Wooded Hike Down the Blue Ridge Escarpment,
Oconee County SC
The Winding Staircase Trail follows an old road
bed zig-zagging down the blue ridge front of South Carolina. The
description for the trail here is only for the first mile below the
Sumter National Forest Cherry Hill Campground. This section is
relatively easy with a moderate grade though there is some climbing over
fallen trees.
section
of the Winding Staircase Trail
This hike follows West Fork Creek. Features along the trail
include many flowering plants, rock overhangs, a large cliff, a
waterfall and nice winter views through the woods.
Rock
Overhang Along Winding Staircase Trail
Trail Summary (note - trail distances are approximate and are
from the entrance gate): To get to the trail head, travel from Walhalla SC 8
miles north on SC 28 and bear right onto SC 107. Cherry Hill
Campground is another 8.5 miles further from this intersection on the
right. You can park in the gravel area left of the gate
(Approximate GPS Coordinates
34º56'32.58"N
83º05'17.78"W). Walk down the campground road to the bottom of the hill and at the
camper sewage disposal area, bear to the right. The trail is a
little obscure here but if you pick your way through the undergrowth you
should intersect it within a hundred feet or so. Stay along the
right bank of the creek walking downstream and you should find the old
road bed.
Cherry
Hill Recreation Area Entrance off of SC 107, Sumter National Forest
The trail descends along the old road bed roughly parallel to the
creek. In approximately 0.7 miles from the gate, the trail bears
to the right away from the creek. In another 0.3 miles the trail
bears sharply to the left. A short distance to the right is a
large rock face cliff.
1.0 miles
- cliff
In another 0.25 miles the
trail turns sharply to the right. Off to the left is a partial
view of a nearby waterfall.
1.25
miles - waterfall
The trail continues to descend from here (gray on map below) and ends at the Winding
Staircase Road (gravel - also known as the Cheohee Road). We have
not hiked the remainder of the trail and we are not able to provide
further information below the waterfall but have traced the trail on the
USGS topo sheet below. The actual location
of the trail may differ from that shown.
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