of there after dark. Also, please be careful around the waterfall.  Climbing and playing on the rocks seems like a good idea until EMS is called.  

Option 2: Hike (Spoonauger Falls and Kings Creek Falls) 

Spoonauger Falls and Kings Creek Falls are both accessible from Burrell’s Ford on the Chattooga River. Spending a full day in the Burrell’s Ford area hiking, fishing and splashing in the Chattooga are all possible; however, it is also easy to access a quick waterfall hike by adventuring to one or both of these nearby waterfalls! If you love Overlanding, the Georgia portion of the Burrell’s Ford road is a great adventure. To make this a full-day adventure, Drive to Nicholson Ford Road and hike to Lick Log and Pigpen Falls.

Option 3: Hike (Lick Log Falls and Pigpen Falls)

Liick Log and Pigpen Falls are both accessible from the parking area at the end of Nicholson Ford Road. Hike the Foothills Trail toward the Chattooga River (West). After about 1 mile, Lick Log Falls will be on your left down the hill.  Follow the trail past it to get to Pigpen Falls.  Pigpen is a multi-stage waterfall in the woods to the right of the trail.