Last Updated on May 12, 2023 by Nikole

The waterfalls at Lake Jocassee are some of the most beautiful views and remote places I’ve been to in South Carolina.

My husband, Clark, and I were shocked that all of these waterfalls weren’t overcrowded. On top of that, we felt like we were in a tropical rainforest!

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We made it a goal on our 4-day vacation, with our campervan, to see all of the Lake Jocassee waterfalls.

We were only able to see a few of them, which was a bummer. I am here to help you navigate and prepare for your trip to Lake Jocassee so you can get more out of your vacation.

Read more about how we travel around in our tiny campervan.

Let me help you find all of these sought-after Lake Jocassee waterfalls in South Carolina

• Upper Whitewater fall
• Lower Whitewater fall
• Laurel creek
• Write Creek
• Mills Creek
• Devil’s Hole

Waterfalls at Lake Jocassee

Any waterfall on Lake Jocassee can be tricky to find, and almost impossible to get to without a boat! Here is a simple graph to show you the basics of these waterfalls.

Need a place to stay near Lake Jocassee so you can see the amazing waterfalls? We got you covered!

Finding The Upper and Lower White Waterfalls

Don’t make the same mistake as we did and try to find a way to the bottom of the waterfalls by hiking. Although we did stumble upon some great views on our adventures, the views we did see took us a few hours to find.

Just Take the Boat: You can and should take a kayak or a boat. This may be the only way to see the bottom of these waterfalls. Plus you can see most of the other Lake Jocassee waterfalls while boating to the Whitewater falls. Check out these places for kayak rentals.

Find the Best Ways to Get into Lake Jocassee here

The Lower and Upper Whitewater falls are both on the White Water River system, and together they are 811 feet tall.

The Upper Whitewater falls makes up 411 feet, and the Lower Whitewater falls makes up 400ft.

Lower Whitewater falls

The bottom of the Lower Whitewater falls is the waterfall we tried so hard to get to on foot. But it never happened. You literally need a boat to get there.

Alternative Routes to Lower White Water Falls

We went to the Duke Energy overlook with our campervan to see if we could take the road further down the mountain.

The view was absolutely beautiful from Duke Energy overlook! However you couldn’t go further down the road than that point, it’s gated off. Ugh! At this point, we were super frustrated with our endeavor.

It was worth it for the views we had at the overlook. We still were unable to get to the bottom of the waterfall.

(P.S. our breaks on the van were on fire all the way down to the overlook, so take it easy, or take a break on your way down.)

How You Actually Get To Lower Whitewater Fall

We finally contacted the ranger station and found out that it would take about 40 minutes by pontoon and nearly half the day by kayak to get to the bottom of Lower Whitewater Falls.

unfortunately, we didn’t have time for this on our 4-day vacation (because we had a whole lake and mountain range to discover). Maybe next time!

Seeing a Different Perspective

We first had to hike the Lower Whitewater trail access for about an hour only to realize that the trails only take you to a part of the river.

There’s actually a pretty nice view, but it would have been about another 2 to 3 miles to get to that view. We were too exhausted to hike that much more.

We never did see where the Whitewater Falls let out on Lake Jocassee, but we did find a way to the middle of the falls through a hunting trail. This area is pictured above.

Here is exactly how we got to the Lake Jocassee Whitewater fall in the picture above.

1. Off to the side of the gravel parking lot is a gravel road, you will want to park your vehicle in the parking lot.
2. Start to hike the gravel road.
3. Listen for the sound of the waterfall. You will hear this before you see a trail.
4. Look to the right of you, that is where you will find a steep decline and some sketchy-looking trails. (These trails aren’t officially on the trail map system, so be careful).
5. Take extreme caution when hiking down. Be aware of possible holes in the ground and the sudden opening of the woods to the waterfall.
6. Also, take extreme caution when you finally get down to the waterfall as the rocks are extremely steep and slippery.

I wouldn’t recommend hiking this trail, however, as it is an undeveloped trail on a steep steep hill. We slipped quite a few times on the trail that leads to the falls.

Upper Whitewater Falls

The Upper Whitewater Falls of Lake Jocassee was further up the river from the Lower Whitewater Falls. They are both on the Whitewater river that lets out into Lake Jocassee.

How To Get to Upper White Water Falls

The Upper Whitewater Falls was the easiest waterfall to get to because the area was well maintained.

There were easy trail markings to follow. (This waterfall is about a 20 minutes driving distance from the Lower Whitewaterfalls).

It was $3 to park at the trailhead. You will need to pay at the beginning of the trail near the signage. After dropping off your vehicle information along with the $3 in an envelope, you are ready to hike.

1st Upper Waterfall View

This waterfall was a beast, cascading 811 feet. The trail to the first view was easy to get to considering there was a paved road and it was less than a mile hike. Even the elderly were hiking it!

The path is a straight shot from the starting point and is located beyond the first set of railing you come across.

2nd Upper Waterfall View

When you get to the first view at the fence you can either go left or right.

To the right of the first view, you will see a huge staircase that will take you to the second view. You’ve been warned, it’s rough coming back up. You better do those stair climbers at the gym as practice.

The second view is similar to the first, it’s just a bit closer to the falls and the area is more open.

3rd Upper Whitewaterfall View

To the left of the first view is another path. It seemed like it was blocked off as if to discourage people from hiking there. This trail will take you to the top of the 811 ft falls.

We went, and it was about a mile hike to where the waterfall dropped off.

People are being discouraged to hike this trail because people have died from falling off the waterfall. There are plenty of signs warning you about the dangers. I am in no way encouraging you to go… see our disclaimer.

Other Waterfalls around Lake Jocassee

Check out this map for the other waterfalls that are near or at lake Jocassee.

Wright Creek Falls

Wright Creek Falls is located in the inlet next to the Lower White Water Falls. This is probably one of the better Lake Jocassee waterfalls.

Wright Creek Falls cascades 30-35 feet over the lake, and is sectioned off into three different tiers.

Unfortunately, this waterfall is only accessible by boat.

Laurel Creek Falls

Laurel Creek falls creates an 80-foot cascade of water that deposits into Lake Jocassee.

You can reach this Lake Jocassee waterfall by boat or on foot.

If you choose to go on foot make sure you pack your tent and overnight bag. You will hike 8.1 miles from the Foothills trail, and the terrain proves to be a challenge.

New to camping? check out our ultimate camping checklist!

Other Waterfalls on Lake Jocassee

I only say “other” for these two waterfalls because these are not the most sought-after waterfalls on Lake Jocassee.

However, these two Lake Jocassee waterfalls make a great addition to a waterfall boating tour.

Mill Creek Falls

This Lake Jocassee waterfall can only be accessed by boat or kayak. It’s one of the smaller falls of the lake, but still worth a visit.

You will need to swim up to the waterfall in order to enjoy the full beauty of it.

Devils Hole Creek Falls

This waterfall is probably one of the least impressive Lake Jocassee waterfalls.

However, it would make a great addition to your boating waterfall tour, especially after it rains.

You can only access this waterfall by boat.

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