Rambling Hemlock: Foothills Trail

The Foothills Trail is a 77 mile trail in South and North Carolina. It starts at Oconee State Park, intercepts the Chatooga River Trail, passes lovely Whitewater Falls, and then veers off all the way past Lake Jocassee and goes all the way to Table Rock or Caesars Head (via a spur).

Oconee Bells on the Foothills between Laurel Valley & the Horsepasture River.

Resources for the Foothills Trail
Foothills Trail Conference- map and guidebook, downloads of the elevation profile and maps to trailheads.

Trip reports for the Foothills Trail

End-to-end (thru) hike (November 2014)

Table Rock to Laurel Valley (March 2012)
   Highlights: views from Sassafras Mountain, highest point in South Carolina

Laurel Valley to Canebreak (March 2012)
     Highlights: Virginia Hawkins Falls and Laurel Fork Falls, wildflowers

Bad Creek to Bearcamp Creek (Jan 2013) and onto Canebreak (March 2012)
     Highlights: Hilliard Falls

Whitewater Falls to Hilliard Falls (Nov. 2013)

Burrells Ford to Whitewater Falls (Feb. 2012)

Lick Log Falls to Big Bend Trail (plus Winding Stair Trail) (Sept. 2013)

Oconee State Park to Burrells Ford (April 2011)

Foothills Trail Spur from Caesars Head to Sassafras (August 2013)

Trail Dames at the start of the Foothills Trail at Oconee State Park.

1 comment:

UnknownJune 13, 2017 at 9:57 AM
Amazing! You have hit this trail in every season. My wife and I want to do about 1/2 the trail somewhere around 25-40 miles. We like in SC down in Charleston so we know how hot it can get in this state. What time of year did you most enjoy the trail? September is what will work best for us, but I think it will be to warm. I think October will be much better. What are your thoughts?