It's just a … The Coldspring Branch Trail (orange) crosses the creek several times. Registering with the park before using these trails is mandatory. It's a steady ascent which gets quite rocky/rooty at times. alltrails.com At about the halfway point, the trail turns to the right to head up to Rainbow Falls. Having reached the highest point of the hike, there are several areas on the way down where one might just have to be on all fours (around the rock walls which are beautiful!) What a great place! Google Maps . It is a little steeper (moderate) leading up through forested areas. #7 - Gum Gap Trail - Foothills Trail Extension: Jones Gap to Sassafras Mountain, #8 - Pretty Place and Rainbow Falls via Hospital Rock and Jones Gap Trail [PRIVATE PROPERTY], Jones Gap and Coldspring Branch to Bill Kimball Trail, Gum Gap Trail - Foothills Trail Extension: Jones Gap to Sassafras Mountain, Pretty Place and Rainbow Falls via Hospital Rock and Jones Gap Trail [PRIVATE PROPERTY]. Another .6 miles down and the trail to the Jones Gap Falls will be on the right. The park's trail system connects with Caesars Head in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. An alternative to hiking the strenuous Rainbow Falls trail, this in-and-out hike follows Jones Gap Trail and then the 0.1mi Jones Gap Falls Trail to a 50ft waterfall on a tributary to the Middle Saluda for a 2.6mi round trip. #4 - Hospital Rock to Falls Creek Falls Trail, #5 - Jones Gap and Coldspring Branch to Bill Kimball Trail. The Jones Gap Trail (blue) is an easy to moderate trail following the Saluda river. At about .6 miles (1km) the Rainbow Falls Trail starts off to the right (which is moderate to hard and about 1 1/2 miles long.) The overall area is real secluded, gas stations are available but don’t hesitate to top off your tank. There is a great waterfall about a mile in, and many smaller cascades along the way. Much of the hike to Rainbow Falls, which begins at Jones Gap State Park (seen here at the start of the trail on the right side of the map), follows along the Middle Saluda River. NOTE: If you want to visit Jones Gap before 2 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, you need to pay $5 and reserve one of the 30 parking spots available the day before your visit. There is also access to the 80-mile Foothills Trail. It's just a couple of hundred feet long and worth taking a look. We recommend bringing A LOT of water, especially during the summer. This beautiful trail takes you through forested areas along Oil Camp Creek, eventually reaching Pinnacle Pass. Trailside camp sites are available. It's a steady ascent which gets quite rocky/rooty at times. There is a great waterfall about a mile in, and many smaller cascades along the way. #6 - Oil Camp Creek to Pinnacle Pass Trail. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from March until October. Author: Ted Alvarez Updated: Aug 11, 2020 Original: Aug 23, 2017. The hike: Tucked in a deep and tight east-west valley at the foot of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, 3946 acre Jones Gap State Park lies directly east of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, one of South Carolina ’s top hiking destinations. The Best Day Hikes in America: Rim of the Gap Trail to Jones Gap. The Jones Gap State Park trails allow hikers to traverse between the two parks, as well as connect to a portion of the Foothills Trail and Palmetto Trail South Carolina hikers know and love. Flickr/Brenda Wiley. This parking fee is in addition to the visiting fee. If you enjoy creek side trails, you’ll really enjoy it. It closely follows the Middle Saluda River, occasionally crossing the rushing water on narrow logs. Jones Gap / Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area is for the hiker and waterfall enthusiast. NOTE: If you want to visit Jones Gap before 2 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, you need to pay $5 and reserve one of the 30 parking spots available the day before your visit. This 50ft beauty is an easy waterfall to visit as the trail is only about 1 mile one-way, has minimal elevation change, and parallels the gorgeous boulder strewn Middle Saluda River almost the entire hike. The deep mountain cove of Jones Gap State Park offers miles of great hiking trails and thousands of acres of beautiful woodlands. Starts off easy when you enter the trailhead, but