Cedar Falls has local historical significance. Cherokee used the shoals as a hunting campsite and a ford across the river. In the early 19th century, pioneer Hudson Berry (1752–1840) acquired and expanded a dam to power a sawmill, grist mill, textile mill, and cotton gin.[2] In 1910, a larger dam was built to provide electricity for Fork Shoals Mill. Though this dam was torn down in 1950, remains of both structures are visible.[3]
The park was created in 2011 after Greenville County used $2.7 million to buy 87 acres of land near the river, the money to do so having been set aside in the South Carolina Mitigation Trust Fund created from a $7 million fine levied by the EPA against Colonial Pipeline, after a major spill occurred on the Reedy River in June 1996. A grant from the state parks department and money from the U.S. Department of the Interior helped develop the property.[4][5][6]
The park has 2.2 miles (3.5 km) of paved and unpaved trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, restrooms, a small picnic shelter, a playground, and a sand volleyball court.[7]
