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Water & Wilderness Adventures
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Lake Jocassee from Bad Creek Reservoir |
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Jocassee Gorges
Scenic Driving Tour, Pickens
The Jocassee Gorges tract is a
large and rugged forested area characterized by various forest community
types, swift mountain streams, waterfall settings, rare plant habitats,
dry rocky ridges, and moist dripping rock faces that combine to give the
area its unique biological character and scenic beauty. Much of this area
is wild and has limited access for the casual visitor. The SC Department
of Natural Resources will send you a brochure describing a driving tour of
the Jocassee Gorges area. Space does not permit detailed directions in
this article, but the following will give you an idea of the 70-mile
drive. The tour begins and ends in Pickens County and crosses into North
Carolina, and will take a full day if you make every stop. If you enjoy
hiking, allow time to experience several recommended trails along this
driving tour. You will drive first through impressive hardwood forests in
the Rocky Bottom area. After you cross into North Carolina, you can park
at different locations and walk short distances to view Toxaway Falls,
Drift Falls, Turtleback Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Whitewater Falls. An
overlook on NC Hwy. 281 allows you to see the expanse of the Jocassee
tract in North and South Carolina, including Pinnacle Mountain. You will
drive back into South Carolina where you will find views of Bad Creek
Reservoir, Lake Jocassee, Lower Whitewater Falls, and another stunning
view of the Jocassee Gorges. Continue to Devils Fork State Park on the
banks of Lake Jocassee. Then visit Keowee-Toxaway State Natural Area and
learn the history of Cherokees who once lived in this area. Call (864)
654-1671 for a brochure.
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Cherokee Foothills National Scenic
Highway (SC Hwy.11), Pickens
 Once
known as "Keowee Path" or "Cherokee Path," this
130-mile road was the route used by the Cherokees and English and French
fur traders. It now provides a scenic alternative to Interstate Hwy. I-85
through South Carolina. As you travel through Pickens County on Scenic
Hwy. 11, you will have easy access to Keowee-Toxaway State Natural Area,
Eastatoe Falls, and Table Rock State Park. Table Rock Visitors Center is
located on Hwy. 11, beneath a beautiful view of Table Rock. The southern
end of Hwy. 11 is at the South Carolina/Georgia state line, and the
northern end of Hwy. 11 is near Gaffney, SC. I-26 (running north and
south) intersects Hwy. 11 about 4 miles south of Landrum, SC, and about 15
miles north of Spartanburg, SC. Other major intersecting highways are Hwy.
123, Hwy. 178, and Hwy. 25.
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