Mark's Photo Travels

Yesterday I headed north to visit the Upper and Lower Whitewater Falls, two impressive waterfalls located on the Whitewater River both located near the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Whitewater River empties into Lake Jocassee a few miles downstream from Lower Whitewater Falls. Ordinarily I avoid hiking in humid weather, but with three days off in a row I found I could not resist the idea of an outdoor adventure. These two waterfalls were definitely worth seeing even in the high humidity. Lower Whitewater Falls Lower Whitewater Falls is a 200 foot drop (over 400 feet if the surrounding cascades are included!) on the Whitewater River in northern Oconee County on land owned by Duke Energy for their Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station . Lower Whitewater Falls is most easily accessed from the Foothills Trail and Whitewater River Access Area Parking off Bad Creek Road: Bad Creek Road is off SC 130 near the NC border. The gate was open when I arrived, and stays open until dark

The weather around here has turned hot and humid (it is June after all!), but that didn't keep me from exploring two protected properties each on one side of East Preston McDaniel Road (near S.C. 11) in northern Pickens County: Nine Times Preserve and Nine Times Forest. Nine Times Preserve Nine Times Preserve is a 560 acre nature preserve, located on the south side of East Preston McDaniel Road, owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy . Upstate Forever bought property in 2007 from a logging company, then The Nature Conservancy bought the property from Upstate Forever in 2009. During the winter of 2012, The Nature Conservancy built three trails : Cedar Rock Trail, Rocky Bald Loop Trail, and Trillium Trail. I chose to hike the Rocky Bald Loop Trail in part to see the small waterfall along the trail. I parked at the Rocky Bald Parking Area, located at approximately 34.90503, -82.80891  or about half way between Eastatoe Creek Road and Nine Times Road . I read over the