Archive for the ‘Waterfalls’ Category

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Falling Waters Falls, Florida

August 15, 2009
The top of Falling Waters Falls, Florida. August 6, 2009.

The top of Falling Waters Falls, Florida. August 6, 2009.

As many of you know, Betsy and I like to plan our trips so that we can visit new waterfalls.  Our recent trip to Florida was no exception and we visited waterfalls both on the way to Florida and on the way back.

Finding waterfalls to visit in north Georgia was no problem — there are many we haven’t seen.  But Florida or south Georgia proved to be more difficult.  But our research did find one natural waterfall in Florida.  It is located in Falling Waters State Park, south of Chipley, Florida, in the Florida panhandle.  So we arranged to visit the park on our way home.

Falling Waters State Park contains huge trees and fern-covered sinkholes.  Sink Hole Trail is a boardwalk that leads around several sinkholes and to the waterfall.  The waterfall is fed by seepage springs, so there wasn’t a great deal of  water, as you can see by the picture above, which shows the top of the falls.

But the waterfall is still fascinating, because it is contained in a 100-foot deep, 20-foot wide cylindrical pit.  The actual drop of the water is 73 feet.  The picture below shows some of the debris in the bottom of the pit.

The bottom of the sinkhole into which Falling Waters Falls flows. August 6, 2009.

The bottom of the sinkhole into which Falling Waters Falls flows. August 6, 2009.

The water’s final destination after dropping into the pit is not known.

We’ve visited waterfalls that have a higher volume of water, but Falling Waters Falls was still a fascinating addition to our collection.

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Laurel Mountain Falls

July 2, 2009
Upper Laurel Mountain Falls, Dillard, Georgia. June 22, 2009.

Upper Laurel Mountain Falls, Dillard, Georgia. June 22, 2009.

On our anniversary trip our main destination was Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia.  But we wanted to see some other waterfalls in the area, if possible.

We have a book describing waterfalls in northern Georgia, and the book mentioned waterfalls and cascades on Patterson Creek near Dillard, Georgia, which is where we were staying.  The book had directions, but it is eight years old and things change, even in the mountains.  But we persevered and did find the creek.  A faint path led us to the fall pictured above.

Laurel Mountain Falls, Dillard, Georgia. June 22, 2009.

Laurel Mountain Falls, Dillard, Georgia. June 22, 2009.

A little way downstream we came upon Laurel Mountain Falls.

Lower Laurel Mountain Falls, Dillard, Georgia. June 22, 2009.

Lower Laurel Mountain Falls, Dillard, Georgia. June 22, 2009.

A steep path led down to Lower Laurel Mountain Falls, although I couldn’t get to creek at the base.  Betsy, being the sensible woman she is, waited for me at the head of the steep path.

Patterson Creek did not have a heavy water flow, but the falls and cascades along the creek were pretty.  We were glad to add these to our collection.

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An Unexpected Surprise

April 27, 2009
Possum Falls, Dunlap, Tennessee. April 21, 2009.

Possum Falls, Dunlap, Tennessee. April 21, 2009.

In my previous post I mentioned a nice surprise that Betsy and I encountered while driving on the interstate.  Today I would like to share a pleasant surprise we encountered on a back road.

We came back from Texas on Monday and Tuesday, April 20 and 21.  We got as far as Fort Payne, Alabama Monday night and, since we had to go near Fall Creek Falls State Park (our special place) on April 21 in order to get home, we decided to stop by the park on the way.  So we asked our GPS to take us by the shortest route (which usually means back roads) and off we went.

We were going up the Escarpment when Betsy called out that she had seen a waterfall along the road.  So we turned around and went back to a pull-off where we found the waterfall shown in the picture above.  Research after we got home told us that this is Possum Falls, an 80-foot fall near the road.  This was a waterfall that we hadn’t known about until we stumbled upon it.

An added bonus was two more waterfalls in the next couple of miles on this back road.

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Shunkawauken Falls

April 6, 2009
Shunkawauken Falls, Columbus, North Carolina. May 20, 2008.

Shunkawauken Falls, Columbus, North Carolina. May 20, 2008.

