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Foothills Trail

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This information is a public record of the 1979 NRT application and may be out of date if it has not been updated by a trail manager --
check with the trail manager for updated details before visiting.

Foothills Trail

USDA Forest Service Backcountry Trail
  • Length
    29 miles
  • Elevation Gain
    --
  • Route Type
    out & back

Perhaps no other trail in South Carolina provides such an extraordinary backcountry experience as the difficult, Foothills Trail in the northwest corner of the state.

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Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
Steps leading up to Upper Whitewater Falls observation deck. Photo by Andrew deHoll.
Steps leading up to Upper Whitewater Falls observation deck. Photo by Andrew deHoll.
Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
Stumphouse Tunnel State Park. Photo by Cheree Crawford.
Stumphouse Tunnel State Park. Photo by Cheree Crawford.
Looking down the Toxaway River from the 225' suspension bridge. Photo by Debbie Biddle.
Looking down the Toxaway River from the 225' suspension bridge. Photo by Debbie Biddle.
Crossing the Toxaway River suspension bridge. Photo by Debbie Biddle.
Crossing the Toxaway River suspension bridge. Photo by Debbie Biddle.
  • Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
  • Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
  • Steps leading up to Upper Whitewater Falls observation deck. Photo by Andrew deHoll.
  • Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
  • Autumn on the Foothills Trail. Photo by Christopher Marshburn.
  • Stumphouse Tunnel State Park. Photo by Cheree Crawford.
  • Looking down the Toxaway River from the 225' suspension bridge. Photo by Debbie Biddle.
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Location: South Carolina's Upcountry, NW corner in Sumter National Forest off routes 130 and 107.

  • States: South Carolina
  • Counties: Oconee

Starting with the 1.2-mile Foothills Access Trail in Oconee State Park, only the first 28 miles of the Foothills Trail from the park to Upper Whitewater Falls was designated a National Recreation Trail in 1979. By snaking along the Blue Ridge Escarpment, this trail and its many connectors provide almost 200 miles of hiking; most of it the rugged Appalachian greenbelt variety. The trail is accessible only to hikers, although vehicular access is available to many points along the main trail which, depending on where you start, is either 80 or 85 miles long. Even so, considering numerous spur trails and connectors, an ambitious backpacker could hike the backcountry for more than a week. The National Recreation Trail portion is 28 miles long one way, although the portion from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park (the entire Foothills Trail) is approximately 80 miles.

Accessibility Information

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Allowed Uses:

Dogs, on leash

Other Activities

  • Camping
  • Fishing

Public Contact

Greg Borgen
US Forest Service
112 Andrew Pickens Circle
Mountain Rest, SC 29664
[email protected] • (864) 638-9568
www.fs.fed.us/r8/fm

Contact the trail manager for current maps and visiting details.

More Details

  • Elevation (low): 1600
  • Elevation (high): 3000
  • Elevation (cumulative): --
  • Part of a Trail System? No
  • Surface (primary): Soil
  • Surfaces (additional): Soil
  • Tread Width (average): 18"
  • Tread Width (minimum): --
  • Running length (minimum): --
  • Tread Grade (average, percent): 5
  • Tread Grade (maximum): 15
  • Running length (maximum): --
  • Cross-slope (average, percent): --
  • Cross-slope (maximum): --
  • Running length (maximum): --
  • Certified as an NRT
    Oct 4, 1979
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