About this spot
Lower Piney Falls sits in Piney Falls State Natural Area near Grandview, a National Natural Landmark where Little Piney Creek drops 80 feet over Upper Piney Falls, then another 40 feet here. Park at the small Firetower Road lot and follow the 1.8-mile loop; reaching the base requires a cable-assisted scramble down steep, often-wet rock. A shallow waterhole collects at the bottom and is a popular local swimming spot, with hikers reporting people jumping in during summer. The hazard that matters most is footing, not the water itself: the trail hugs a roughly 90-foot dropoff with loose earth near the edge, and rock behind the falls is slick. No fee or permit is required, but there are no lifeguards or barriers, so conditions must be self-assessed.