WaBak Falls

There’s a small but beautiful waterfall located on the Camp WaBak property appropriately named WaBak Falls.   There are two ways you can view it.  One is via an observation deck that you can reach by heading down a short trail next to the Amphitheater, and the other by walking down a very, very steep wooden staircase down to the creek and then wade up from there.  The Creek Hike is a traditional activity during camp and a very welcome one when it’s during the hot South Carolina summers.  But be careful on the hike – it never fails that I slip on the rocks and come down hard on my tush.  But I have a lot of padding, so no worries! 

Here’s a picture of the falls via the creek hike:

The pool in front of the falls isn’t very deep, but depending on how much rain there’s been in the past week, the current can be very swift.  Sometimes the girls are allowed to wade and splash around in it, but when I took this picture, it was too deep and the girls couldn’t get any closer from where I stood.  A certified lifeguard is required to go on the hike.

As I mentioned before, another view of the falls can be seen via a platform overlooking it.  Here’s that shot:

The platform was built in 1989 by the Naval Seabees.  This poor plaque has seen a lot of action:

The most recent Camp WaBak patch features the falls:

Recently, I won an eBay auction for a postcard featuring WaBak Falls.  The original camp property was purchased in 1947, and sometime around 1950, the property with the falls (originally named Osborne Falls) was bought and added on to the camp.  The postcard doesn’t feature a date, so I’m guessing it’s from the 1950s.

And here’s a tip – if you go on the Creek Hike, be sure to get in shape beforehand, because going back up those steep steps is a workout!  Feel the BURN!