As part of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, Wildcat Wayside Park was once one of a six roadside parks created by the National Park Service throughout South Carolina in the 1920’s. Showcasing Wildcat Falls three separate waterfalls totaling 140-ft high, visitors can spend an afternoon walking the parks family friendly 1 mile trail loop while exploring the southern end of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. This is a popular swimming hole during the summer months with vendors selling food & souvenirs along the side of the road so make sure to plan your visit in the early morning or late afternoon to find a good parking spot.
Wildcat Wayside Park Map | Alltrails
Wildcat Wayside Park Location | Google Maps
Approximate route of 0.8 mile Wildcat Wayside Nature Trail.
Getting There
Wildcat Wayside Park is the quintessential roadside stop you could spend a few moments in or an entire afternoon exploring. I planned a quick stop here on my way from Headwaters State Forest in North Carolina to visit Jones Gap State Park in Marietta, South Carolina. The park is situated on 60 acres along Geer Highway near the town of Cleveland and is only a short drive from Caesars Head State Park and several northern access points into the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. Parking can be found directly on the side of Geer Highway, but these spots fill up fast so an overflow lot was built across the street about 100 yards past the parks main entrance. This is a popular attraction during summer, with vendor stalls sprawled throughout the parking lot selling snacks and beverages, so plan to encounter some crowds while you’re here.
Convincing thousands of motorists to pull-over each year is the unsuspectingly beautiful Lower Wildcat Falls. Just out of sight of this photo are the 30 or so people wading in the pool directly below the falls.
Lower Wildcat Falls
Splashing down almost literally onto the highway, Lower Wildcat Falls delightful beauty is surely to blame for the thousands of unsuspecting visitors that decide to pull over off Geer Highway to come and explore this hidden gem. As part of the parks main entrance, this 25-ft waterfall cascades into a generous shallow pool that has become one of the local areas most popular swimming hole. On my early afternoon visit, there were no less than 30 people crowded around this waterfall taking turns going in and out of the water. As you walk up the rough stone cut staircase that ascends over the Lower Falls, one immediately gets a sneak peak at a second waterfall up ahead.
Middle Wildcat Falls
Only a few yards upstream from the Lower Falls, Middle Wildcat Falls drops 10-ft over a stone ledge into another natural pool. On a warm day like today, there were even people laying out in the water here as well. The small entrance path into the park crosses Wildcat Branch directly in front of this waterfall with a view down over the precipice of the Lower Falls just on the other side of us. Taking another staircase up to the top of Middle Falls, you’ll reach an informational kiosk marking the trailhead for the 0.8 mile Nature Trail.
From the trailhead, the 0.8 mile Nature Trail splits into a loop meandering its way to the headwaters of Wildcat Branch and the 100-ft tall Upper Falls. Up until the 1920’s, the Piedmont region of South Carolina was extremely remote and only accessible via dirt and gravel roads. With the advent of the automobile and the paving of U.S. Highway 276, the National Park Service decided to implement a plan of creating small wayside parks to incite people to travel. Originally called Greenville Wayside Park, for Greenville County, this was one of six parks created by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Near the trailhead you’ll walk past the foundation and chimney of the original picnic pavilion that stood here for over 30 years.
Upper Wildcat Falls
Taking the left path at the split will take you across Wildcat Branch on a more gently graded trail that meanders under rocky cliffs all the way to the Upper Falls. The right path offers more of a challenge as it contains several steep hill climbs up to the higher ridge for an overhead view of the ravine. As a payoff for your hard work, this section also contains a bonus unnamed waterfall that slides 15-ft down a smaller tributary of Wildcat Branch. With a little bit of extra rain, this waterfall is just as photogenic as the parks main attractions. As the trail begins to loop back on itself near the end of the ravine, you’ll find a winding stone staircase leading to the base of Upper Falls 100-ft drop.
At nearly 100-ft tall this is one of the tallest waterfalls in South Carolina. It takes a lot of rainfall to get this one going.
Up next, were headed deeper into the 17,000 acre Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area to explore the deep mountain cove of Jones Gap State Park. Located in Marietta, South Carolina, this remote state park encompasses the headwaters of the Middle Saluda River and contains over 60 miles of hiking trails and nearly a dozen documented waterfalls. Stay tuned as we hike to Jones Gap Falls, Silver Step Falls, & Toll Road Falls in one of the most remote areas of South Carolina and as always, see y’all on the trails!
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