Another of the fun and exciting South Carolina state parks that line the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, Keowee Toxaway offers two hiking trails that take visitors over a natural bridge and through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, land once traveled by Cherokee Indians. Much of the trail follows the shore of Lake Keowee through the healthy oak/hickory forest that surrounds it. The trail’s namesakes are interesting features, but the highlights of this hike are the terrain and the views. I hiked Natural Bridge and Raven Rock Trails on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 beginning at 9:15AM and ending about 12:20PM. My plan was to hike this double loop on the eastern side outbound, then return on the west.

It’s kind of amazing when you think about it… all the state parks that are lined up along the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway (SC-11). Starting with Jones Gap and Caesars Head, then on to Table Rock, followed by Keowee Toxaway and Devils Fork, then ending at Oconee. Quite a few choices for adventure. Keowee Toxaway is closest to the highway of all of them.

And while convenient for getting to the trailhead, the highway noise on the first half mile of the hike is a bit annoying as the Natural Bridge Trail pretty much parallels the road. The passing cars and trucks were definitely the first thing I noticed as I set out, but I eventually got over it and started paying more attention to the sights rather than the sounds.

The first loop of this hike is the 1.3 mile Natural Bridge Trail. Short, but not necessarily easy for those who may just wander in from their couch in Nyak, NY wearing nothing but sandals. It drops about 200 feet along the Poe Creek drainage, meaning you have to climb back up to get to the trailhead. 15 minutes in, the sounds change from highway noise to the rushing of Poe Creek.

At the half mile mark you cross Natural Bridge. If you aren’t paying attention, you will probably walk right over it. It is a large granite slab, differentiated from the clay tread of most of the trail, but you really have to drop down over the side to see the opening beneath the rock. Probably about two feet high, it is indeed a natural bridge, but it pales in comparison to others I have visited. Look for a Poe Creek waterfall on your left a few hundred feet after the natural bridge.

Half way around the Natural Bridge loop is the junction with Raven Rock Trail, and the meat of this hike begins. You start climbing immediately up the slopes of McKinney Mountain, past massive granite outcroppings. This is primarily an oak/hickory forest, with occasional beech and pine to mix it up a bit. There is also lots and lots of mountain laurel, so I expect this to be quite resplendent in pink flowers come May.

After another half mile you reach the crest of McKinney Mountain, about 400 feet higher than the low point along Poe Creek. Now it’s downhill on the approach to Keowee Lake. This is the stretch of trail where you need to be careful. It crosses exposed granite in places. On the day I was there the granite was still wet from overnight rain. If you’re familiar with what happens to granite when it gets wet, you know to take your time and test your footing.

With the leaves down, I was able to see through the woods as the lake appeared about a quarter mile before I descended to its level. The Raven Rock Trail stays about 25 yards from the lake, but it is easy to walk through the woods for a clear view of the shoreline. Directly on the other side is the Cliffs at Keowee resort community, including its golf course.

The trail winds in and out of various coves in the lake shore, eventually reaching a small peninsula with a spur trail that takes you to three tent campsites. From the tip of the peninsula you have a great view of one of the golf greens as well as what used to be Estatoe Creek. Of course the former route of the creek is now filled with reservoir water. Look too for small sandy beaches that line the shore.

A Cliffs at Keowee resort greenskeeper tends one of his greens before the golfers arrive. This used to be Estatoe Creek.

When you return to Raven Rock Trail from the campsites, the ascent back up McKinney Mountain begins. A couple things I noticed throughout the hike were, a) there had been quite a bit of recent blowdown along the trails from frequent wind storms, but the state parks folks have done a remarkable job of keeping the trails clear (hat tip), and b) judging by the number of spider webs my face plowed into, apparently the spiders in South Carolina don’t mind cold weather. Perhaps the NC spiders migrate south for the winter.

It is about a third mile from the campsites to Raven Rock itself. When standing on Raven Rock, it doesn’t really seem like much, perhaps about 20 feet square, but the bulk of Raven Rock is beneath you. You can see by looking over the side that it is a massive wall of granite. From the lake in a boat, it would be quite impressive.

