Hike to Granny Burrell Falls

Panthertown Valley has a unique system of trails, with each trail having a specific number. Some of the trails listed at the information hut in the parking lot are accessed by taking one or two other trails to get to the start of the trail you are seeking. That is the case when hiking to Granny Burrell Falls.

Starting at the Salt Rock Gap parking lot, take the Panthertown Valley (474) for about .3 miles until you intersect Deep Gap Trail (449) on the right-hand side.  You will walk down Deep Gap Trail for around another .3 miles until you see the Great Wall Trail (489) on your left-hand side. You will take the Great Wall Trail for around .4 miles. On this trail there is a creek crossing that will require you to get a little wet. No more than 100 yards after crossing the river, the Granny Burrell Falls Trail (486) will be on your left-hand side. Say on this trail for roughly .2 miles. You will begin to be able to hear the falls, however there are one or two smaller falls upstream and these are not Granny Burrell. The trail continues on past the falls, but it should be clear which falls are Granny Burrell. There is a large pool at the end of the falls great for fishing or swimming (in some spots) and if the water is not too high some sandbars will be exposed to sit and relax on. 

The hike itself is not too difficult. Some parts of the trails are a little messy (if there has been some rain) but you cross a creek so you'll get cleaned off. The Granny Burrell trail is a little narrow in places but should not cause any issues of accessing the falls.

NOTES:

Let someone know where you are going! There are usually other hikers out in Panthertown but it is not crowded with people like more popular areas. Even for those who have been hiking a thousand times, its always good to let someone know where you're going.

Take a picture of the maps under the information hut in the parking lot! The trail systems can get confusing, especially if you have never been hiking out in Panthertown! There are topographic maps, as well as milages of the different trails. Remember that some trails are only accessed after taking one or two other trails to get to that trail head, so understand that the milage posted under the hut is milage from the beginning of that specific trail head, not overall, round-trip milage. 

If you have time, take it! While Granny Burrell Falls isn't huge, it offers lots of places to relax and hang out. If you have an afternoon to kill, bring a lunch and spend some time swimming around.