You’ll find yourself standing next to a gorgeous emerald lagoon at the end of the Lands Bridge Falls Trail near Mountain Rest, South Carolina. When it comes to waterfalls in the Palmetto State, few are less traveled than this hidden gem. In fact, you will likely have the trail, the waterfall, and the emerald lagoon here all to yourself, even in the height of the season.
Even better still, the trail is not only ranked as "easy" by AllTrails, it's also less than half a mile from the small parking area to the lagoon and waterfall.
If there are any complaints across the board about this trail, it's that it's so untraveled it's not always clearly marked and can sometimes get a bit overgrown. But that's ok. You can download the AllTrails app to your phone and use the app's map as your guide. And as for the overgrowth, well... wear your snake boots. You'll be glad you braved the trail when you get to the waterfall at the end.
Lands Bridge Falls may not be super tall, but it spans the entire width of the Chauga River.
Speaking of the trail, as mentioned, it can pose a few challenges, like with the occasional downed tree. Stay the course. As they say, take your bruises but be sure to stay in the ring because winning this fight will be worth it.
When you arrive, if you'll drive past the trailhead to cross the river, you'll find a small parking area just ahead on the left.
Learn more about this trail here from AllTrails, and download the AllTrails app so you can use their navigational tools while on the trail, by visiting the app store on your phone and searching for AllTrails. The trailhead for Lands Bridge Falls is located at the following coordinates: 34.832744, -83.158882.