Yes, John Smith Road down to the river and up Bill Branch to Calista Falls. It’s well worth the climb back out of there to the trailhead. I need to get back there when there’s some better water flow. I’m just awaiting the wetter, cooler winter months for places like this. I have identified a few other places with good possibilities of locating some undocumented waterfalls. BSF still has places like that! Take care TrailHunters, be safe and stay healthy.

They repopulated the bears here about 25 years ago. They are more of an inconvenience than anything. They sure leave a mess anywhere they go. But they get rid of yellow jacket and other ground nesting stinging critters. I’m plenty happy about that at least. Thanks baneveryhing. I appreciate it. Take care!

I appreciate it NorthMissouriOutdoors. Thanks so much. Take care and stay safe!

@@papawinthewoods thanks

Thank you WOY. These old homesites are at least 150 years old. They were originally log cabins so that part of them is long gone. All I can hope to find are stone foundation stones on whe remains of a fallen fireplace/chimney. It’s there somewhere. I’ll be going back when the leaves are gone in the winter to look some more. I have been looking at some old maps and have a new lead. Hopefully that’ll work out. Take care Ladies. I do appreciate it. Hint: search “Charit Creek Lodge” in Big South Fork and see what you think. I believe you would love it there!

@@homesteadingwithsadie Thank you Robin, yes they both are gorgeous. I watched your short on the rain bands from tropical storm Debbie. You guys are pretty soggy it looks like. Stay dry, keep safe and take care.

@@hasty43 I have met Steve and hiked with him on a couple of occasions. He’s a fine fellow. He’s always chasing down more information on Big South Fork. Of course he inherited all him mother’s research and is putting it to great use. Sometimes Steve will ask me to look for something and I’m always happy to do so. That’s why I was there in this video. Even though I didn’t find the homesite I was looking for, I eliminated some places. I’ll most definitely return in cooler weather to search more. I have been studying some old maps and have a very good lead, I believe! Thank you Sue, as always. You seem to also have vast knowledge of your ancestry. I appreciate you and your expertise. Take care Sue. Stay safe and healthy my friend!

@@tylerjones2695 Thank you Tyler. Yes, the ticks are bad, they almost always are this time of the year. I have a pair of gaiters that I wear in the summer. I apply spray that kills ticks. I forget to put the gaiters on! Even without the spray they keep the tiny seed ticks from covering my ankles. I’m getting forgetful in my old age!! 🤣 BSF for sure has some rugged country and is best hiked off trail in the colder months. There are still some undocumented rock formations and waterfalls hiding in the backcountry. I love to get back there and explore! I appreciate it Tyler. Take care my friend.

@@TrailStrider909 A little excitement is always a good thing, even if it is a bit dangerous! I’m not exactly thrilled about walking up on an already coiled copperhead but I’m in its home. Thanks TrailStrider. Take care and stay safe.

@@papawinthewoods ❤️❤️❤️💯💯💯

@@jilletta1 Thanks jilletta. I know where several of those marker trees are in Big South Fork and Pickett State Park. It just never entered my mind about this one. I appreciate you pointing that out. It makes total sense now that I think about it. That ridge is the only one close where you can actually get down to Laurel Fork. All the others end with big cliffs on the end. Take care my friend.

@@karlo8093 It was a very good day Karl. But I’m not going back until cold weather comes. Yes, the little copperheads are out. I’m surprised I didn’t see more than one. I have some more places out there to check out on my search for the homesite. I eliminated a ridge today so that narrows the search area. Thanks Karl. Take care my friend.

@@BackpackingWithJason How’s the ankle Jason? When you get well I’d be happy to help you get to see Calista Falls. It’s like a smaller version of Cumberland Falls. If the video doesn’t give you all the information to find it just give me a shout. Take care my friend.

@@papawinthewoods my ankle is getting better each day. Thank you for asking. I’d love to see those Falls. Maybe one day you can show it to me. Thank you

@@BackpackingWithJason Whenever you’re healed up and would like you see it. Just let me know a little in advance and we’ll go. I’d be happy to hike there again, hopefully with a bit more water flowing. Thanks Jason.

Yeah, off trail this time of the year isn’t the best idea in the world. But then sometimes I do dumb stuff… lol … It really was a good day though. I’ll be going back to try to locate the homesite this winter. Winter is when I do the vast majority of my off trail exploring anyway. I study maps a lot and have a pretty full winter coming up. I have found some places with great possibilities of undocumented waterfalls! I can’t wait! Thank you Cocohikes. I sure appreciate it. If you’re ever in the area and need anything just let me know. I’m always happy to help folks out. Take care and be safe!

