16 Liles & Hammerschmidt Falls

     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.

Upper Liles Falls

    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.

dripping bluffs at Hammerschmidt

    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.

Pretty 5-tier waterfall on a short hike at the Buffalo National River.
Liles Falls

  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.

It doesn't take much imagination to see the chin, mouth, nose and eyes of this rock formation near the top of Indian Creek.
The Old Indian

    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

   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.

Hammerschmidt Falls

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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