It’s not hard to see why the gem of the South Carolina Blue Ridge was voted as the Best Outdoors Spot in the Clemson area.
Created in the mid-1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Table Rock State Park is the icon of the South Carolina State Park system. Featuring two lakes open to fish and paddle, historic cabins and lodges, camping, events and many beautiful overlooks.
However, the real center of the park is the trail system. People drive from as far as Columbia for an afternoon on South Carolina’s most iconic mountain.
Trails range in difficulty from a relatively easy one-mile loop along cascade-filled streams to the first several miles of the long-distance Foothills Trail. The most popular is the 3.6-mile out-and-back Table Rock Trail, climbing to the top of the famous mountain.
The views from the various faces of Table Rock are legendary.
To the south, you can see the rolling Piedmont, including the skyline of Greenville. To the west, you can see Pinnacle and Sassafras Mountains, the highest mountain in South Carolina. To the east, you can see the beautiful Saluda Mountains and to the north you can see Caesar’s Head and Slicking Falls, a waterfall that can only be seen from the top of Table Rock.
“I think the inspiration and wonder created by Table Rock Mountain rising up 2000 feet above the foothills has just such a lasting impression upon visitors. Then people really connect to the place by hiking the trail; passing waterfalls, seeing wildlife and plant life, and then finally reaching the summit,” Lead Ranger Micheal Trotter said when asked what makes Table Rock so special. “The views from the summit are equally breathtaking as you look toward the north and see sights hidden by the mountain when you are on its south side.”
“Add to that, the sense of physical accomplishment hiking to the summit creates, and visitors form an authentic connection to the place as being special; worthy to protect and worthy to share with others,” Trotter concluded.
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Hours: Vary by season and activity – generally sunrise to sunset
