I have been contemplating Big
Creek Trail from Tilting Rock all the way down to the Buffalo River for quite
some time. But on the map, this looks like a long steep hike, and I’m just not sure
that this is something I'm ready to tackle. Last week I hiked up the BRT from Steele
Creek then back on the ORT, on the map these two hikes appear to be similar in
distance and elevation gain. And since
my Steel Creek Loop hike (see: 148 Steele Beech Loop) really was a pretty easy hike I have decided to go ahead and
see what Big Creek Trail has to throw at
me.
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Cold Spring Schoolhouse
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Parking at the Log Wagon Gap Trailhead along Big Creek Road has room for
6-8 vehicles and a couple more if the fallen tree is ever removed. I begin my hike here following the road till
it ends at a cable gate right next to Tilting Rock (aka Wobble Rock). On top Tilting Rock I don’t feel any movement
or wobble at all, moving from one
side to the other still nothing, oh-well so much for a cheap thrill, but it is a nice view down towards Big Creek almost a
mile away.
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Big Creek Rd. near Tilting Rock
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Past the cable gate Big Creek Trail on the old road starts down the hill
which is pretty steep and churned up
from all the horse traffic. I take my
time and watch my step in the loose rock, just over two hundred yards northeast
to a turn. Now heading southeast over
200 yards further, then the slope improves along with the footing. East bound now at a much gentler descent this
is easy hiking, I soon come to a few flat rocks (natural benches) next to the
trail.
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near Tilting Rock
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A few minutes later a faint trail on the right heads south downhill, and
then 100 yards further a major fork in the trail. I go left to the north on the steep short-cut
to the bottom, I’ll come back up later on the other longer route with an easier
slope. This shortcut trail is more of
the same I experienced up above, steep with lots of loose churned-up rock for
over 200 yards.
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at wilderness boundary
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Right after the grade improves, I cross an old rusty culvert and in 200
yards the wilderness boundary marker nailed to a tree. Just 100 yards more the two major trails converge into one right in
front of a nice little elevated campsite with a great view of Big Creek maybe fifty
feet below. The road stays almost level until I reach a sweeping
curve back to the west and downhill.
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Big Creek from little campsite
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Here the trail drops down to Big Creek, at the crossing the creek is
40-50 feet across and 6-8 inches deep, starting with gravel then switching to solid
bedrock about mid-stream. After climbing
up the steep rutted gully on the north side I find a downed tree to sit and
change back into my boots. Soon comes a
curve to the west with a steep rocky hillside to my right and the bottomland
floodplain of Big Creek to the left.
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Spanish Moss
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Another sweeping curve I’m now travelling north with the same scenery,
rocky hillside on the right bottomlands on the left. In about a quarter mile passing a big mud
hole then a downed arching tree along
the way, is a well-worn trail down to the left, possibly to Big Creek near the
confluence with the Buffalo River.
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gorgeous Big Creek
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Later another downed tree before heading downhill into Cold Spring
Hollow, and an easy crossing over the small creek on dry rocks. Right on the other side is a side trail
heading up the hollow, I turn here for a short side trip to Cold Spring. Not far only about a hundred yards on the
north side of the little creek is Cold Spring, it isn’t much but does account
for all the water, the creek is bone dry above here. |
at the crossing
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I continue up the trail which crosses the creek here, another couple
hundred yards is a survey peg in the rock which is the wilderness
boundary. I only go a little further
before turning back to the main trail, but I think this trail eventually connects with the old road (FR91082A) up to
Rand Road. |
a little early fall color
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Back on Big Creek Trail gradually uphill over 200 yards is a trail
heading uphill (steeper) to the right, I turn here assuming this is a short-cut
up to the schoolhouse. A little steep yes and winding too but only a hundred yards uphill is the old Cold Spring
Schoolhouse. This is an impressive
building, built in 1936 by the WPA during the depression, inside is a woodstove
and an old gas range along with an information board telling the story of the
school. |
Cold Spring
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Right in the front schoolyard is a campsite, I follow the main trail
straight down in front of the school and soon I’m back on Big Creek Trail
gradually going downhill. I soon see a
couple horses then more; I count twelve horses tied to trees spread around
along the trail but no people. I get a
couple pictures and spot their riders down a hundred feet taking a break on
some big rocks overlooking the river. |
Cold Spring Schoolhouse
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I just must go down and be neighborly and to check out the view,
most in the group are from Iowa with a few from Pennsylvania and two locals.
