Out of all of the 47 state parks in South Carolina, Keowee-Toxaway is one of the ones that I spend the least amount of time at. Usually when I am traveling the state on an Ultimate Outsider adventure, this particular park is usually a hit and run for me. The stamp for the Ultimate Outsider guide book is on the kiosk as soon as you turn into the park, so I am usually in a hurry to get to one of the bigger parks that is near it.

Once I started researching to write this blog, I found out that both names that the state park is named after came from the Cherokee Native American origin. Keowee means place of the mulberry, and Toxaway means place of thunder. Both names reflect the Native American culture that was once prominent in the area before the European Americans arrived. They used to hunt, named some of the streams, and built their towns around the area. Some of the names of towns that exist today, such as Ninety Six, got their names because of how many miles they were located from the Keowee area.

Eventually the Cherokee Native Americans abandoned the land, and the European Americans transformed the land into farms. After some years, the farms made way for the textile industry. Textiles were really big in South Carolina for many years, and only in recent years did they basically die out across the state. You can travel across many towns in the state and see abandoned textile mills.

Anyway, getting back to the subject of this blog, the natural bridge trail. I personally had never had any reason to hike any of the trails at Keowee-Toxaway, but on the state park scavenger hunt this year, one of the clues was to find the natural bridge across Poe Creek at one of the parks. After a quick search on my computer, I found out that I would have to actually spend time at a park that I had only ever spent 15 minutes at each time I visited.

I first stopped by in March to stamp my book, but time was running out that day to do a hike, so I figured that I’d just do a return trip the following week to complete my task of finding the natural bridge. Unfortunately, a few days later, the state parks all shut down across the state due to the unpleasant virus that has basically shut down my plans for this whole year. I didn’t know when I would be able to get back to the upstate, but I knew I would have to wait it out. Fortunately all of the parks reopened in May, so I planned a quick trip back up to the mountains of South Carolina.

I honestly couldn’t have had a better time to experience the hike at Keowee-Toxaway. The mountain laurel was in full bloom on the trail, the leaves on the trees were so green, and the temperature was just right for a hike. My mom and dad had to do the hike as well, so we all set out early. I couldn’t get over the beauty of the mountain laurel. Everywhere I looked was pink blooms and white blooms. I stopped every few seconds to take photos. I was also trying to take my time because I am not really a hiker, and I had read that the trail was a moderate to strenuous one. I prefer the easy trails personally.

We kept walking and we eventually came to a rock that was over some flowing water. I’m going to claim that as the natural bridge. A few people that were on the trail the same time that we were went down to see the water, but I stayed on the trail. I was trying to get my location to ping in on the scavenger hunt, so my attention was on that. I kept walking back and forth trying to get the location to ping correctly, but the cellphone service was somewhat spotty in that area.

We decided that we would try to continue on the trail to go back to the parking lot, but that didn’t quite work out as planned. We started out really good from the area where the natural bridge was, but then we came to an area that was going to be impossible for my parents to cross over. There was a rock pathway that was over some water, and they couldn’t get a good grip on the rocks that would have taken them over the water safely. Had I been by myself, I would have just went ahead and went across, but I had to look out for them as well. I made the decision that we were going back in the same direction that we had just come from.

The trail was just as beautiful from the opposite direction. It was however more difficult. We had to go back up the steps that we had just walked down, and we had to step up on some rather large rocks. If you are an avid hiker, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but it is if you aren’t used to it. I was so happy to finally see a bench to sit on once we got close to the end of the trail. I could have used several benches, but I was happy with that one. I let my parents rest for a few minutes, then we went on back to the car.

After seeing how beautiful the trail was in the spring, I would like to see it again in the fall sometime. I can imagine that it is quite stunning to be able to walk in the woods and see all of the trees transforming into the beautiful colors of October. I have been to a few of the other upstate state parks in the fall, and they are simply amazing for photography.

If hiking is not your thing, you still have an amazing view of Lake Keowee from one of the parking areas at the park. In all of my previous visits to this park, I’d always make sure that I would go look at the lake. In the spring, eastern redbud trees are blooming in the parking lot, and in the fall, the leaves are changing on the trees around the lake. That is why I know it has to be beautiful on the trail in the woods.

Keowee-Toxaway State Park is located at 108 Residence Drive in Sunset, South Carolina. It opens everyday at 9am and closes at 9pm during daylight savings time, and closes between 6pm and 8pm during standard time. Admission is completely free, and that is a pretty good deal since this park offers some excellent views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The park is also home to the Jocassee Gorges Visitors Center. The visitors center is open daily from 11am until noon, and again from 4 to 5pm. If you desire to stay overnight at Keowee-Toxaway, one cabin is available for rent, a campground is available, and in 2019, the new Camp Cedar Creek opened up at this park as well. It offers a lodge, picnic shelters, bunkhouse style cabins, rustic campsites, and a bathhouse. Once you hike the trails at Keowee-Toxaway, you may just decide that you want to spend a few days there.

Published by travelingthesoutheast

My name is Donna. At an early age I had a love for photography. There was nothing more fun than taking film to a store and then having to wait several days to get the photographs back, sometimes only to find out that none of the pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. Quite a few years ago digital came out, and the rest is history. I can always be found with a camera around my neck, on my arm, or in my hand. I have always had a love for telling stories and sharing them with others. My imagination has always been a little on the wild side. About ten years ago, I decided one day that I wanted to start traveling, and I have never looked back. There is nothing in the world that I enjoy more than traveling and taking photographs. View all posts by travelingthesoutheast