The South Carolina State Park Where You Can Hike Across A Boulder Bridge, Swinging Bridge, And Natural Bridge Is A Grand Adventure
By AnneMarie|Published November 02, 2022
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AnneMarie
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South Carolina has been home for AnneMarie since 2001. Her favorite part of the state is Lake Jocassee. An App State alumna, it's always the mountains; the lake bonus makes it heavenly. When not writing about the state, she may be spending time with family, relaxing by the pool, or out somewhere enjoying nature.
Bridges are fascinating structures and an important part of our daily lives. The first civilization to build large, permanent bridges was ancient Rome. The earliest ones were made of wood but then later, stone. When thinking about bridges, the first type likely to come to mind may be those that cross water. But there are many other types of bridges, including pedestrian, skyway, trail, and parks and recreation bridges, just to name a few. We have a South Carolina state park with multiple bridges you can hike across that shows just how diverse and interesting these structures can be!
Keowee Toxaway State Park is located in Sunset, situated in the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which stretch 550 miles from north Georgia to southern Pennsylvania, including the three South Carolina counties of Oconee, Pickens, and Greenville.
On your way into the park, you’ll pass by the Jocassee Gorges Visitor Center, a stunning preserved, converted 19th-century church. There are exhibits inside with information about the area and its history.
There are two hiking trails in the park that cross over a stream in several places, one by way of a boulder bridge, roughly 20 feet long, over the stream.
The Raven Rock Loop Trail is 4.4 miles long and considered by some a little more strenuous with some longer climbs, but the view over the lake is amazing and so worth it!
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Now, this bridge is technically not inside the park, but one of the trailheads on one end of the trail, the Eastatoe Passage portion of the Palmetto Trail, is located in the park. The Zeke bridge is a 95-foot work of art completed by The American Adventure Service Corps on December 28, 2020 to replace the prior structure that had been washed out during Spring 2019 flooding.
The Eastatoe Passage is 4.6 miles long and ends at the Dug Mountain Fishing Access parking lot. This bridge is about three-fourths of a mile from that trailhead.
Did you know South Carolina has a natural bridge? You can see it on the other trail at Keowee-Toxaway State Park, the Natural Bridge Nature Trail, which is #93 on prior South Carolina State Park Director Phil’s Top 100 list.
A geological wonder, this bridge is a naturally occurring land formation that allows passage across Poe Creek with the peaceful sounds of the water flowing beneath. To get a better view of the bridge, you’ll need to walk down to either side of the bridge from the hiking trail. This trail is only 1.3 miles long and considered moderate to strenuous.
The bridges are just the beginning of the sights to feast your eyes on during this adventure. This shot was taken on the Natural Bridge Trail.
Kingsnakes use constriction to kill their prey and often kill venomous snakes. They get their name from the fact that other snakes make up about one-fourth of their diet.
Mountain Laurel abounds during the spring season in the park.
If you want to make this an overnight adventure, as of 2019 the new Camp Cedar Creek, an outdoor recreation facility opened, which includes 10 tent-camping sites, three camping cabins, a bathhouse, a park lodge facility, two picnic shelters, a small fishing pier and a portage trail to Lake Keowee. It’s available for rent as a whole unit if you’re coming with a group.
There is also a three-bedroom cabin that sleeps ten available, 14 tent sites, three designated camping sites near the shores of Lake Keowee, and one designated site near the shores of Lake Keowee for backcountry camping groups of six to 25 campers.
From the campground, you can take a quick downhill hike to the lake. Hang out on the little sandy beach and swim, perfect for dogs and kids. There's a kayak launch area, but parking fills up fast in the lot so be sure to get there early.
There’s an island you can pull off onto to picnic and swim. During peak season and on the weekends, there may be quite a bit of boat traffic and wavy waters.
Take in as much of the mountain scenery as you can. You probably won’t want to leave when it’s time to go home, but you’ll be taking some amazing new memories back with you.
