
Stillhouse Branch Twin Falls
Southern Nantahala Wilderness
Towns County
Hiawassee, GA
GPS Location:
34.98635, -83.63486
Waterfall Height:
40 feet
A twin waterfall with two separate drops sitting only 50 feet apart, Stillhouse Branch Twin Falls is one of the most unique waterfalls in the area. Located north of Shooting Creek Bald near Hiawassee, the falls lie at the convergence of two forks of Stillhouse Branch, both dropping over the same cliff line. The west twin waterfall forms a picturesque, stairstepping cascade, while the east twin waterfall is a more vertical drop with a free-falling component. Both halves of Stillhouse Branch Twin Falls are roughly 40 feet high. The waterfall lies only 200 feet from the North Carolina state line. Downstream, Stillhouse Branch flows into North Carolina and drains into the broad Shooting Creek valley. There is no trail to Stillhouse Branch Twin Falls, and it can only be accessed by a tough bushwhack from the North Carolina side.
Blake Seignious writes:
"The best place to park for public land access is at 35.00739, -83.622489. You will need to cross over the Sharptop Ridge at some point which gets steeper the more south you go. If you aren’t ready for a brutal uphill hike, you can head west from parking and hike around the north edge of the ridge and then head south.
For less bushwhacking, more direct, and greater elevation change, you can take an old logging road from parking that follows Loggy Branch creek almost to the Georgia Line. It is recommended to leave the trail around 34.998851, -83.624366 and start bushwhacking up the ridge passing by Pine Knob. Head due west and you’ll come upon another logging road around 34.998827, -83.636968. Follow that west until about 34.9975, -83.6402 when you’ll start heading south towards the falls following near Bethabara Creek and Stillhouse Branch. This trail ends close to the state line. From there it is a tough, but not long, bushwhack to the falls."
To learn about more waterfalls in the Hiawassee area, see chapter 7 in Mark Ozboyd's "Waterfalls of Georgia" guidebook.
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West half of Stillhouse Branch Twin Falls, low flow conditions. Photo credit: Blake Seignious

