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TRAILSIDE CAMPING

Backpack: $49 Tent: $89 Campsite: $12

Waking up with your family on a Saturday morning to the melodious warbles of song birds and the gentle rhythms of the Middle instead of the strident buzzer of an alarm clock and the blaring noise of cartoons on television. PRICELESS.

There's nothing more exhilarating than a hike into the deep forest and camping alongside the trail that lead you in. Begin your adventure today. State Parks offer trailside camping for beginners to experts.

Getting your Feet Wet Try the Pine Point trailside camping (link to map of park) area at Table Rock State Park or some of the sites (1-8) near the Jones Gap (link to map of park) access of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. These sites will allow you to get the feel for backcountry trailside camping without being far removed from your access point. These are nice sites to utilize when making the transition from car camping to backpack camping.

Kicking it up a Notch Hike in from Caesars Head (link to map of park) to sites located along the Jones Gap trail and the Middle Saluda River in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. Hike the Raven Rock Trail (link to park map) at Keowee Toxaway State Natural Area down to sites located along the shores of Lake Keowee. These locations are for those that are ready to experience true backcountry camping.

Into the Wild Ready for a challenge then head into the Dismal Forrest via the Naturaland Trust Trail and camp in the Matthews Creek Valley. This area is located in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area and is best accessed from Caesars Head (link to park map). Or utilize Jones Gap, Caesars Head, or Table Rock as access points for multi- day excursions along the . Become one with nature as you explore the opportunities South Carolina State Parks offer in trailside camping. The four parks below offer trailside camping at its finest!

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Trailside Camping Regulations Trailside camping is the best way to truly experience the sites and sounds of South Carolina State Parks. While camping visitors should maintain a healthy respect for the wildlife and the environment they will be interacting with. Below are South Carolina State Park Service regulations governing trailside camping. 1. Camp only in designated sites. Sites are located so as to disperse and minimize impact in any one area. 2. Use a backpacking camp stove where possible. 3. Campfires allowed only in designated areas. Use the existing fire ring and extinguish all fires prior to leaving. 4. Use only dead and down wood for campfires. 5. Plants or other natural or cultural artifacts should not be disturbed. 6. Where privys are not provided, bury human waste 6 inches deep at least 100 feet away from the river or

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other water supply. 7. Use only biodegradable soap when washing dishes. Wash and pour was water 100 feet away from the river and lake. 8. Keep all pets on a leash 6 feet or less. 9. Be as quiet as possible. Leave radios etc. at home. 10. Wear lightweight shoes around the campfire. 11. Never shortcut switchbacks on trails. 12. Never discard gum wrappers or cigarette butts. 13. Pack out all that you pack in. Upon request a litter bag will be provided. 14. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES PROHIBITED.

The above are generally accepted backcountry camping practices. Always register before entering the backcountry and check with each park about any special regulations or use of fires regarding their particular location.

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Table Rock State Park Table Rock Mountain provides a towering backdrop for an upcountry retreat at the edge of the .

Table Rock State Park features two lakes, a campground, mountain cabins, meeting facilities and its historic, renovated lodge.

The park has been one of South Carolina’s most popular since it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Many of its structures are now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Table Rock was home to one of the state’s first formal nature education programs and now serves Pickens as a trailhead for the 80-mile long Foothills Trail through the wilderness along the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Trails through the forested park also include one that leads to the top of Table Rock Mountain itself.

The park also hosts a visitors center near the main gate along S.C. 11, the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway.

Caesars Head State Park/ Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area Wildcat Wayside Grant Meeting

Caesars Head State Park has long been a must-see in the South Carolina Upstate. A granitic gneiss outcropping atop the dramatic Blue Ridge Escarpment, it offers breathtaking views year-round, especially when fall sets the hardwoods ablaze.

Another annual highlight is the Hawk Watch program each fall, timed to allow visitors to marvel at the unforgettable sight of hundreds of soaring, swirling migrating raptors – hawks, kites, falcons, eagles and more – from the park visitors’ own perch at 3,200 feet above sea level.

Hiking trails ranging from easy to challenging circle and traverse Caesars Head and adjoining Jones Gap state parks, which together form the Mountain Bridge Wilderness, about 11,000 acres of Cleveland pristine southern mountain forest.

One of the most popular trails at Caesars Head leads to 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls, where a suspension bridge offers one of the two publicly accessible overlooks to the falls as they splash deep into the mountain cove below.

Picnicking and wilderness trailside camping also are highlights. The park, easily accessible with its headquarters on U.S. 276 just shy of the state line, also leads to some prime trout fishing areas in

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LOCATION the state-designated scenic Middle Saluda River.

Jones Gap State Park/ Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area Wildcat Wayside Grant Meeting

Wild trout, including the rare, native brookie. Several thousand different plant and animal species. The unforgettable peace and repose of a deep mountain cove. It’s all at .

Jones Gap and Caesars Head state parks together form the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, 11,000 acres of pristine mountain woodlands on the Blue Ridge Escarpment.

Jones Gap highlights include the Middle Saluda River, the state’s first designated scenic river. Besides trout fishing, the river serves as a living lab for the park’s busy learning center, providing Marietta hands-on ecology lessons for young and old alike.

The park also includes restored portions of the old Cleveland Fish Hatchery, offers trailside camping and serves as an access point to the 76-mile Foothills Trail.

Keowee-Toxaway State Natural Area With its stunning view of the Blue Ridge and woods full of rhododendrons, mountain laurel and wildflowers, Keowee-Toxaway State Natural Area is truly one of South Carolina’s pretty places.

The Jocassee Gorges Visitor Center exhibits and other visitor information serve as a gatewayto the Jocassee Gorges, roughly 50,000 acres of largely undisturbed, protected land where the Blue Ridge Mountains quickly fall 2,000 feet or more to the below.

The park features a rental cabin with a porch overlooking Lake Keowee and a courtesy dock. Sunset Camping also is available.

For day use, there’s picnicking, shoreline fishing and hiking trails.

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http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/camp/trailside_camping.aspx?Print=1 4/19/2010