Table Rock State Park

2019 Hiking Week 37
Table Rock Mountain
Table Rock State Park is probably one of the most distinctive state parks in South Carolina. It is named after the iconic Table Rock mountain that is located in the park. The park is popular for hiking, camping, water activities, and gathering together with friends and family. The park is 30 miles from Greenville, 30 miles from Clemson, and the closest town, Pickens, is about 12 miles away. It costs $5.00 per adult for entrance.

Easter 2018
I’ve visited Table Rock many times over the years. Our family has celebrated Easter and Thanksgiving at some of their shelters. It’s a pretty large park with lots of room. This past weekend, I attended the Women’s Outdoor Weekend, hosted by Palmetto Conservation Foundation. There were around 30 ladies attending, and we had class offerings on backpacking, kayaking, hiking, camping, and wilderness survival. I signed up for one day and attended the wilderness survival classes. We went through a first aid class, then covered some basics of what supplies are good to have in your pack for emergency situations. Not only did we have good classes, but there was a lot of time to get to know the other ladies that were attending and begin friendships with women who have a similar interest in the outdoors. There were women of all ages, from 20’s to 70’s, that attended. It was exciting to hear the stories of others experiences and outdoor adventures they have planned. One lady I met is planning on hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro and another wants to thru hike the Appalachian Trail.

Photo by Sally Singleton
I hope that this weekend event will become an annual tradition. I want to attend next year’s so I can learn more and bring others. I only attended one day but the next day they hiked the trail to the top of Table Rock. This hike is on my "bucket list" so hopefully I can do it in the coming year.


Views from Table Rock - Photos by Sally Singleton
The location of our conference was The Gaines Lodge at Table Rock. It was a really nice space with multiple fireplaces, a covered deck, a large patio, and some kitchen facilities. I can imagine that you could have a pretty wedding here.


When visiting Table Rock, you’re not far from Keowee-Toxaway State Park or any of the other mountain state parks. Also nearby is the Victoria Valley Vineyards, which I mentioned before. The Palmetto Trail has a section that connects to Table Rock park, the Blue Ridge Electric Co-op Passage, through the Jocassee Gorges.



Location: Table Rock State Park, 158 E Ellison Ln, Pickens, SC 29671, USA

Comments

  1. Unknown8/25/2020 10:25 AM

    That will be my next destination. Looks great from the pics

    ReplyDelete

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