Off the grid: a 3 day, 2 night itinerary to Lake Jocassee
One of South Carolina’s hidden gems, we recently spent two nights and three days hiking Lake Jocassee, a 7,500 acre, 300’ deep reservoir about 4.5 hours from our home in Charleston and 1.5 hrs from Greenville. With refreshing mountain rivers, dramatic waterfalls and lush forests with countless hiking trails for the amateur and expert alike, this serene lake is a must-visit summer destination for every outdoor enthusiast.
If you’re curious how to spend a weekend at Lake Jocassee, keep reading!
Day 1: Friday
Rent A Cabin
If, like us, you’d rather go glamping than camping, we highly recommend Getaway Cabins. We stayed at the outpost on Lake Hartwell, about 30 minutes from Lake Jocassee.
Each cabin comes with a private fire pit, grilling grate, and outdoor seating (picnic table and adirondack chairs). Note: Pay attention to make sure burn bans are not in effect. If they are, no outdoor cooking is allowed. Make sure to put your food away at night — these cabins are on lots of land where wildlife is present.
If you’re staying at Getaway, rather than setting up your own campsite, check in is at 3 pm, so we like taking the first evening to relax at the cabin.
Have A Bonfire and Unplug
The whole point of a trip like this is to completely unplug. Getaway actively encourages this by not providing Wi-Fi in their cabins and by supplying a cell phone ‘lockbox’. Instead bring books or boardgames, set up a hammock, learn survival skills like tying knots or reading a map, or collect firewood and build a campfire. Each cabin has firewood available for purchase, but we enjoy foraging the surrounding area to find previously fallen timber. Remember to remain sustainable by not cutting live trees. Not only is it bad for the ecosystem, but green wood does not burn well. Slowly cook dinner over the bonfire (here are a few of our favorite campfire meal ideas). Once it gets dark, make the most of your last night here with hot cocoa and s’mores under the stars.
Day 2: Saturday
Fuel up
Whether that’s slowly cooking pancakes, eggs and sausage over a campfire, using the indoor kitchenette at Getaway, or boiling some water to add to a freeze-dried backpacking meal before your trek, you’ll want to make sure to fuel up for the adventure ahead!
Hike Upper Whitewater Falls
Access to the park is $3 cash. We recommend arriving in the morning, while there is plenty of parking, the lot does fill up quickly.
The Upper Whitewater Falls are located just over the border in North Carolina. These falls are fed by the Whitewater River and are the tallest east of the Rockies at a combined 811 ft. Spectacular views of the falls can be accessed from the Whitewater Falls Overlook Trail. This is a short .6 mile hike to the first and second view platforms and should only take about 30 minutes. The hike to the first viewing platform is a paved path with a gentle up hill grade that most will be able to complete. The second viewing platform is 154 steps down and also provides access to the Foothills Trail. The Foothills Trail does not offer any waterfall views, but does give you access to the Whitewater River. There is a third branch of this trail, however, it offers no view of the falls and is quite dangerous.
For a rewarding view, recommend packing lunch to eat after you’ve made it to your desired destination.
Explore Other Waterfalls OF Lake Jocassee (There’s 6!)
Lake Jocassee is home to 6 waterfalls, some of which are accessible by foot, but most of which need to be viewed from the water.
Upper Whitewater Falls | Foot access | 411’ tall | .6 mile out-and-back trail with 101.7’ elevation gain
Lower Whitewater Falls | Boat access | 400’ tall | 4.2 mile out-and-back trail with a 935’ elevation gain
Writecreek Falls | Boat access | 35’ tall
Mills Creek | Boat access | 25’ tall
Devils Hole | Boat access | 20’ tall
Laurel Creek | Foot and boat access | 80’ tall | 10.7 mile out-and-back trial with 1,082’ elevation gain and challenging terrain (overnight trek)
Rent A Kayak on Lake Jocassee
Devil’s Fork State Park is the only way to publicly access Lake Jocassee. The park is extremely popular with 3 boat ramps, cabins, rv lots and campsites available. There is a dedicated swimming area to the left of the bathrooms.
Canoe, kayak and paddle board rentals are available. We rented a canoe for $50 for two hours. Keeping along the coast line you’ll have access to coves with a variety of features, from shady sandy beaches, rocks to jump off of and small caves where the soil has washed out leaving behind stone. When out on the water keep an eye out for sudden storms. This region of South Carolina is known for unplanned and strong thunderstorms during the summer.
Another sport that one would not usually associate with western South Carolina is scuba diving. Scuba diving in Lake Jocassee is surprisingly advanced due to the depth and cold water.
Devils Fork State Park
The Jocassee region is the ancestral lands of the Cherokee Nation. The name comes from the daughter of Cherokee Chief Attakulla, Jocassee. She saved a boy from a rival tribe that had broken his leg, Nagoochee. Her brother later killed Nagoochee in battle. When Jocassee learned of this she walked across the water to meet Nagoochee’s spirit. Jocassee means ‘The Place of the Lost One’. Lake Jocassee was formed in 1973 when Duke Energy dammed the Jocassee Gorges, a confluence of 4 Appalachian rivers. The lake is 7,500 acres and fed by several waterfalls and known for being the cleanest water in South Carolina. Several bass and trout species live in the lake, making fishing a popular sport here.
The entrance fee is only $8 per person, but there’s a catch. This is an extremely popular location and the parking lot fills up fast with most people planning to stay for several hours. We’d highly recommend arriving before opening or reserve a parking space a few days ahead online to ensure you won’t be turned away at the entrance.
Day 3: Sunday
Yellow Branch Falls
If you’re looking for a challenge, then look no further than Yellow Branch Falls. Hikers flock to this trail for spectacular views of the 50 ft falls. While the stats read disceptively easy going at 3.1 miles round trip and an elevation gain of 475 ft, don’t be fooled. Though well maintained, Yellow Branch Falls is a strenuous trail with long up-hill grades, jungle like humidity in the summer and narrow trails that hug the hillside. Be sure to bring sturdy shoes and and plenty of water. We recommend taking an extended break at the falls to each lunch and rest your legs. Don’t rush through this trail either, there are so many views to take in — from burbling creeks shaded by flowering shrubs, steep drops down into lush ravines, and a dense green canopy. Keep an eye out for the interesting wildlife as well, from shockingly large banana spiders (don’t touch, you’ll regret it), to small fish surfing the eddy’s in the creek and bees burrowing into the clay. Parking is free and the trailhead includes pavilions and a latrene.
Issaqueena Falls
Stumphouse Tunnel Park is a municipal park and costs $5 to enter. You’ll have access to both the Stumphouse Tunnel and Issaqueena Falls.
Just a short distance from Yellow Branch Falls is Issaqueena Falls. This is a short hike at only .4 mile roundtrip and will only take about 10-15 mins to reach the overlooks to view the falls. However, if you want to actually hike to the falls it is an very steep decent.
Stumphouse Tunnel
Stumphouse Tunnel is the ruins of a fail attempt to connect Charleston, SC to Cincinnati, Ohio by rail. The Blue Ridge Railroad had made successful headway west from Anderson, SC until they hit the solid granite of Stumphouse Mountain. Progress slowed drastically and ate up resources. Workers were able to chise, hammer and blast about 1600 feet into the nearly mile long proposed tunnel before the Civil War began and finances dried up. This endeavor of engineering brought thousands of Irish and German immigrants to western South Carolina permanently altering the local culture. As a bonus, the naturally cool tunnel is great to visit if your a sweaty wreck after Yellow Branch Falls and Issaquenna Falls.
