Jackie Steffan — 1.8 miles — Easy — 1 hour —
On Saturday, we had a big rainstorm. The first thought we have after a storm is “what waterfall should we do tomorrow?”. I love to do waterfalls after a rain since you’re almost guaranteed to have good flow, but you don’t have to worry about a slippery trail or flash flooding like you would the same day as a storm. Lower Higgins Creek Falls is a 60 foot waterfall and the short hike makes this one worth a visit.
Getting There
From I-26
- Take exit 43 for US-19W
- Turn left at the end of the ramp
- Go under 26 and turn right onto US-19W South
- After 0.7 miles, turn right on Lower Higgins Creek Rd
- Continue on Lower Higgins Creek Rd until you reach a grassy turnaround. You’ll pass some homes and the road will get pretty rocky, keep going.
- A high clearance vehicle would be helpful, but we were able to make it up and down the road in a sedan
The Hike
The parking area at the trailhead is a grassy turnaround, there should be plenty of room on a busy day. We were the only car on a Sunday afternoon in early September. The trailhead starts behind a closed gate, make your way around the gate. The trail is relatively easy to follow from this point.
The trail is a gentle incline for the majority of the hike with a gravel trail. When we went, there was some water running over the trail in sections in addition to some areas where you would cross small creeks running into Lower Higgins Creek. The creek is beautiful with lots of small cascades and smaller waterfalls leading into the creek on the left side of the trail.
After 0.6 mi, you’ll be able to see the waterfall on your right from the trail. There is a small social trail leading down to the waterfall. It’s a very inconspicuous trail and is very steep and pretty sketchy. You can take this if you’re feeling adventurous, but the view from the main trail are good enough that you don’t need to. For the best views, go in the winter or early spring when there won’t be as much foliage in the way.
If you continue on past the waterfall, there is a smaller cascade. When you’re ready, head back to the trailhead.
