Adventures of a swimming hole aficionado

For the past three days, my mom and I have been kayaking on Lake Jocassee. We had been talking about going again after our trip last year, but there haven’t really been any good stretches of warm, dry weather until this week. Last year, we checked out places within out-and-back paddling distance of Devil’s Fork State Park, but we didn’t get to see all the waterfalls that spilled into the lake because the kayak shuttle was booked up that time (the kayak shuttle is a pontoon boat that hauls you and your kayaks to a drop-off point on the lake, for an exorbitant fee). The named waterfalls on the lake are Laurel Fork Falls, Mill Creek Falls, Devil’s Hole Creek Falls, Wright Creek Falls, and Bad Creek Falls (okay, the last one isn’t named, but it’s large enough to be noteworthy). We had only visited the latter two waterfalls last time, so our objective this time was to see the other three, especially Laurel Fork Falls, which looked like the highlight. The shuttle was available this time, so we were in business. There was only one available villa (#2) at the park this week, so we snagged it while we still could.

( Click here for the full trip report with pictures and videos )

In summary, yesterday’s excursion from Laurel Fork Falls to Devil’s Fork State Park was a pretty good paddle. The temperature was in the 80’s with barely any clouds, and there were plenty of opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and grapes. Now that I have seen all the named waterfalls of the lake, I would say Laurel Fork Falls is easily the highlight, with Wright Creek Falls (which we saw last year) coming in second. Mill Creek Falls looked like a great swimming spot, but it’s not the most impressive of the waterfalls. Devil’s Fork Falls wasn’t that interesting because it was so cluttered with deadfall that it was hard to get a good view of it. We didn’t really go anywhere new Monday or today, but today was a nice day to revisit some of the highlights from last year. Swimming on the lower Thompson River was much more pleasant than it had been in spring of 2021, so now I can officially give those swimming holes a thumbs up. We saved a few loose ends for a future trip, including the Whitewater River arm of the lake, which apparently has some nice cascades near the mouth of the river.

I’ve noticed over the past few years that there’s always a non-rainy window in the North Carolina mountains around the first of June. The Farmer’s Almanac suggested the whole week was going to be dry, so I decided to capitalize on it. As time grew nearer, it looked like only Monday and Tuesday were going to have nice weather, so I decided I would stay in Brevard for a couple of days and then spend the rest of the week chilling at my parents’ house in Virginia.

Since the western NC rivers are not rain-swollen right now, I decided it would be a good time to explore one of what I am dubbing the Jocassee Four (the four rivers that drain into Lake Jocassee: the Toxaway, Horsepasture, Thompson, and Whitewater Rivers). Since I would be soloing today’s hike, I decided on the Thompson River, which offers a couple of swimming holes and several waterfalls. The main attraction is Big Falls (which for some reason I always think of as “Thompson Falls”, although I think that is also a recognized name for it). It first got on my radar in 2015 or 2016 when I saw it while perusing Google Earth and thought it looked enormous, but then I found actual photos of it and didn’t think it looked that interesting. However, several North Carolina waterfall connoisseurs including Kevin Adams speak highly of it and say photos don’t do justice to the size. Even so, it still didn't pique my interest until I found out that the long slide at the base ends in a deep pool. In addition to that, the Thompson River has several other waterfalls on the way to Big Falls (Simon Falls, Rich Falls, Standing Stone Falls), with Rich Falls featuring a legit-looking swimming hole. Multiple sources including the third edition of Kevin Adams’ North Carolina Waterfalls book talk about how the hike to Big Falls is a difficult 3.6 miles one way, and that it’s so remote you’ll be spending the night there if you get hurt. I was intimidated by this at first, but it occurred to me that I’ve done worse things over the past few years (there’s no way it could be worse than Curtain Falls), so I figured I’ve got this. Kevin Adams says it’s actually not that hardcore compared to bushwhacks and creek walks, but warns that you will get a workout. My plan was to hike all the way to Big Falls, and hit Rich Falls on the way back. I had no intention of seeing the other waterfalls, since they didn’t look to have good swimming holes, but I figured I might check them out if I had the time and energy.

( Click here for the full trip report with pictures and videos )

In summary, I hesitate to pass judgment about the quality of the Thompson River's swimming holes since today was not a very ideal day for swimming. It was overcast and in the 60’s, and the water was in the upper 50s. I’m not sure if the water was so cold because it’s early in the year, or if it’s always that cold since the river is mostly shaded when it isn’t plunging over waterfalls. As for the hike, this was far from the most difficult hike I’ve ever been on. Most of the hike is on a fairly easy logging road. The only sketchy parts are the side trails (or perhaps I should say "slide" trails) down to the waterfalls. But Kevin Adams is right: you will get a workout. As for the swimming holes, the one at Big Falls does have a potential jump and is backed by one of the larger waterfalls of the region, so I wouldn’t rule out returning to it with company on a nicer day. Big Falls itself didn’t knock my socks off, but I may be a tough crowd after marathoning California swimming holes and Cumberland Plateau plunge waterfalls over the past few years. While not as high as Big Falls, Rich Falls does have a slightly larger swimming hole. I’m still bummed that Simon Falls didn’t have a larger plunge pool, because what an awesome slide it would be if the landing weren’t a doozy. So yeah, the Thompson River makes some decent offerings in terms of swimming holes, but today wasn’t very enjoyable for me (mostly due to the weather). I’m actually planning on checking out more of the Thompson River tomorrow near where it flows into Lake Jocassee. Hopefully the lower elevation there will mean slightly warmer temperatures.