Plateau Magazine June-July 2023

outing, utilizing one of the many campsites
along the way. If you’ve set your sights on
a weekend trip, areas around the Chattooga
River and Gorges State Park boast
plenty of connecting trails to help plan a
loop instead. With the help of the FTC,
printed trail guides, and a little creativity,
the options are endless.
If you’re in search of a day hike, the
Foothills offers access to several waterfalls,
views, and other landmarks. Popular day
hikes include Kings Creek Falls, Eastatoe
Narrows, Virginia Hawkins Falls, Table
Rock, and Upper Whitewater Falls, the tallest
waterfall east of the Mississippi River.
For those planning the entire trail, the
Foothills Trail Conservancy website includes
detailed information on each segment,
detailed with flora and fauna you
can expect to find, and a list of both volunteer
and commercial shuttle services to get
from one end of the trail to the other. The
trail also makes a great shakeout hike for
those planning a longer adventure.
The Locals
Kevin Bischof, superintendent of Gorges
State Park in Sapphire, is no stranger to
the Foothills Trail. Formerly stationed at
Mount Mitchell, Kevin prizes Gorges for
its abundant wildlife such as snakes and
other reptiles. Hosting one of the largest
concentrations of venomous copperheads
and timber rattlesnakes in the south, the
park remains one of his favorite places
to explore. Several miles of the Foothills
Trail traverse within park boundaries.
While he’s not quick to divulge his favorite
spot, he notes how it is “one of the
best places in the park to see Oconee
Bells," a wildflower only found in a few
neighboring counties in the Carolinas.
Kevin also values the Foothills as a “great
opportunity to do some long-distance hiking…
without the dedication and logistics
needed for a longer trail” such as the Appalachian
Trail, Continental Divide Trail,
or Pacific Coast Trail.
Jeremy Partin, an eastern Kentucky
native, recollects on his favorite memories
while hiking the Foothills. Little known to
most, an abundance of native American
petroglyphs lie just a few minutes from
the trail as you make your way around
Sassafras Mountain. As the highest point
in South Carolina, the area is home to the
endemic sassafras tree, the original source
of root beer flavoring. Today, nearly all
root beer is artificially flavored due to concerns
of toxic byproducts, however, Native
American cultures have used the tree for
centuries to remedy a number of ailments.
All in all, whether you’re into ancient
petroglyphs dating back nearly 20,000
years, or rare and protected wildflowers
sought by botanists, consider the Foothills
Trail for your next adventure. P
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Kings Creek
Falls off The
Foothills Trail.
June/July 2023 | 49