@@papawinthewoods thank you! I’m excited for fall and winter, it’s the best time to hike and explore in my opinion!

@@Cocohikes You’re right about that. I almost always have a lot of hikes planned out by the time cooler weather arrives. This year is no different. I’m extremely excited for the possibilities!

Hey Angie! I’m still alive kicking! I have to get back up there in the winter. As of this hike, Divide Road/Peters Mountain Road is still shut down in Tennessee from Fork Ridge to Three Forks. That’s why I had to drive through Pickett to Parker’s Mountain, down to Bell Farm, then up to Peter’s Mountain. The NPS won’t allow the crews to clear the debris from the late May storm when the temperatures and humidity is high. Hopefully it’ll be cleared by the time the fall colors arrive. It’s always beautiful then. That copperhead was just doing its thing. It never moved at all. I was within a step and a half from it. It just wanted its camouflage to do the job and let me move on, which I did. It lives there, I’m just passing through… There’s a big, resident male bear up there. He’s all over the place out that ridge. The worst part of the day was the hundreds of seed ticks I picked up in that field. They were awful. Another reason to hike off trail in the winter! Thank you so much Angie. I’m looking forward to October. It’ll be a great time. Please take care, stay healthy and safe!

Sometimes we see darker shades of copperheads here in BSF. Maybe it’s getting close to shedding its skin. I’ve always wondered if there are different subspecies of copperheads here but I’m no biologist. It sure had the tell tale colored head! Thanks Fire Puncher. Take care!

The danger was real and everywhere I turned! Yet, I survived to hike another day.. 😂 No, really the worst part was those seed ticks! I had to put lotion on my ankles really thick, get them to start turning loose and scrape them off with a knife. I’m still itching! It was a good day anyway. Snakes, bears and bees are all part of the outdoors, always will be. Having said that, I do believe it’ll be cooler weather, like after a good frost or two, before I venture off trail again. Thanks Kerry. Take care my friend.

I do believe I’ll wait until late fall before hiking off a well defined trail again. I really don’t mind the snakes. It’s those tiny seed ticks that grab onto my pants by the hundreds that gets me. I knocked hundreds of them off with the pine switch and still had dozens on my ankles when I got home. I had to cover them with lotion and scrape them off with a sharp knife! I hate them! … 😂 Thank you once again Eventyrsoren. I really appreciate it. Take care, stay healthy and safe.

Thank you nationalparksprincess. It was an awesome day in the woods. The homesite is there, I just have to keep looking. It’s the homesite of William Riley Hatfield, a relative of the Hatfields from the Hatfield & McCoy feud in the late 1800s along the Kentucky/West Virginia State line. Their branch of the family had moved away long before the feud began though. I’m pretty big on the history of the area as well as finding off trail waterfalls, arches and other rock formations. If you ever make it to Big South Ford I’d be honored to show you some of the amazing features here. I think you’d enjoy it. Thank you so much. Take care!

Today was little more than a recon trip just to get out of the house for a day. I might have hiked a mile and a half. Of course I wanted to locate the homesite but I got that area pretty much out of the way and narrowed the possibilities down. That bear is spending a lot of time on that ridge and by the looks of his marker trees, he’s been there for several years. Copperheads are my favorite snake. That one never moved at all. I was about a step and a half from it. It just didn’t want to be seen. I honestly believe I could have walked right on past it and it wouldn’t have struck me. They just want to be left alone. I had an excellent day by getting out for a little while. Saw a lot. I’ll be back in the winter to continue my search for the homesite. Thank you my friend. We’ll meet up for a hike sometime. Take care Jim.

If you ever make it over this way I’ll show these waterfalls and some other off trail things that are rarely seen. I swear, if either of these were in the Smoky Mountains there would be trails to them and a half million people every year would hike to them. There are some other waterfalls as nice or nicer than these are here in BSF. You gotta work a little to get to them but you never see anyone else out there. No waiting for people to clear out so you have a minute to take a photo or two. I guess that’s one of the things that makes BSF so special! Thanks my friend. You take care, be safe and stay healthy.

Yes, yes, WOY needs to spend some time in Big South Fork! There are still some undocumented formations and waterfalls here. I’m trying my best to locate some of them. I’d be happy to help you get to see some of them. Please take care and be safe!

@@papawinthewoods thank you! We will keep that in mind if we get that way!!

No trails to either of them. BSF has several spectacular waterfalls like this. I believe I can locate another one this winter. Thanks, be careful and stay safe!

@@papawinthewoods looking forward to seeing!! Same to you!!

