We know gas prices are at the top of everyone’s mind this year, so we’ve created a very short road trip that’s packed with just the sort of excitement needed when it’s hot outside. Come along with us to visit three waterfall swimming holes in South Carolina in three days, with two nights spent in wonderful campgrounds where you can spend your evenings roasting marshmallows or toasting hot dogs by the camp fire. And the best part? This weekend road trip adventure covers only 41 miles so you won’t empty your wallet buying gasoline!
The road trip begins on day one on the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Byway where a roadside park has a hidden natural water slide and smooth rock beach perfect for a day of fun.
Here’s a link to a Google Map to guide your journey.
Google Maps [enhanced with map pins and text]
Day one is spent on the extra long shoal at the appropriately named Long Shoals Roadside Park.
Google/Wayne Wood The park features a natural water slide that is best experienced on top of a raft or tube, but some prefer to hit the slide without either. At the bottom is a shallow pool perfect for cooling down in the cold mountain waters of Little Eastatoe Creek. Long Shoals Road, Long Shoals Rd, North Carolina, USA
The location is popular with the locals so plan to share the fun and possibly make new friends.
Google/Stacia Brown The shoals and the smooth-rock beach at the park extend for approximately 700 feet so there is plenty of room to find a spot to call your own. (Of note: there are no trash receptacles here so please bring a trash bag in your gear so you can remove everything you bring in.) At the end of this day of fun, we’ll head to an underrated state park for the night.
Keowee Toxaway State Park is located right on the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Byway.
Google/Sam Feltus Keowee Toxaway State Park, 108 Residence Dr, Sunset, SC 29685, USA
Get online before your trip and make a camping reservation so you’ll have a spot to hunker down for the night.
Google/Candace Moore Before nightfall, check out the trails in the park. The views of Lake Keowee are breathtaking! Tomorrow morning, fold up camp early and let’s hit the road for a hike to a waterfall beach found in the middle of the forest.
Riley Moore Falls is found at the end of a one-mile hike through the forest. Some say it’s easy, while others aren’t too keen on the last hundred feet or so where the trail descends down to the beach area.
Google/Mark Mefford The waterfall stretches the entire width of the Chauga River here and measures about 12 feet in height. Riley Moore Falls, Riley Moore Falls Trail, Westminster, SC 29693, USA
At its base is a swimming lagoon with wading pools all around the edges.
TripAdvisor/Melissa O Next to the lagoon is a sandy beach where you can hunker down for the day. Bring a picnic, plenty to drink, sunscreen — and don’t forget an empty garbage bag. Again, there are no trash receptacles here. Next, we’ll head over to Westminster for the final leg of this three-day, 41-mile waterfall swimming hole road trip.
We spent the first night at Keowee Toxaway State Park, and the second night of the trip calls for camping at Chau Ram County Park.
Google/John Farrish Check the park’s website for making camping reservations in advance.
Known for the recreational opportunities on both the Chauga River and Ramsey Creek, Chau Ram County Park just may be the highlight of this road trip. At the center of the park is a 30-foot tiered waterfall with a plunge pool at the base.
Google/Jennifer Thornton
And throughout the park, visitors find beach after beach and nice lazy spots along the river for cooling off and relaxing in the water.
Google/Paul Cuenin Chau Ram County Park, 1220 Chau Ram Park Rd, Westminster, SC 29693, USA
How about it? Are you up for three days and two fun nights exploring three waterfall swimming holes in South Carolina? With only 41 miles to travel among the three swimming holes, this road trip is ripe for saving tons of money on gas, that’s for sure!
Google Maps [enhanced with map pins and text]
Google/Wayne Wood
The park features a natural water slide that is best experienced on top of a raft or tube, but some prefer to hit the slide without either. At the bottom is a shallow pool perfect for cooling down in the cold mountain waters of Little Eastatoe Creek.
Long Shoals Road, Long Shoals Rd, North Carolina, USA
Google/Stacia Brown
The shoals and the smooth-rock beach at the park extend for approximately 700 feet so there is plenty of room to find a spot to call your own. (Of note: there are no trash receptacles here so please bring a trash bag in your gear so you can remove everything you bring in.) At the end of this day of fun, we’ll head to an underrated state park for the night.
Google/Sam Feltus
Keowee Toxaway State Park, 108 Residence Dr, Sunset, SC 29685, USA
Google/Candace Moore
Before nightfall, check out the trails in the park. The views of Lake Keowee are breathtaking! Tomorrow morning, fold up camp early and let’s hit the road for a hike to a waterfall beach found in the middle of the forest.
Google/Mark Mefford
The waterfall stretches the entire width of the Chauga River here and measures about 12 feet in height.
Riley Moore Falls, Riley Moore Falls Trail, Westminster, SC 29693, USA
TripAdvisor/Melissa O
Next to the lagoon is a sandy beach where you can hunker down for the day. Bring a picnic, plenty to drink, sunscreen — and don’t forget an empty garbage bag. Again, there are no trash receptacles here. Next, we’ll head over to Westminster for the final leg of this three-day, 41-mile waterfall swimming hole road trip.
Google/John Farrish
Check the park’s website for making camping reservations in advance.
Google/Jennifer Thornton
Google/Paul Cuenin
Chau Ram County Park, 1220 Chau Ram Park Rd, Westminster, SC 29693, USA
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