4/17/2011 - I just had to go back to the same route as yesterday and get the pictures I missed. And I got mad at myself all over again when I found I had a set of spare batteries with me that I forgot about! Anyway, my sister and I went back today and with her help we found a waterfall - a really nice one - that I totally missed yesterday. This one is on Sarah's Creek just before you arrive at the entrance to the campground, and it looks like the first campsite on the left has a short trail down to it.
4/16/2011 - had a successful and yet frustrating day. Set out to find the Forest Service campground on Sarah's Creek. Turned out to be easy to find. It's east of Clayton, GA and up the road named (TADA!) Sarah's Creek Rd, off of Warwoman Rd. It's paved up the steepest part of the drive, then is a pretty good gravel road from there.
I drove up through the camping area and found 2 small waterfalls on a branch flowing into Sarah's Creek, then a falls below where the road (FS 156) fords the creek. This one is in that grey area between a true falls and a steep shoals, but I would call it a falls, so I included it. I didn't ford the creek. It was flowing pretty heavily due to the rain last night and I didn't want to take a chance of getting stuck. I might go back when there's been less rain and see what's above the ford.
I drove back down the road and then turned west on FS 155. Found several falls on this road, small ones...and the frustrating part happened. My camera batteries died and the spares I had with me were dead too! So I got several falls on both FS 155 & FS 153, but no pictures. Will have to go back and get them.
Sarah's Creek
4/17 - went back and got a falls I missed yesterday. Very nice falls, just before you enter the campground. Also got an interesting hollow in the rock on the far side of the base of the falls, and some nice flowers on the road above the falls.
GPS 34°55'30"N 83°15'42"W (Sarah's Creek)
GPS 34°56'9"N 83°16'11"W (unnamed branch, flow into Sarah's Creek)
After passing these 2 branches, continue up FS 156 to where it fords Sarah's Creek. Before you get to the ford, you go up a long hill and it sounds like there might be at least 2 falls along here, but you can't see the creek...you can only hear them. Stop before the ford, and bushwhack down to the creek, down stream of the ford. It's just a very short drop. There are 2 small falls here.
GPS 34°56'21"N 83°15'53"W (Sarah's Creek(
To get to FS 155, go back down through the camping area and FS 155 turns off to the right.
FS 155
4/17 - went back and got the lower falls I missed yesterday. The falls I got yesterday is at the first of 2 small branchs that are close together. Found there is a small falls on the 2nd creek, below the road. You can see it by crossing over when you are below the road to see the lower falls on the 1st creek. It's hard to see in the photo because of all the rhododendrons.
4/16 - found a falls that is just visible from the road, and then there is another on the other side of the road. I only got a picture of the upper falls, my camera batteries died.
GPS: 34°56'26"N 83°18'37"W (unnamed branch, flows into Hodds Creek)
Then further down FS 155 there is another falls just visible from the road. There is a camp spot here, on the right. Park here and walk upstream through the camp spot to view the falls.
GPS: 34°56'19"N 83°18'53"W (unnamed branch, flows into Hodds Creek)
A short way beyond this falls is a sign that says FS 155 dead ends, and FS 155A goes off to the left. There aren't any falls that I found on FS 155A, but this road ends at the junction with FS 153, which goes straight ahead and to the right. There are several falls on FS 153.
FS 153
There is a falls right alongside the road, just before a high downed tree that spans the road. The road runs beside this creek for quite a long way and there are several falls and pretty shoals in this creek.
GPS: 34°54'21"N 83°17'51"W (unnamed branch, flows into Tuckaluge Creek)
Further down is an area that sounds as if there might be 2 or 3 falls, but I could only see one of them
GPS: 34°54'14"N 83°17'53"W (unnamed branch, flows into Tuckaluge Creek)
Then there is one more small falls distantly visible upstream of this same creek. Also got a picture of some nice flowers beside the road.
GPS 34°54'8"N 83°17'59"W (unnamed branch, flows into Tuckaluge Creek)
FS 155A comes out on Tuckaluge Creek Rd, which meets Warwoman Rd west of Sarah's Creek Rd.
Directions and Information: from Clayton, GA
- east on Warwoman Rd
- north on Sarah's Creek Rd (becomes FS 156)
- FS 155 meets FS 156 just below start of camping
- FS 155A meets FS 155 just before FS 155 dead ends
Notes: the gravel roads were in pretty good shape, just a bit potholed in a few places. It looked like a lot of new gravel had been put down recently. With all the rain we've had, in places the road was running water - but was still firm.
2 comments:
Your site is very helpful. You said FS-155 was in pretty good shape (I want to take it from Sarah's Creek to Wilson Gap). Would you say a car could make it? Truck? 4x4 only? We got in quite a bit of trouble recently on a FS road that could best be described as "unimproved"...
Well, when I posted that latest message on this...it was in good enough shape for my car...which is a smallish station wagon. But as you've found out, forest service roads can vary. And they can also get torn up, especially if it's been raining a lot.
The best I can say is: you should be able to do it in a car, if it's not too low slung...but be prepared, you might have to turn around and go back if it's it worse shape than I remember it.
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