This has become an annual horseback riding adventure in Buffalo National River, and they have been here now four days and have a couple more before
heading back home. As they walk back up
to their rides, I walk with them to
the trail and continue north toward the Buffalo. |
inside the school
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It’s about a quarter mile to the river, I pass a trail intersection to
the right along the way and the closer I get the thicker the undergrowth
gets. Where the trail ends on top the
low riverbank just a few feet to my left I find a short gully down to the
massive gravel bar. Heading downstream
along the bank that is maybe ten feet high, soon I pass through a dry flood
channel on small gravel and lots of sand and trees down both sides, very nice. |
the trail gets a little crowded at times
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This ends back on the gravel bar near where it ends and the river turns
slightly to the southeast, walking down closer to the water I spot a cave up
about 30 feet above the river in a notch in the bluffs on the other side. In his book Buffalo River Handbook, Ken Smith
estimates this cave is 75 feet deep.
While the river looks very shallow here and easy to cross, I decide to
save my energy for the long hike back to the trailhead over four miles away and
mostly uphill. |
Killingsworth Hole on the Buffalo
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On my way out from the river I realize I didn’t get a single picture
from Horse Riders Rock, well I’ll
have to stop and rectify that on the way back.
As I get close, I see four other
horses at the same place, and down on the rock are their riders. These are all local folks with a lot of
knowledge about Caney Mountain Horse Camp, and the Cozahome/Spring Creek areas. As they head out, I take a long break and
take some pics up and down the river. |
cave in the notch
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Back on the trail I miss my turn overshooting the trail intersection,
100 feet later seeing Cold Spring Schoolhouse up ahead I realize my mistake and
make my way back to the right trail. Now
heading gradually downhill to the Cold Spring Hollow crossing, I’m back on
track. It’s clear sailing almost a mile to the Big Creek crossing, I notice two
different old fence lines along this stretch. |
Buffalo River viewed from Horse Rider's Rock
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After the creek crossing another quarter mile or so brings me to that major trail intersection next to the
little campsite above Big Creek, I stay left on the longer route with an easier
climb at the end. A bluffline soon rises
on my right with Big Creek down the bank to the left. The bluff is quite picturesque and slowly
gets taller and taller as I continue south, then gradually shrinks back down as I approach a big turn in Big Creek. |
campsite at confluence of Big Creek and Buffalo River
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Here where the trail also starts to turn is a faint trail to the left
down to Big Creek and right here near the intersection is a good-sized concrete
slab, the remains of an old house. The
trail now going south slowly keeps curving around back to the west, and another
intersection left. Could this be the
other end of that last faint trail back at the concrete slab?
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bluffline along trail
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Continuing now headed west the route slowly begins to climb, soon coming
to a cable gate and a little farther a fork in the road, I go left, this is a mistake as the trail
soon starts heading back to the south and downhill. Realizing the error of my ways I bushwhack over a low ridge and down to the right
road then continue west. |
more of the bluffline
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This is a very gentle ascent and I have no regrets about taking the long way home, soon passing a very
large oak, the biggest I have seen all day.
Then about a quarter mile further I top out on a ridge. In about a hundred more yards I notice a red
and white car in the woods on my left, I follow the short trail back to check
it out. |
reflections on Big Creek
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My sense of discovery just got
a big boost for the day. This is a
convertible from the late 50’s or early 60’s with a big V8 still there. On the back right near the round taillight is
part of a chrome name plate, I can read ‘Bu’ but the rest is missing. A Buick I guess, with dual
headlights on a slight angle and fins above the round taillights. |
nice ride
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About 150 yards later I’m back at that major intersection where I took
the steep short-cut on my way in, then another 150 yards to the trailside
natural stone benches. I take a short
break here before the big final climb
back up to Tilting Rock. Taking my time, the climb isn’t as bad as I had anticipated and at the top, I feel pretty good. Now less than a quarter mile on Big Creek Road and I’m back at the truck and
trailhead. Today on Big Creek Trail I did get off-track a couple times; the short
side-trip to Cold Spring, exploring the gravel bar on the Buffalo and twice
down to Horse Rider Rock, not to mention a couple wrong turns. All in all I logged 8.2 miles with 1132 feet
of altitude change, I had a great time doing it, as usual.
Big Creek Trailhead: Statistics Chart 149 From the Buffalo
River bridge on Hwy. 14 at Dillard’s Ferry go south approximately 4.4 miles to
Cozahome Road (SC61), or from Harriet at the intersection of Hwy. 14/27 it’s
about 3.35 miles north. Then head east
on Cozahome Road (SC61) paved for about the first 2 miles, at about 3.3 miles
the road turns north, at 3.75 miles keep left at the fork intersection, cross
the county line at 4.7 miles then at 5.2 miles turn right (east) on signed Big
Creek Road. Keep left at the fork
intersection, it’s about 1.1 mile down Big Creek Road to Log Wagon Gap Trailhead and parking
from Cozahome Road.
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base map before fair use alterations is property of USFS-
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