Sill Branch Falls is located in the Clark’s Creek area of the Cherokee National Forest. The parking area is opposite of the trailhead. The trailhead has a signpost and is blazed with blue triangles (going toward the waterfall) or rectangles (returning to the parking area).
This beautiful 20 foot waterfall starts out with a fairly easy hike with just a tiny incline over slightly rocky terrain with a few roots along the way. It gets a little muddy in a few parts after a good rain, but the mud only goes a tiny bit up on your shoes. Most of the time you can dodge the mud along the sides of the trail.
When the trail forks, make sure you go to the left and you’ll immediately cross a small stream. You’ll see a steep incline on the other side of the stream. There are several places off to the side that go down to the creek, so make sure you don’t turn off too early. Continue up this steep section of the trail and you’ll soon arrive at the waterfall.
You’ll return the way you came to get back to your car. Returning is much easier.
This waterfall is best viewed after a good rain and in the Spring. Also to avoid crowds, earlier in the morning is best. For the best photos I would recommend a cloudy day, as you can see the sun shining in on the photo below and that was taken on a semi-cloudy day with a polarizing filter.
I would rate this waterfall as an easy/moderate since you do have all the rocks and roots to navigate and the one really steep incline.
While in the area, be sure to visit Pine Ridge Falls located 0.2 miles down the road from the parking area to Sill Branch Falls. Look for the entrance to Longarm Branch Trail to make sure you’re in the right place.
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