2. Hiking Adventures

Buckeye Branch

Describes a hike to Buckeye Branch in Rabun County
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Where is Buckeye Branch? HINT: It is not in Ohio (Home of The Ohio State Football Buckeyes!!). Buckeye Branch is a tributary to the Chattooga River. Buckeye joins the Chattooga just north of where the Chattooga goes under US Hwy 76.
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Where is Buckeye Branch? HINT: It is not in Ohio (Home of The Ohio State Football Buckeyes!!). Buckeye Branch is a tributary to the Chattooga River. Buckeye joins the Chattooga just north of where the Chattooga goes under US Hwy 76.

  • Buckeye Branch in Rabun County.
  • Where is Buckeye Branch? HINT: It is not in Ohio (Home of The Ohio State Football Buckeyes!!). Buckeye Branch is a tributary to the Chattooga River. Buckeye joins the Chattooga just north of where the Chattooga goes under US Hwy 76.
  • Take US Hwy 76 east out of Clayton for 5.2 miles and turn left on Pool Creek Road. Go north on Pool Creek Road for 3.5 miles to Forest Service Road 9; on the right*. I have seen maps with the name "Lick Log Road" but the Forest Service's Carsonite stake only says "9".<br /> *For those familiar with this part of the county, the north end of Pool Creek Road can be accessed off Sandy Ford Road. FR 9 is 1.6 miles, south, from Sandy Ford Road.
  • FR 9 is in excellent condition for most vehicles.
  • FR 9 ends in a culdesac at 4.6 miles. A trail down to the Chattooga River Trail (and the Chattooga River) exits the culdesac in the upper right. The trail you want exits the culdesac back towards the camera and you can certainly park here and start your hike. I drove back up the road a ways and picked up the trail where it comes alongside the road.
  • So, I turned around and drove back up the road 0.2 miles to a path on the right.<br /> 35.85002, -83.27216
  • The easy graded path is off to the left of a steep scramble path.
  • Turn left on a well traveled trail.
  • It is about a quarter mile to some vehicle blocking mounds (VBM)
  • After you cross the vehicle blocking mounds, the trail will bend left and begin a slow decent. Take a right turn and begin bushwhacking down a broad ridge.
  • The ridge slowly descends through open woods.
  • As the terrain gets steeper, bear towards the left. You will end up on the steep slope directly above the waypoint that you had put in for the waterfall (34.85166, -83.26811). You should be hearing the waterfall, as well.
  • Depending on the actual route you take down, you may be able to glimpse the top and the bottom of the waterfall.
  • It was a substantial effort to get to the top of the waterfall.
  • This top drop is about 12 feet high. You can't tell it from the picture but, after splashing on the rocks, it makes a left turn away from the camera dropping under the overhang that forms a cave. It falls another 10 - 15 feet before exiting. The waterfall then spreads out down a broken boulder mostly covered with debris.
  • This is part of the debris as seen from the bottom. And, most of the water is off to the right.
  • Off to the right of that debris is the final plunge.
  • With the jagged rock wall framing it, this is a picturesque waterfall.
  • Only 12 feet high.
  • I have it's coordinates as 34.85164, -83.26802
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