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South Carolina�s Palmetto Trail � currently a work in progress � will span the state with over 425 miles of hiking trails once it is completed. Started in 1997, new passages open each season, with the spectacular Jocassee Gorges Passage in Upstate South Carolina setting itself apart from many other passages with its stunning scenery and dramatic terrain.
The 12.5-mile Jocassee Gorges Passage begins at The Barn in Table Rock State Park and winds its way west through land owned by The Wesleyan Camp and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The first two miles of trail are within Table Rock State Park and The Wesleyan Camp, and the remaining ten miles are within Jocassee Gorges. The trail passage, rated moderate to difficult, features rugged mountain terrain and an abundance of native flowers and wildlife, including white-tailed deer, mourning doves, black bear, wild turkeys, and foxes. Hikers are also treated to mountain top vistas, waterfalls, rivers, and an impressive boulder field with Jocassee Gorges. According to Native American legend, the word �Jocassee� means �Place of the Lost One,� and hikers should take the name to heart by preparing for the remote and rugged areas with adequate supplies, food, and water. The Palmetto Conservation Foundation, a statewide nonprofit whose mission is to promote and conserve conservation of the state�s abundant natural resources, urges hikers who set out on any part of the Palmetto Trail to please practice the �Leave No Trace� philosophy � pack out what you pack in. Further, the foundation urges hikers to stay on designated trails � the Jocassee Gorges passage is particularly remote, making this bit of common sense even more important than on other, more populated, trails. Hikers should be aware that hunting occurs throughout the year in Jocassee Gorges, so wear bright orange clothing during hunting season (visit www.dnr.state.sc.us for information on hunting season); hunting is prohibited in Table Rock State Park and The Wesleyan Camp.
To reach the Jocassee Gorges trailhead at Table Rock State Park from Greenville, take US Hwy 25 North, US Hwy 276 West to SC Hwy 11 (Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway); follow SC Hwy 11 to Table Rock State Park. From Spartanburg, follow US Hwy 178 to the junction with SC Hwy 11 (Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway); follow SC Hwy 11 to the turnoff for Table Rock State Park. For more information, please visit the Palmetto Conservation Foundation�s web site at www.palmettoconservation.org. They can be reached by mail at PO Box 1984, Spartanburg, SC, 29304. (Images provided by Palmetto Conservation.)
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As one of only thirteen cross-state trails in the country, the Palmetto Trail is a federally designated Millennium Legacy Trail that will serve as the spine for a statewide network of paths open to walkers, bicyclists, and equestrians (in limited parts). The Trails� purpose is to promote health and a healthy environment; additionally, it provides access and significance to historic sites and important natural areas.
