Lake Jocassee

Devils Fork State Park at Lake Jocassee in South Carolina is one of those rare places at the end of the road that is easy to imagine but rarely experienced. Located on the eastern slope of the extreme Southern Appalachians you are hard-pressed to believe you are in the deep South.

Understand

The park is a focal point as the gateway to the Jocassee Gorges Conservation Area which bounds between North and South Carolina. The park is also close to the Georgia border. The lake is amazingly deep at up to 350 feet and can only truly be appreciated by boat as the waterfalls and rivers cascade from the distant shore across from Devils Fork. Guided waterfalls tours are available as well as fresh water fishing charters departing from the boat ramp at the park. The lake's 75-mile shoreline is almost completely protected from development and is unique unto itself in the region. Visitors can either stay at the park's cabins, campground or nearby private vacation rentals. Reservations are a must as the region is very rural and vacancies in season are scarce. The Park is open year round and attracts over 250,000 visitors annually.

Flora and fauna

Only known habitat for the Oconee Bell

Climate

Moderate year round temperatures. Temperate Southern Rain Forest annual rainfall 75 plus inches per year

Get in

When coming in from Charlotte, NC, take the I-85 South, followed by the I-26 West until you get to SC state highway 11. From here, turn onto State Rd S-37-127 to get to the region. A GPS / paper maps are essential to get to the park from this point as there are no directions other than road names. But cell service is spotty, so offline maps are recommended.

Fees and permits

Annual SC Park Pass $99. There is a parking fee in certain park areas unless you are staying in the villas at the park (in which case, you get issued with park tags).

Get around

Guided waterfall tours are available. Bring a boat or rent one to view the waterfalls on Lake Jocassee.

See

Lake Jocassee

Major waterfalls on Lake Jocassee are: Wrights Creek Falls - Mills Creek Falls - Devils Hole Falls - Laurel Falls. There are also several smaller falls and streams that feed into the lake.

Do

• Watersports
• Waterski
• Wakeboard
• Kayak
• Canoe
• Scuba diving
• Boat & jet ski rentals

Drink

No alcoholic beverages inside park campground or picnic areas.

Sleep

Lodging

• Villas at Devils Fork State Park (Villas at Devils Fork State Park), The park address is 161 Holcombe Cir, Salem. The villas are within the park but don't have a listed address (Once you get to the park, there are signs directing you to the villas. The roads to the villas are not gated, so as long as you let the reservations office know that you are arriving late, you'll be able to get in late evening, or night and head into your villa.). Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 10AM. Lodging within the park, and run by the park. Villa reservations require a minimum stay of two (2) nights, with some locations and dates requiring longer stays. Each villa has wi-fi, satellite TV, and an external fire-pit. Some of the villas are pet-friendly. 

• 1 Maplecrest at Lake Jocassee (A Lake Jocassee Rental Cottage), 694 Jocassee Lake Rd (1 mile from Devils Fork State Park), ☏ +1 864 719-9494. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 10AM. A pet-friendly country home on two wooded acres adjoining Devils Fork State Park and Lake Jocassee SC. Comfortably furnished with five bedrooms and two full baths accommodating ten guests. Major credit cars accepted. From $175 per night. 

Camping

• Camping information: Two campgrounds are located near the shores of Lake Jocassee.
• Restrooms with hot showers are located in the campgrounds.
• Tent and RV camping: Yes
• Boat-in: Yes
• Camping reservations accepted: To make a camping reservation, call toll-free +1-866-345-PARK or make it online by clicking Park Reservation.Camping reservations must be made for a minimum of two nights. Reservations requested less than one day in advance of check-in must be made directly through the park. For example: if today is Friday and you are making a reservation checking in on today, Friday, you must make the reservation by contacting the park directly.
• Sites with electricity & water: yhe main lakeside campground at Devils Fork State Park features 59 paved sites with water and electrical hook-ups. Some of these sites accommodate RVs up to 36 feet. These sites rent for $20-$22/site/night. Discounted rates may be offered for seasons of lower demand. Rates listed do not include applicable sales tax and nonrefundable transaction fee.
• Designated tent site: while tent campers may use the sites with water and electrical hookups, there is also a designated rustic tent camping area.These walk-in campsites are designated for tent camping only, and are only a short walk from a central parking area. There are 25 elevated tent pads, one per campsite, and a maximum of two tents can be pitched on each 12' x 12' tent pad. No tents may be placed on the ground.These sites include a picnic table and a fire ring, but do not include electrical or water hook-ups. Water spigots and restrooms are located adjacent to the walk-in tent parking area. These sites rent for $16/site/night. Discounted rates are available for seasons of lower demand. Rates listed do not include applicable sales tax and nonrefundable transaction fee.
• Backcountry camping: boat-in backcountry campsites are located on the northern shore of Lake Jocassee at the base of Musterground Mountain. The area is accessible only by boat and is open year-round. Combination fire rings/grill pits are provided. Please remember if you pack it in, pack it out. Special regulations apply. These sites are reservable through +1-866-345-7275 and the website. Prices are as follows: single pad $18/night, double pad $28/night, and triple pad $38/night.
• Dump station available
• Laundry facilities

Go next

• Dozens of waterfall hiking trails
• Most area waterfalls east of the Mississippi
• Whitewater rafting on nearby Chattooga (Deliverance) River
• Canopy tour ziplining
• The Walhalla State Fish Hatchery is 35 mins away and allow visitors. Here they grow the trout that are eventually released into local tributaries, including the Chattooga River and Chauga River. Each section of the hatchery has increasingly larger fish.