The best historic waterfalls in South Carolina are Hidden Falls, Sids Falls, Lower Falls (Lower Whitewater Falls) and 4 more. Falls with a written record: a USGS naming history, a gazetteer description or older recorded names.
See every waterfall on the South Carolina waterfalls page or the South Carolina waterfall map, or browse by town: Walhalla, Westminster, Slater-Marietta, Greenville.
How we picked: We took the 7 publicly accessible South Carolina waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
-
1. Hidden Falls
Hidden Falls near Walhalla takes the top spot, rated 4.4 out of 5 from 35 reviews.
Oconee County, SC 29691 (GPS 34.8795, -83.0907)
Read full write-up
The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located on an unnamed stream which flows into Tamassee Creek, 1.6 km (1 mi) E of Oconee State Park and 6.4 km (4 mi) W of the community of Tamassee. Name history: Hidden Falls was discovered by Norman Arnold of Salem, SC in early 1994 while hiking in Sumter NF. Visitors rate it 4.4 stars across 35 Google reviews. The nearest town is Walhalla, about 8.1 miles to the south. The nearest other named waterfall is Big Bend Falls, about 5.3 miles to the north.
-
2. Sids Falls
Sids Falls is a named waterfall about 14 miles northwest of Westminster. USGS notes: approx. 55 ft. high; in Sumter National Forest on Shoulder Bone Branch 5 mi. SSE of Hog Mountain
Oconee County, SC (GPS 34.7561, -83.3078)
Read full write-up
The USGS gazetteer describes it as: approx. 55 ft. high; in Sumter National Forest on Shoulder Bone Branch 5 mi. SSE of Hog Mountain. Name history: The name honors Sidney Holmes Ballenger, Jr. (1918-1991), who documented waterfalls in the area. The nearest town is Westminster, about 14 miles to the southeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Cascade Falls, about 4.7 miles to the west.
-
3. Lower Falls (Lower Whitewater Falls)
Lower Falls, near Walhalla, is next up, rated 4.3 out of 5 from 32 reviews.
Oconee County, SC 29676 (GPS 35.0165, -82.9938)
Read full write-up
Older records also call it Lower Whitewater Falls and White Water Falls. Visitors rate it 4.3 stars across 32 Google reviews. The nearest town is Walhalla, about 18 miles to the south. The nearest other named waterfall is Corbin Creek Falls, about 1.7 miles to the northwest.
-
4. Slicking Falls
Head to Slicking Falls near Slater-Marietta, rated 5.0 out of 5 from 3 reviews.
Greenville County, SC 29635 (GPS 35.0751, -82.7040)
Read full write-up
Older records also call it Falls of Salicania and Falls of Slicking. Visitors rate it 5.0 stars across 3 Google reviews. The nearest town is Slater-Marietta, about 12 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Raven Cliff Falls, about 3.2 miles to the northeast.
-
5. Lower Falls
Lower Falls is a named waterfall about 0.7 miles southwest of Greenville. It appears on the USGS Greenville topographic map.
Greenville County, SC (GPS 34.8441, -82.4005)
Read full write-up
Older records also call it Upper Falls and Reedy River Falls. The nearest town is Greenville, about 0.7 miles to the northeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Reedy River Falls, about 0.0 miles to the west.
-
6. Reedy River Falls
Reedy River Falls is a named waterfall about 0.7 miles southwest of Greenville. It appears on the USGS Greenville topographic map.
Greenville County, SC (GPS 34.8442, -82.4011)
Read full write-up
Older records also call it Lower Falls and Upper Falls. The nearest town is Greenville, about 0.7 miles to the northeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Lower Falls, about 0.0 miles to the east.
-
7. Upper Falls
Upper Falls is a named waterfall about 0.7 miles southwest of Greenville. It appears on the USGS Greenville topographic map.
Greenville County, SC (GPS 34.8450, -82.4009)
Read full write-up
Older records also call it Reedy River Falls and Lower Falls. The nearest town is Greenville, about 0.7 miles to the northeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Reedy River Falls, about 0.1 miles to the south.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best historic waterfall in South Carolina?
Hidden Falls tops our 2026 list. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located on an unnamed stream which flows into Tamassee Creek, 1.6 km (1 mi) E of Oconee State Park and 6.4 km (4 mi) W of the community of Tamassee. It is near Walhalla in Oconee County.
How many historic waterfalls are in South Carolina?
7 of the 27 waterfalls we track in South Carolina qualify. This page ranks the top 7; every waterfall in the state is on the South Carolina waterfalls page.
How was this list made?
We took the 7 publicly accessible South Carolina waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
Which counties are they in?
The 7 on this list are in Oconee County and Greenville County.
More South Carolina Waterfalls by Type
- 5 Best Hidden Gem Waterfalls in South Carolina 2026
- 5 Best Waterfall Hiking Locations in South Carolina
- 10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in South Carolina
- 5 Most Visited Waterfalls in South Carolina
- 5 Must-See Waterfalls in South Carolina
Or browse every type on the historic waterfalls by state page and the waterfall types hub.