Why You’ll Love Camping at Table Rock

by Lauren Lynch

We stayed four nights at Table Rock State Park and it was far from enough time to see all the things we wanted to see there. The scenery was stunning. Every time we rounded a corner and got an unexpected view of Table Rock mountain it literally took my breath away. Photos don’t do it justice. This park now tops the list of my favorites in South Carolina (surpassing or at least equaling Hunting Island).

The park has amazing hiking trails, half of which are strenuous and require hiker registration and several hours round trip. We are no longer up to the difficult hikes but really enjoyed exploring the Carrick Creek and Lake areas. Just a short trek in on the Carrick Creek Trail is a lovely little waterfall with a small swimming hole area visitors can wade into. The park built a series of multi-level decks with benches on one side which I thought was such a nice idea. I often end up sitting and waiting while Patrick takes many long-exposure photos and this was one area I really enjoyed just sitting and taking in the views in comfort.

We booked our trip for late August, the week schools started in the area. I was hoping for a sparsely populated campground and park — and we definitely got it. We had one of only a handful of occupied campsites. The park was relatively quiet too — with most of the traffic centered around the parking lot for the swimming and picnicking area around the lake and the Carrick Creek Trail.

We have started sharing our experiences in our CAMPSITE REVIEWS section, but when we find a place that’s truly special, we’ll write a blog post as well to detail the finer points. Table Rock State Park receives our highest recommendation. I am sure we’ll return to this park, but probably at another (cooler) time of year. In August, the temperatures were in the nineties during the day and while it cooled off at night, it was still warm enough that we kept the air conditioner running all night.

Things to do in the Area:

• Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve
  580 Callahan Mountain Rd, Landrum, SC 29356
  One of the best photo ops you’ll find in the area—a beautiful gothic-style bridge built in 1820 and believed to be the oldest surviving bridge in the state.
  
• Caesars Head State Park Overlook
  U.S. 276 (8155 Geer Highway, Cleveland, SC 29635)
  Scenic lookout on steroids that is accessible by anyone. Truly worth the spine-tingling drive up the mountain. (Hint: stop at Bald Rock Heritage Preserve on the way up and drive past the lookout a few miles to visit breathtaking Pretty Place Chapel).
  
• Sassafras Mountain
  The highest point in South Carolina (3560 feet) offers views of four states: South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia.
  
• Twin Falls
  Water Falls Road, Sunset, SC 29685
  This one is way off the beaten path, but worth it. A moderate hike will take you to dramatic double falls that are oh-so-photo-worthy.
  
• Victoria Valley Vineyard
  Just a few miles from the park. Stop by for a flight tower wine tasting (you’ll get to keep a souvenir wine glass) and stay for lunch at the cafe (be sure to save room for the Great Wall Chocolate Cake!).
  
• Visit the Art of RV Instagram feed for more photos of this area!
  

There were a few additional places we didn’t have time to explore that I would love to return to visit: Table Rock Tea Company (an actual tea farm just a few miles from the park), Jocassee Gorges, and Devils Fork State Park.

Feeding a Fear of Edges

I debated whether or not to add this section and decided it’s best to be forewarned. I do not enjoy heights — more specifically edges with steep drops. The roads up to Sassafras Mountain and Caesars Head were more than a little cringe-worthy for me. On a second trip up to Caesars Head, I refused to look down at the roadside drop-offs and that helped. Some areas have guard rails, some don’t. Here’s the thing: as I’m white-knuckling it around the curves in the passenger seat on the way up Sassafras Mountain, we passed a couple of cars going the opposite direction that flagged us down to ask if we had cell reception. They told us a car had gone off the road ahead.

We stopped and checked on the accident victims too. They claimed to be fine (although I imagine they may have been in shock) but had no way to call out for help. The two cars we’d passed earlier were going to call 9-1-1, so there was little else we could do to help. We had no cell signal there either. My heart went out to them. They didn’t appear to have any injuries but were covered in dirt from the climb back up. Their car had gone off a steep incline and was nowhere in sight (yup, that far down). There were no skid marks or tire tracks heading off the road. There was no roadside shoulder there at all. If they hadn’t been able to climb back up on their own, I’m not sure anyone would have noticed them (and that was the thought that weighed on me). On our way back out, we passed about five or six rescue vehicles and I’m sure the road was blocked for quite a while to deal with the whole situation.

I honestly believe that if you keep your eyes on the road, go in decent weather, and don’t encounter any wildlife on the road, that the trip is perfectly safe. Still, I feel I should caution visitors to make these mountain drives with care! That said, don’t let me scare you out of these adventures. They are well worth it!

ON A HAPPIER NOTE: the roads to Table Rock State Park itself are quite safe!

What About Wi-Fi at the Park?

I always read reviews before booking a campsite. Most Table Rock visitors raved about the hiking and complained about the lack of Wi-Fi and cell signal in the park. I don’t think anyone will have trouble connecting when in the vicinity of the campground store. Also, sites one through five across from the store are well within range (if not the most attractive sites in the park).

If this is an issue for you, you may want to read our article on How to Boost Your Cell Signal For Wi-Fi in Remote Areas.

We’re on the Verizon network and had signal throughout most of the park. Our campsite (#30 – a tight, but lovely pull-through pictured at the top) was high and with our booster kit and telescoping antenna we had great internet connection tethered through a cell phone.

Definitely Worth Doing Again

We will definitely return to this area. Each of the attractions we visited was worth seeing again. I would enjoy viewing the scenery during different seasons.

We prefer to camp Sunday through Thursday. Campgrounds tend to take on a whole different personality when crowded with weekend campers—a scene we have learned to avoid. And while we enjoyed the peace of a mostly empty campground, we found that many places were closed Monday through Wednesday. Local restaurants had just switched from their full-time summer schedules to autumn reduced ones. Even the campground store was only open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday starting the week we were there. Still, I would like a return trip to be in either the fall or spring. I’m sure spring is gorgeous in this area as I noticed many rhododendron bushes near the falls and would love to see them in full bloom.

We give Table Rock State Park and other local attractions our top rating of 5 Campfires!

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© Lauren Lynch and artofrv.com, 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Lauren Lynch and artofrv.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.