Yep, Northern Kentuckians for sure… “FLORENCE Y’ALL” like it says it says on the water tower by I-75. These are a couple of BSFs finest waterfalls and not terribly hard to get to. Appreciate it! Take care!

There was once a startled bear near Bandy Creek Falls if I remember correctly… 😂… There was also a startled hiker too! I just about needed an underwear change! 😮…

Thank you Juan! There are a lot of waterfalls like these in Big South Fork without trails to them. I’m trying to get them out there for the world to see and hopefully trails will be built. I appreciate it! Take care, stay healthy and safe.

I sure appreciate that ervinslens. I just try to do the best I can. Thank you, be safe and stay healthy my friend.

Thanks Steve. If you ever make it out this far East again, spend a few days and nights in Big South Fork. I’d be more than happy to show you around. It’s definitely not crowded here at all. Google “Charit Creek Lodge” sometime. That would be a great place for you and Kristy to spend a night. Take care and stay safe!

Thanks jilletta! Big South Fork has several gorgeous waterfalls without any trails to them. I’m just trying to get some information on them out for folks to see. Take care, be safe and stay healthy!

@papawinthewoods It's all breathtaking beautiful country there. I want to go back so bad.

Thank you for watching and leaving the nice comment. I’m so fortunate to live in a beautiful place like Big South Fork. I’m sure there are more off trail, undocumented waterfalls like these. I’m going to try to find them this winter. I appreciate it so much nationalparksprincess. Please take care and stay safe.

There’s a lot of amazing things like this in Big South Fork. What more could anyone want than a nice hike to spectacular waterfalls and not seeing anyone else all day! Take care and stay healthy!

Yep, you’d love to see both of these falls. They’re beautiful. Thanks Karl. Please take care.

It sure is Cindy. I have to go back when there’s a lot of water flowing. Thanks, and take care!

Thank you Roy. I’m not stopping any time soon! Take care my friend.

@@karlo8093 I sure hope we can get together this fall. My health pretty much shut down the spring season. It’s too hot now. Hopefully this fall will work out. That storm did so much damage parts of BSF and still off limits to the public. I was about a mile from ground zero. Someone up there was looking out for me! I gotta get back over there soon and look at the damage. Some of it will never be the same. Thanks Karl. Take care my friend.

@@TrespassinTroy Thanks so much. BSF is such a diverse place. It really has everything any outdoor person could want. I hike off trail a lot. That’s where a ton of amazing formations and little known waterfalls are. If there were trails to a lot of these places BSF would be a lot more well known… Maybe that’s a good thing! Take care, be safe and stay healthy.

@@homesteadingwithsadie That’s exactly what I said several times Robin… The whole day was a “wow.” Thanks so much, take care.

@@JamesRobertSmith I was probably safer out on the trail I was on than I would have been in my Blazer driving out Divide Road. The number of downed trees was amazing! The Park Service crews cleared just enough trees out of the road to let us stranded people get out. Some people had to spend the night out there. The Park Service crews are still out there on these not, humid days clearing the trails and the trees hanging out over them. It’s a mess. I don’t envy them one little bit. I sure want to thank them and let them know how I appreciate them for what they do! Take care and be safe!

@@karenwilliams1458 Thank you Karen. After my hike was complete, it took me almost another 8 hours to get home. I absolutely came out of it in good shape. It could have been really bad! Thank you Karen. Take care!

@@cindyclark9230 Maybe the deer did try to warn me but I don’t speak their language.. 😅. You do need to get out there and see the deep pink laurel next year. It’s beautiful! There was just a peacefulness over me that day. I was never worried at all. I think the “big guy” upstairs was watching over me. Thanks Cindy. Take care my friend.

@@nationalparksprincess3216 I can count my blessings on that day. The worst part of the storm missed my location by about a mile. Pretty sure someone up there was looking out for me! Thank you so much. Please take care and be safe!

@@EventyrsorenDenmark Yeah, these storms can come out of nowhere it seems. I thought I might get a bit wet but not a severe thunderstorm with a possible tornado too. But, as my Grandmother used to say “Alls well that ends well.” Thanks Eventyrsoren. I appreciate it my friend. Take care!

@@JimJayroe I actually thought about going out to Stearns when I passed thru Bell Farm. I didn’t expect there would be trees down in Pickett State Park too. The trees in Pickett took down some power lines. I would have got home hours earlier had I went out to Stearns… Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 as they say. Thanks Jim. You take care.

@@jilletta1 It could have been a lot worse! Jilletta. I eventually made it home that night. Crazy bad storm! Some trails and roads are still closed to the public. Thank you so much. Take care and stay safe.

@@super_yummy I’m glad you enjoyed it super_yummy. Thank you so much. Please take care and stay safe.