My last post showed a view of the western North Carolina countryside from White Oak Mountain.  In the post I mentioned that there was a waterfall behind me as I took that picture.  So I thought I would show you the waterfall today.

Shunkawauken Falls consists of multiple drops and cascascads totaling hundreds of feet, but it is impossible to see the entire falls from a single  vantage point.  The falls is mostly on private land, but the 150 foot drop shown above is the main fall in the upper drop and is visible from  White Oak Mountain Road.

The waterfall was known as Horse Creek Falls until 1891, when the name was changed to honor an Indian chief from the area.

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A Little Bit of Heaven

March 30, 2009
The view from Ed's Mill Cabin. March 26, 2009.

The view from Ed's Mill Cabin. March 26, 2009.

Imagine that you like waterfalls and have the opportunity to wake up in the morning, walk into the living room and see the view in the picture above.  (The picture can be enlarged if desired).

That’s exactly the situation Betsy and I found ourselves in over the weekend.  Last November we found a rental cabin in what had once been an old mill.  The cabin was in the Smokies at the base of a waterfall.  There wasn’t much water going over the falls in November, but we knew right away that we would want to go back.

We spent three nights at Serenity Falls and never got tired of watching the water cascade down the falls.  The window in our bedroom overlooked the creek below the falls and we slept with the window open so we could hear the water rushing over the rocks.  What more could two waterfall enthusiasts ask for?

Although we had some rain while we were in the Smokies it didn’t stop us from getting out an doing some hiking.  A high point (in more ways than one) was a 2.2 mile hike up into the mountains to see Hen Wallow Falls.  We were also able to check out a few smaller falls in the area, but we’ve left some bigger falls unseen so we have an excuse to go back in the future!

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Falls Creek Falls

March 16, 2009
Falls Creek Falls, Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. March 9, 2009.

Falls Creek Falls, Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. March 9, 2009.

On my birthday Betsy and I were able to do some hiking in beautiful 80° weather.  We got to western Arkansas fairly early in the day and went to St. Catherine State Park (near Hot Springs)  to check out a waterfall, Falls Creek Falls.

Falls Creek Falls is used to advertise Arkansas State Parks, so we were interested in seeing it.  Of course, there was also something of a personal connection as well.  Our ‘special’ place is Fall Creek Falls here in Tennessee, so we were eager to see what that extra ‘s’ would mean.  Actually, I guess we’re just gluttons for punishment, having to keep Fall Creek Falls separate from Falls Creek Falls!

We had a nice hike of just under a mile from the parking area to the falls.  Much of the trail followed the shore line of Lake Catherine,  which made for a nice hike.  Once we got to the falls we were able to enjoy the falls and the setting.

You can enlarge the collage above to get a better view of our visit to Falls Creek Falls.

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Riding With Us Can Be An Adventure

March 2, 2009
Dunn's Falls, Enterprise, Mississippi. April, 2008.

Dunn's Falls, Enterprise, Mississippi. April, 2008.

Traveling with Betsy and me can be an exciting adventure.  We like to take back roads whenever possible, but even when we drive the interstate unexpected adventures can occur.

Last April Betsy and I drove to Texas to visit her two sons who lived near Houston and Galveston at the time.  We invited Betsy’s third son, Jeff, who lives in Chattanooga to go along with us so he could visit his brothers.

Because of the length of the trip we decided to take the fastest route, which meant we were on the interstate from Chattanooga to Houston.  The ride was very uneventful until we got near Enterprise, Mississippi.  We were tooling along (at the speed limit) when we saw one of those brown attraction signs that said ‘Dunns Falls.

We looked at each other and wondered aloud if Dunns Falls could be a waterfall — we didn’t have any Mississippi waterfalls in our collection.  We didn’t have much time to make a decision, but deciding that a town with that name would be on a green sign, we turned off the interstate and began following the signs.

I’m not sure what Jeff thought, but after about ten minutes we arrived at Dunns Falls Water Park.  From the road all we could see was a large pond and what appeared to be a grist mill.  But nothing ventured, nothing gained.  We paid the small entrance fee, entered the park and found the waterfall pictured above.  Another beauty for our collection.

