South Carolina's Premier Mountain Park
Vistas,
views and granite - what a Great Hike! Table Rock Mountain (el.
3,124 ft) is a noticeable summit rising 2000 feet above the low lying
Piedmont in upstate South Carolina near Greenville SC. The land is owned by Table
Rock State Park with a well managed network of amenities including
campground, picnic ground, beach and lake. In addition, the park
offers miles of trails from simple nature walks to challenging hikes.
The trail described here
ascends to the summit of Table Rock Mtn.
Table Rock
Mountain and The Stool (right)
Table Rock State Park
is located along SC 11 in Northern Pickens County, SC. The trail
head is at the Carrick Creek Interpretive Center within the park with
parking across the road ( Approximate GPS Coordinates 35º01'54.75"N
82º41'58.32"W ).
Trail Summary (note - trail distances are approximate): The
trail begins along a paved path on the backside of the Interpretive
Center.
Bridge
Along Trail
Within 0.2 miles the pavement ends and the trail continues
with a dirt surface. The trail ascends gently within the Green
Creek valley and at 0.5 miles ascends from the valley to a small ridgeline. The trail continues to
get steeper passing through a
boulder field and climbs along switchbacks.
abrupt
change in slope
trail
boulder field
along trail to summit
The trail continues to rise out of the Piedmont arriving at a small open sided shelter with views toward the south.
Piedmont from
Shelter
shelter near
summit ridge
Within 1/4
mile the trail then reaches a trail junction along the summit
ridgeline. The trail ascends and descends gently along the
ridgeline and climbs to the large open face Governor's Rock with views toward the north west, including Sassafras Mountain, South
Carolina's highest point (a small dimple along a ridgeline). The
trail ascends further to the wooded summit in 0.4 miles. If you
have the energy the trail continues down another quarter mile to an open
view toward the northeast. Retrace your route to return.
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