will quickly get steep as you walk up a lot of stairs. Looking for a great trail in Jones Gap State Park, South Carolina? Jones Gap also provides superb primitive camping sites along the rocky and scenic Middle Saluda River. Hiking Project is built by hikers like you. Jones Gap Trail and Coldspring Branch Trail Loop, Jones Gap State Park, SC. At about .6 miles (1km) the Rainbow Falls Trail starts off to the right (which is moderate to hard and about 1 1/2 miles long.) Explore the most popular views trails in Jones Gap State Park with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. If you'd like to do a point-to-point, leave a car or get a ride from the end at Geer Highway. You'll find more than 30 miles of gorgeous, and often challenging, trails in Jones Gap State Park. It is one of the most amazing places in the southeast if you love rugged terrain, killer tough hikes, waterfalls, and primitive camping. The trail follows the Middle Saluda River, making for a beautiful hike along the way. Another .6 miles down and the trail to the Jones Gap Falls will be on the right. Jones Gap State Park is located in northern Greenville County near Marietta, South Carolina. Admission: $6 adults; $3.75 SC seniors (age 65 & older); $3.50 children ages 6-15; ages 5 and under, free. The Jones Gap Trail (blue) is an easy to moderate trail following the Saluda river. The park, along with adjoining Caesars Head State Park, is administered by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism as the Middle Bridge Wilderness. Where is your favorite place to hike with your family? AllTrails has 8 great hiking trails, forest trails, views trails and more, with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers, and nature lovers like you. You can make camping reservations here. From this point its 1.6 miles one way. There are several nice spots by the river to take a break! The Jones Gap Trail (blue) is an easy to moderate trail following the Saluda river. It's a steady ascent which gets quite rocky/rooty at times. Many come for a day hike … The trail for 100' high Rainbow Falls starts about 0.25 miles down Jones Gap Trail. Located in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area of upstate South Carolina, Jones Gap State Park is a jewel among the South Carolina State Parks. Hike on Rainbow Falls in Jones Gap State Park, South Carolina. This route can done as either a point-to-point or an out-and-back. Ready for some activity? My son (4 years) absolutely loves having access to the river. #6 - Oil Camp Creek to Pinnacle Pass Trail. Hiking Trails: A network of easy to strenuous hiking trails in the Mountain Bridge Recreation Area links Caesars Head and Jones Gap state parks. Jones Gap is a 3,964-acre state park in northern Greenville County near the town of Marietta. South Carolina Representative J. Cleveland donated 20 acres here to start the state's first fish hatchery (aka The … We started out on the Jones Gap Trail, then made the climb up to Rainbow Falls. Jones Gap State Park features a variety of trails, and one of the best leads to Jones Gap Falls – a 50-foot cascade over a staircase of stones. This route can done as either a point-to-point or an out-and-back. Trails and 13,000 acres of pristine mountain woodlands join the park with Caesars Head in what is known as the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. Ask brookballiet about Jones Gap State Park. flickr/Scott Oves. Enjoy!!! The trail starts on Oil Camp Creek Road, which is paved all the way, but it becomes narrow and one-lane near the end. Reserved parking spaces will be held until 2 p.m. #7 - Gum Gap Trail - Foothills Trail Extension: Jones Gap to Sassafras Mountain, #8 - Pretty Place and Rainbow Falls via Hospital Rock and Jones Gap Trail [PRIVATE PROPERTY], Jones Gap and Coldspring Branch to Bill Kimball Trail, Gum Gap Trail - Foothills Trail Extension: Jones Gap to Sassafras Mountain, Pretty Place and Rainbow Falls via Hospital Rock and Jones Gap Trail [PRIVATE PROPERTY]. Notes: The Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area is 40,000 acres of wilderness containing over 50 miles of the best hiking trails in the State of South Carolina. Hike Name: Jones Gap State Park - Middle Saluda River: Country: United States: State: South Carolina: Nearby Town: Walhalla : Rating: Directions: (US 276 – Raven Cliff Falls Parking Area): From