On this day it was also wet and slippery. Be careful, because if you go over the edge you will splash below. I could hear the rock whispering to me that it was time for lunch, so I pulled up a seat and pulled out my sandwich. While munching, I looked around a bit. Directly in front of you is a small island in the lake. It probably has a name, but I couldn’t find it. On the other side of the lake are more trophy resort homes in the Cliffs development.

You are also high enough here to see the Blue Ridge Mountains behind the shorter ridge nearest the lake. There was a nice wispy layer of clouds hovering near the Blue Ridge that enhanced the view. The lake itself was mirror still, creating very appealing reflections of the forest that surrounds the shore. All in all, a nice spot for a break.

Once I resumed hiking it was still about a half mile to the Raven Rock Trail loop junction, then another half back past all the granite outcroppings on McKinney Mountain to the Natural Bridge Trail junction. I turned right here to do the lower, western side of the NBT loop.

The trail drops another hundred feet alongside Poe Creek, including a set of stairs built into the somewhat steep hillside. At the bottom is a trail sign pointing the way across Poe Creek. Also at the bottom is another waterfall. This one is tiered, making a five foot plunge, then taking a sharp right turn and dropping another five feet… all surrounded by granite boulders and rhododendron. No doubt a very pleasing sight in June when the rhodo is in bloom.

After crossing the creek, the trail continues to follow the creek for a bit and then begins that final 200 feet ascent that I mentioned earlier. As the rush of Poe Creek disappears behind you, the traffic sounds on Hwy 11 announce that you are nearly back to the trailhead. There is one final twisty stairway to navigate, then the last quarter mile push back to the Visitor Center.

In summary, I’m likely to spend a lot more time at the South Carolina state parks this winter. The Upstate is 2,000 feet lower, and usually 8-10° warmer than the mountains. It took me only 65 minutes to get to Keowee Toxaway from my home, and Jones Gap, Caesars Head, and Table Rock are even closer than that. This double loop hike at Keowee Toxaway is a nice way to spend three hours. It’s not too hard, but will give you some exercise. This one should be fine for the whole family, even your pooch.

Update March 30, 2018: With Spring here and the weather warming, a search for early season wildflowers seemed in order. Somewhere along the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Hwy popped into my mind, so Keowee Toxaway it was. I wasn’t disappointed. While there weren’t a lot of flowers, there was quite a wide variety, and a good inkling of things to come. Not a lot happening with the trees yet, although I did see a few buds, and the maple seed pods were out, turning the tree tops a delightful red. Here’s some new pictures from my visit.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

For a scenic stroll along a horse path through the South Mountains forest, you may give Little River Trail a try. Starting at the Cicero Branch parking area and climbing above Jacob Fork gorge, you will pass viewpoints for the North Carolina Piedmont and follow Little River to the end of the trail at a small but treacherous hidden waterfall. I hiked to Little River Falls on Saturday, December 27, 2014 between 2:00PM and 4:00PM. Since this was my first visit to South Mountains State Park, I was just out exploring. My plan was to see what I could find.

After finishing the High Shoals Falls Loop, there was still plenty of time in the day to get in another few miles, so I studied the trail map I picked up in the State Park Visitor Center. I liked the sound of Little River Trail, so I headed for the trailhead at Cicero Branch. River trails are usually pretty scenic, so perhaps that’s why it caught my attention. A camping area, Cicero Branch has plenty of parking right along Jacob Fork River.

From the parking, head west along the river about 50 yards and take a right on the Raven Rock Trail. It then crosses S. Mountains Park Ave. and heads upwards into the woods. For six tenths of a mile you’ll climb a series of switchbacks until reaching the junction with Little River Trail. Go left for access to the High Shoals area, or go right as I did and continue climbing upwards into the forest.

