RATtreks

Sulphur Spring Branch Falls 11-09-2010

I recently had the good fortune of going on another hiking adventure with my friend Dave Aldridge. He is an avid fellow ‘waterfaller’ and has been trying to find the elusive Sulphur Spring Branch Falls that are located on the South Holston Lake side of Holston Mountain in Sullivan County. There is not much information available about these falls and even the TN Landforms website had a question mark beside them and the GPS location they list is inaccurate,,,,until now ! Many have tried to find these falls and failed. The only photo I have found is the one on the TN Landforms site by William Stowell but, there are no directions and the GPS waypoint was incorrect. On Dave’s first attempt, he was out on a scouting mission and, the weather turned bad so he had to get off the mountain. The route he was taking (using the only information and GPS available) was not a very good way to go, and further research led him to believe that there was an easier way from an old forest service road and horse trail located closer to where the falls were supposed to be. Armed with that information, some maps, and a positive attitude,we set out to find these waterfalls.

Sulpur Spring Branch Falls (upper)

We departed from Hairntquarters around 9:30 a.m. and made the 45 minute drive to the South Holston  Lake area where it took us another 30 minutes or so to locate the correct forest service road to take up the mountain. The Forest Service had informed us that the gate would be open until January. You can see the lake from many points along this road. Once this road was found, it was another 2 or 3 miles up to the second gate which is always closed. The old road continues behind the gate for a long ways but after almost 3 miles we reached what would have been the turnoff to the GPS point and confirmed that indeed it was incorrect. There were not any creeks or water at that location. We had been closely studying the maps the whole time, taking notes, and we soon realized that the sizable creek we had crossed over about a half mile earlier had to be the one. We backtracked to that point and took off up the hollow beside the creek, hot with waterfall fever !

Fall colors along the old forest road

For the most part there wasn’t really a trail, only a faint idea that one might have been there many years ago. It was not that difficult but we were gaining elevation rather quickly. We estimated it to be about 600 feet over 3, maybe 4 tenths of a mile, the steepest being the last part up to the falls. We had to cross the creek two times. Starting out on the left side, we crossed to the right side where we stayed for the longest time, but had to cross back to the left side and then climb through a rocky area to reach the lower part of the falls. Like many waterfalls, these are hidden for the most part, even when you are standing at the bottom looking up at them and only reveal themselves as you climb up to each level. These falls have basically 3 parts:  a lower, middle, and upper, with the upper being the tallest and all combined they are at least 100 feet or more in height. They are each unique and have their own individual beauty.

Sulphur Spring Branch Falls

As you reach each level you see what was previously hidden behind the trees and laurels. The excitement of doing this raises ones adrenaline level higher and higher the further you go. Caution is to be used when doing this, as climbing waterfalls is very dangerous  and you must slow down, take your time, and place each step as if it could be your last as it very well may be. In such remote areas as this, being off trail makes getting help for you nearly impossible and would be very time consuming. Not to mention the fall could kill you as it is always very rocky at the bottom of waterfalls. For these reasons I must emphasize the importance of being very careful and never attempt such feats alone.

Lower Sulphur Spring Branch Falls

Dave beside the upper part of the lower falls

The lower part of the falls are about 15 feet high and more if you consider the cascades that continue at the foot of them. I can’t wait to see these with more water flowing over them. We spent some time here taking pics but the lure of the upper falls that we could see glimpses of and hear above us, forced us to continue climbing higher.

Closeup of tree on upper part of the lower falls

Just above the lower falls on the next tier we came to the middle falls. These are also about 15 or 20 feet high and are just as awesome if not more so than the lowers.

Middle Sulphur Springs Falls

Middle Sulphur Spring Branch Falls

Getting up to the upper and largest part of these falls was more difficult. It is very steep and nestled in a V between two large cliffs. There are huge rocks and large rotting, downed trees to climb up and over making it precarious to traverse. We slowly and carefully made our way up the left side clinging to laurel roots and rocks until we made it. Soon as we reached the top of the middle falls we got our first clear view of the upper falls. They were breathtaking. I had my doubts whether Dave would attempt this last leg of the climb, but he was like a kid in a candy store. With a big smile on his face he followed behind me and soon we were both standing at the foot of these magnificent 40 foot falls. We confirmed at that time that these were beyond any doubt the one we had seen in the only photo available of these falls,,,,at least until now !

Upper Sulphur Spring Branch Falls

We spent quite awhile here taking pics, eating our lunch, and just enjoying the natural beauty of the area. It was apparent that no one comes here as there are none of the usual signs of man. No tracks and not one speck of trash of any sort. That is rare these days. Looking back down the hollow we had came up revealed the amount of elevation we had gained. It was more than we realized as you don’t really notice as you are climbing just how high you are getting in such a short time. I took some time to explore the cliff ledges on the right side and I couldn’t help but wonder why there were no pics of the lower and middle falls, and if there were any more falls above these. Getting around these to investigate higher up would be tricky and best left for another trip. I am sure I will be back here again in the near future.

Upper Sulphur Spring Branch Falls

Upper Sulphur Spring Branch Falls

It was a warm and sunny day in the upper 60`s but it was much colder in this higher elevation. The sun does not hit these falls and we could see our breath as it was getting colder with evening approaching. It is generally colder at waterfalls with cooler breezes created by the falling water, so one must always pack warmer clothing. We knew we had to climb back down, make our way out of the hollow with no trail, and then walk at least  2.5 miles out the old forest road to the vehicle, so as much as we hated to leave, we had to go. We began the arduous descent which sometimes can be riskier than the ascent but, we made it back down with no trouble. It did not take long to reach the road and we enjoyed the views on our way back. Despite the many leaves that have already died and fallen, there was still much beauty and color to be seen. Any day is a great day to be in the woods and with our mission being successful it was just icing on the cake. Dave has sent the new information to Tom of the TN Landforms site and it has now been corrected, so the GPS location now shows the exact location of these falls. I will be sending in some of my photos that will be added soon. I can’t wait until the next adventure and I hope this Indian Summer weather continues for awhile longer.

Close up of a portion of the middle falls

For more photo’s of these falls please visit the Gallery here.