Devil’s Fork State Park in Salem, South Carolina

To begin, Devil’s Fork State Park inspired the creation of this blog for me. Initially, I couldn’t believe that I had never heard of this hidden gem less than 2 hours from me. As a result I decided not only was it time to thoroughly explore more locally (hence Southeast to Start) but also to share my findings and help others experience places like this.

Jocassee Gorges Wilderness Area ranked in Top 50 World’s Last Great Places by National Geographic

In the Jocassee Gorges Wilderness Area you’ll find the beautifully clear Lake Jocassee. Devil’s Fork State Park is the only public access to Lake Jocassee. Firstly, you can explore this park from the lakeshore, however, this is a place that warrants further exploration by getting onto the lake. This is a must do to fully appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of this park. Found around the lake’s shore are numerous waterfalls only accessible by boat. To clarify, you can explore to your heart’s content by kayak or SUP, but the lake is large and powerboat rentals may better suit your needs. Due to limited availablity, we have yet to explore by powerboat, nonetheless, the park from shore, kayak and SUP is still beautiful and worth featuring here. We’ll further explore this park and post updates.

Activities at Devil’s Fork State Park

Activities from the land include a 1.5 mile easy trail, called the Oconee Bell Trail. The Oconee Bell trail derives it’s name from the rare Oconee Bell flower, which blooms in the spring. We will have to go back in the spring to view these rare buds!

Camping and picnicking are other popular activities in the park. Kayak, canoe, SUP, and pontoon rentals are available at a concessions stand right by the lake. We plan on renting a Villa at some point in the future as well. They all looked nice, some are lakeside, and some are dog friendly.