Little River is a wide trail, with tell-tale signs of horse traffic. In fact, I had pretty much decided by the end of this hike that this is primarily a horse trail. The forest is populated with hickory and oak, an occasional maple, and pine of many varieties. The ubiquitous rhododendron is all over, and the soil is likely fertile ground for Spring wildflowers.

After another half mile of climbing you’ll reach a junction with Turkey Ridge Trail. This is a primary means of access for the equestrians because the horse trailer parking lot is at the other end of that trail. Continue straight ahead, though, to stay on Little River Trail. Frankly, there really isn’t much of interest on this trail for the first mile and a half, and I was beginning to wonder if I had made the wrong choice. Then suddenly, the woods opened up to the east and there was a remarkable view of the North Carolina Piedmont.

The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The surface relief of the Piedmont is characterized by relatively low, rolling hills. Essentially, the Piedmont is the remnant of several ancient mountain chains that have since been eroded away.

Then, not too far after that, the trail topped the ridge and began a gentle descent. I began to hear water, so YAY!, the river was getting close. As I approached a hairpin turn in a switchback, suddenly I heard voices, and then, through the trees three riders. At the switchback was a wooden foot bridge over Little River, and a ford for the equines. From above I could see the horses with their snouts buried in the river taking a drink.

After crossing the river, the trail flattens out as it follows the narrow stream that is really nothing more that a creek. I can see why they call it “Little” River. Access to the water itself is choked by thick rhododendron and laurel. After a quarter mile of walking, I was startled by another horse, who was apparently quite startled by me as well. He made a terrible racket, almost fell, and gave the rider quite a jolt. As they passed me a few moments later, the rider chuckled and said, “Gee, you would think this horse had never seen a hiker before.”

Where that horse, and another, came from was the Upper CCC Trail. There’s a junction here, with a horse tie-off bar. There are all kinds of signs around warning about the danger of falling from the waterfall. WATERFALL? Hmmm. Now this was getting interesting. On the other side of the hitch I noticed the faint traces of a trail, more like a manway really.

A few feet later, this manway falls steeply downhill and I heard the giveaway sound of rushing water. I was getting close. Then there were more warning signs, and a small rock outcropping at the top of the falls. The rock was covered in fallen leaves, so I didn’t dare get too close for fear of sliding, but I could definitely tell this was no place to lose your balance. Slip, and you would fall to certain doom.

I continued down to the left, and reached another manway that went to a precipice about half way down the cascade of the waterfall. Two problems though. It was very, very steep… and it was covered with wet leaves… the kind that give way when you step on them. I stood there seemingly for a full minute trying to decide how badly I wanted the closeup picture.

Here at Meanderthals our tagline says, “If you’re gonna be dumb, you better be tough.” Nobody ever accused me of being brilliant, so with reckless abandon I proceeded to slip and slide my way down the steep embankment to capture this photo just for you. Well, for me too.

Behind me I left a trail of leaf piles as I slid about three feet with each step I took. The seat of my pants was certainly covered with rich, moist South Mountains topsoil. But I made it, and breathed a deep sigh of relief. As far as waterfalls go, this one isn’t particularly remarkable, but it was the challenge, y’know?

What goes down must go back up, and so I had to work my way back up the embankment two steps forward and one step back. Boy were those wet leaves slippery! When I got back to the hitching post I found a nice rock near some large, fresh fungus and paused to take inventory, and have a snack. Everything still seemed to be in working order, and I had safely found another hidden waterfall.

The return trip goes back the same way I came. This time I actually encountered another pair of hikers, so I wasn’t totally alone in setting foot on a designated horse trail. As I approached the end, there was the quite lovely view of bare trees that you see at the top of this post. I thought it made a nice study in black and white.

To summarize, there are bound to be more picturesque hikes in South Mountains State Park, but I did get some good exercise and a little adventurous excitement. This was my first visit, so I was just learning. High Shoals Falls was definitely a highlight, but Little River Trail left me wanting more. On my next visit to the South Mountains I think I will leave Little River to the horses, and try some of the other trails.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.