If you would like to see more pictures of Dunns Falls, click HERE.

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Just a reminder that you are invited to visit my photo blog, Photos by Senior Hiker, by clicking HERE.

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Twin Falls

February 28, 2009

Twin Falls, Rock Island State Park, Tennessee. June, 2006.

Twin Falls, Rock Island State Park, Tennessee. June, 2006.

On my last Watery Wednesday post (HERE) I mentioned that the Caney Fork River flows past the base of Twin Falls in Rock Island State Park here in Tennessee.  Several people said they would like to see the falls, so Twin Falls are the subject of this posting.

Twin Falls is formed by water gushing from a steep hillside and tumbling 65 to 80 feet into the Caney Fork.  Twin Falls did not appear until after the construction of Great Falls Dam.  The Collins River is immediately behind the hill from the Caney Fork, and it is speculated that when the dam was built forming Great Falls Lake, water began seeping into caverns thought to be inside the hill.  The water had to go somewhere, so it proceeded to ‘leak’ out the other side, forming the falls.

Attempts were made to patch up the leaks, but to no avail.  Hydrologic engineers have concluded that the hill is not in danger of collapse, so Rock Island now has a ‘quasi-natural’ waterfall.  Regardless how it was formed, we think Twin Falls is a pretty addition to our collection.

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On a slightly different note, I have started a second blog.  I have long wanted a place where I could post pictures that I like.  I anticipate that this will continue to be my main blog and that the new blog will be mostly pictures with enough information to identify what is being shown.  I probably will not post every day, but I will add new pictures as I find them in my files.  If you would like to visit Photos by Senior Hiker click HERE.

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Scenic Sunday # 31

February 15, 2009
Pond Falls at Ledford Mill, Tullahoma, TN. February 14, 2009.

Pond Falls at Ledford Mill, Tullahoma, Tennessee.February 14, 2009.

This is my entry for this weeks’ Scenic Sunday.  To see more pictures from our beautiful world, or to join in the fun and contribute your own pictures, click HERE.

Betsy and I just got back this evening from our Valentine’s Day trip.  For the second year in a row we have gone waterfalling.  This year we managed to see six new waterfalls.  Saturday started out rainy in southern Tennessee, but it cleared up enough to make hiking very enjoyable.  We had one moderate-length hike and several short hikes in our search for these six waterfalls.

The waterfall in the picture above is the 300th waterfall in our ‘collection’.  It is Pond Falls, one of two that can be seen from the Ledford Mill near Tullahoma, Tennessee.  This falls is formed by overflow from the retention pond that supplied power for the mill.  The Ledford Mill is a gristmill built in 1884 and is listed on the National Historic Register and on the Tennessee Heritage Trail.  Restored in 1996, the mill is now both a museum and a bed and breakfast.

Betsy and I were delighted to add this pretty little waterfall to our collection.  We are also looking forward to adding more waterfalls to our collection in the weeks and months ahead.

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Watery Wednesday # 20

January 27, 2009
Spruce Flat Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. January 25, 2008.

Spruce Flat Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. January 25, 2008.

We’re still in the grip of winter here on the Plateau — gray skies, rain and ice, but no snow for now.  So I thought I would stay with winter for Watery Wednesday.  The pictures can be enlarged if desired.

Last January Betsy and I hiked to Spruce Flat Falls in the Smoky Mountains.  Spruce Flat Falls is behind the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, not far from the Townsend entrance to the park.  The institute sponsors workshops and programs throughout the year and there are signs pointing the way.

The hike to the falls was not bad  — a little under a mile.  The trail was fairly steep near the trailhead at the institute but it soon leveled off.  It was a good day for a hike — crisp, but not particularly cold.

When we got to the falls we were delighted to find water, snow and ice.  It was quite a visual delight.  The falls actually contains three steps — the picture above shows the main portion of the falls.

Water and ice at Spruce Flat Falls. January 25, 2008.

Water and ice at Spruce Flat Falls. January 25, 2008.

This second picture shows the water and ice of the falls in a little more detail.  Spruce Flat Falls was a very nice addition to our waterfall collection.

To see more of our watery world, or to join by posting your own pictures, click HERE.

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