Updated July 2026
Yellow Branch Falls
Yellow Branch Falls is a wide, multi-strand cascade about 50 feet high and 75 feet wide in Sumter National Forest near Walhalla. The trail begins at the Yellow Branch Picnic Area off SC-28 and follows the creek through hardwood forest.
Before you go
Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check Sumter National Forest (USFS) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yellow Branch Falls drops about 50 feet. That makes it the 416th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 42% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Yellow Branch Falls Trail reaches it about 3.1 miles (out-and-back) with roughly 492 feet of elevation gain, rated moderate. The nearest town is Walhalla. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Sumter National Forest (USFS) for closures and current conditions.
No best-season window is documented for Yellow Branch Falls. As a general rule, waterfall flow peaks with spring snowmelt and after sustained rain, and drops sharply in late summer.
More South Carolina waterfalls
- Big Bend Falls · 30 ft
- Brasstown Falls · 120 ft
- Issaqueena Falls · 100 ft
- King Creek Falls · 70 ft
- Lee Falls · 75 ft
- Lower Whitewater Falls · 200 ft
- Rainbow Falls · 100 ft
- Raven Cliff Falls · 400 ft
Sources
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