the Caesar’s Head State Park store and visitor’s center, drive north on US 276 for 1.1 miles to the Raven Cliff Falls Parking Area (which is on your right.) Detailed trail maps are available for sale at the park headquarters. The Trailhead: Located at Jones Gap State Park in Marietta, SC of northern Greenville County. I visited Jones Gap Falls. The Jones Gap State Park trails allow hikers to traverse between the two parks, as well as connect to a portion of the Foothills Trail and Palmetto Trail South Carolina hikers know and love. #4 - Hospital Rock to Falls Creek Falls Trail, #5 - Jones Gap and Coldspring Branch to Bill Kimball Trail. It has beautiful hiking trails for the entire family to enjoy. Since it’s located between two mountains, count on the temperature being about 10 degrees colder than the … Its easternmost terminus is Jones Gap State Park and the 5.3-mile long trail meanders through lush woodlands towards Caesars Head State Park. The chilly water in the Jones Gap area provided a great spot for raising trout fish, which were imported from Montana to help restock the local river systems. An alternative to hiking the strenuous Rainbow Falls trail, this in-and-out hike follows Jones Gap Trail and then the 0.1mi Jones Gap Falls Trail to a 50ft waterfall on a tributary to the Middle Saluda for a 2.6mi round trip. Rainbow Falls Trail Hike in Jones Gap State Park - YouTube. The view of the falls are BEAUTIFUL! Parking spot reservations may be made here: https://reserve.southcarolinaparks.com/mountain-bridge It is a little steeper (moderate) leading up through forested areas. $5 for adults; $3 kids 6 – 15; kids 5 and under are free. Camping by the river is a must. This beautiful trail takes you through forested areas along Oil Camp Creek, eventually reaching Pinnacle Pass. The Middle Saluda River was the state of South Carolina's first designated scenic river and offers some of the best trout fishing in SC. Hikers can take a number of loop and traverse hiking trails that connect the parks, and trailside camping is available for those who choose the longer routes. Tell us in the comments? Trails and 13,000 acres of pristine mountain woodlands join the park with Caesars Head in what is known as the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. The trails can be accessed via either Jones Gap State Park or Caesars Head State Park. Posted by Jeff on Jan 16, 2012 @ 5:12 pm in Best Hike, Hiking, Hiking Blog, Mountain Bridge Wilderness, Rated Difficult Hikes, South Carolina, Water Hikes | 9 comments | Last modified: February 20, 2020 . Dogs are also able to use this trail. Another .6 miles down and the trail to the Jones Gap Falls will be on the right. Camping: Call 1-866-345-PARK (7275) or go online at www.SouthCarolinaParks.com to … It's just a couple of hundred feet long and worth taking a look. There are several nice spots by the river to take a break! The Jones Gap Trail is one of the easiest trails in the Wilderness. The Bill Kimball Trail (pink) is what makes this loop hard. In the Caesars Head section, the best-known destination is 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls. Widely regarded as the most challenging hike in SC. There are several nice spots by the river to take a break! Jones Gap is the best camping and hiking in the Greenville area. The Coldspring Branch Trail (orange) crosses the creek several times. The Jones Gap Trail (blue) is an easy to moderate trail following the Saluda river. Caesars Head connects to Jones Gap State Park in what is known as the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, an 13,000-acre area of pristine southern mountain forest. Having reached the highest point of the hike, there are several areas on the way down where one might just have to be on all fours (around the rock walls which are beautiful!) Pam and I did a loop hike in Jones Gap State Park. Jones Gap and Rainbow Falls Trail is a 11.9 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Cleveland, South Carolina that features a waterfall and is rated as difficult. Date of experience: July 2013. At about .6 miles (1km) the Rainbow Falls Trail starts off to the right (which is moderate to hard and about 1 1/2 miles long.) Trail following the Saluda river Ted best hikes jones gap state park Updated: Aug 11, 2020 Original: Aug 23 2017... 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