A Beautiful Fall Hike to King Creek Fall, South Carolina

There's something beautifully stubborn about refusing to let a broken wrist keep you off the trail. That's exactly the energy I brought to Sumter National Forest this past Monday, November 20, when my hiking group and I tackled the King Creek Falls trail on what turned out to be an absolutely stunning fall day.

The forecast promised perfection, and Mother Nature delivered. The kind of crisp autumn morning where the air feels like it's been filtered through golden leaves, and every breath tastes like possibility. My crew assembled at the trailhead, all enthusiastic chatter and the rustle of hiking poles. I showed up with my arm in a brace, grinning like I'd won the lottery.

"You sure about this?" someone asked, eyeing my wrist. Since I hiked with them last week, they were a bit more confident in my joining the group. "I've got two feet and one good arm. That's three out of four limbs. I'm basically at 75% capacity," I reasoned. The math was questionable, but the determination was solid.

The trail wound through a kaleidoscope of reds, oranges, and yellows. South Carolina's fall foliage doesn't get enough credit—the forest looked like it had been set on fire by an artist with impeccable taste. We crunched through leaves, hopped over roots, and I quickly discovered that hiking with one functional arm is like suddenly remembering you're a tightrope walker who forgot their balance pole.

Those moments where you'd normally grab a tree for stability? Suddenly an adventure. Rocky sections that call for a quick hand on a boulder? Now a full-body balancing act. I found myself doing this weird penguin-waddle thing on the steeper descents, arms out (well, one arm out, one arm tucked), looking like I was perpetually about to hug someone.

My hiking buddies were absolute champions. Without making a big deal of it, someone always seemed to be nearby when the terrain got tricky. A subtle "watch that root" here, an offered hand there: just grab the elbow, not the wrist, please!. The kind of quiet support that makes you remember why you love these people.

Then we rounded the corner, and there it was—King's Creek Falls, tumbling over moss-covered rocks in a series of cascades that caught the dappled sunlight like liquid gold. The sound alone was worth the wobbly walk. We stood there, breathing hard, grinning wider, and I felt ridiculously proud of my one-armed achievement.

Someone pulled out snacks. Someone else found the perfect rock for a group photo. I managed to drink from my water bottle without pouring it down my shirt, which felt like a genuine victory.

The hike back was easier, as return trips always are. We stopped at one of the camping sites along the Chattooga River: this river forms the border between South Carolina and Georgia and is a designated Wild and Scenic River. My wrist throbbed a bit, sure, but my spirit? Soaring. Because sometimes the best adventures aren't about perfect conditions, they're about showing up anyway, embracing the wobble, and letting good friends and gorgeous trails remind you that obstacles are just plot twists in a really good story.

 

King's Creek Falls: 10/10. Would definitely wobble through again.