We want to get out today and do some hiking, but the weather people
are predicting highs in the low 80’s, so we don’t want a very long hike. And we want to get on the trail pretty
early to avoid the heat this afternoon. So, what we need is one or two short hikes that are close together and
relatively close to home. Hammerschmidt
and Liles Falls would fit the bill perfectly.
We have been to these waterfalls more than once, but it has been over five years, so these two are overdue for a
return visit.
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Upper Liles Falls
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From the parking spot on the north side of Erbie Campground Road, we backtrack down the road about 50 feet or less to a faint trail. This trail follows the small creek on the east side past a few lovely cascades about 500 feet to the top of
Liles Falls, which is right after crossing
the Buffalo River Trail.
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dripping bluffs at Hammerschmidt
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From the right
side of the falls (east) there’s a steep and slippery volunteer trail down to
the base of Liles Falls. It’s a little
dangerous, so be careful and watch your footing. Liles Falls are stair step type falls, that's plural, and both are just beautiful after a good rain. After
admiring the falls and catching our breath for the steep climb back out we
head back to the car and on to Hammerschmidt Falls. |
Liles Falls
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We pull in across from the entrance to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. I park here on top and hike down; it’s still a
short hike. At the bottom of the hill on
the right are the ruins of an old homesite.
After passing the gate, the trail turns left and follows the small creek down to the falls. This is the headwaters of Indian Creek. It’s
an easy hike up here, along some gorgeous cascades.
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The Old Indian
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We soon come to the top of Hammerschmidt
Falls, and like Liles Falls it’s a steep and slippery hike down to the base of
the falls. So again, just be careful. Hammerschmidt too is over 40 feet tall but a straight drop pouroff style waterfall. Just below Hammerschmidt Falls maybe 100 feet ‘The Old
Indian’ next to a lovely little waterfall warns trekkers of the dangers that
await farther downstream. |
Hammerschmidt Cascade
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Today’s hike to Liles Falls was less than a half mile round trip, and just
below Hammerschmidt Falls at The Old Indian and back is about a mile. That’s not much hiking, but totally enjoyable
on a warm spring day, just what we
needed.
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Hammerschmidt Falls
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Liles Falls Hammerschmidt Falls: Statistics Chart 16 To get to
Liles Falls turn west onto Erbie Campground Rd. (NC 2500) about 2.4 miles south of the Hwy.7 Buffalo River bridge, or 1.6 miles north of the hairpin curve at the Little Switzerland Cabins, then go west on Erbie Campground Rd. approximately 3.5 miles to the Liles Falls Parking area at the right side of the road on a little
rise just after a small creek that spills across the road.
And to Hammerschmidt Falls from Ponca at the intersection of Highways 43/74 go east up the mountain approximately 6.4 miles to the muddy parking area on the left, or from Jasper at the intersection of Highways 7 and 74 it's about 7.7 miles to the same parking spot (on the right), a better choice may be to park at the entrance road to Horseshoe Canyon across the highway, don't block traffic.
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