Bartram Trail-Earl's Ford to Dicks Creek Falls

This was an easy hike with the trail in good condition without many roots or rocks and well marked with the yellow Bartram Trail blazes. Access to the trailhead is good although Earl's Ford Road transitions from paved to a fairly narrow gravel, then dirt road. While not well marked, the trailhead is on this side of the second crossing of Earl's Ford Rd and Warwoman Creek. The trail follows a section of Warwoman Creek at the beginning of the hike and then a section of the Chattooga River before reaching the side trail to the falls. The views of those water bodies was nice, but a bit tarnished by their muddy conditions from the numerous recent rains. Dicks Creek Falls was quite nice, but impossible to get really close with heavy growth between the trail and the falls. However, there were a couple of side trails that allowed better viewing the falls. Not a lot of wildflowers today, but a fair amount of colorful and interesting fungus. A highlight along our return path was two encounters with large, grey rat snakes which Vic and Ray decided to handle for the rest of us.