Jocassee - South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

1 JocasseeGorgesJocasseeGorgesJocasseeGorg esHiking along the Foothills Trail also provides easier access to more remote coves and stream courses. Hikers sometimes see great blue herons keeping solitary vigil over clear, cool mountain streams, hunting for frogs and , drier habitats and moister coves provide a unique variety of habitats that harbor different species of birds. During the breeding season, the persistent song of the red-eyed vireo can be heard from ridgetop to deep cove. As with most species in this forest, more will be heard than seen. Species that may be seen or heard on the drier slopes and ridges include ovenbird, summer tanagers, solitary vireos, pine warblers, black and white warblers, worm-eating warblers and Eastern towhees. In the numerous coves, black-throated green warblers, scarlet tanagers, hooded warblers, yellow-throated vireos, Northern parula warblers and American redstarts are some of the more colorful members of the songbird community that may be University has documented numerous nests by Swainson s warbler, especially in the Eastatoee Creek Heritage Preserve and Side-of- mountain Creek areas.

2 The species takes advantage of the mid-story nesting cover provided by young Eastern hemlock saplings. Ravens are one of the hallmarks of the mountains. Although they are typically found in the higher North Carolina mountains, it is not unusual to see or hear them in the Jocassee February 2008, the second known pair of nesting peregrine falcons in the state was discovered in Jocassee near the famed overlook, Jumping-Off Rock. Monitoring revealed that the Jocassee peregrine falcons contributed a pair of offspring to the blue ridge Escarpment. This represented a landmark contribution to conservation in South , the bird watching opportunities at Jocassee are nearly endless. Who knows what remains to be discovered in the coming years? Bald eagles soar the skies above Lake Jocassee and perhaps a new eagle nest will be discovered in the Gorges is home to a number of wildlife species that are not readily found in other parts of the state. Such animals range from chipmunk and mink to black bear.

3 Healthy populations of more common animals such as raccoon and white-tailed deer are also found here. Bobcats are one of the larger predators in the area. They are seldom seen, but their sign can be found scattered across the landscape, often on old logging roads. Lake Jocassee , managed as a put-grow-take trout fishery, supports trophy-sized rainbow and brown trout, and a self-sustaining population of smallmouth bass, besides other warm-water species of game fish. Brook trout, the only species of trout native to the eastern United States, sustain viable populations in the headwaters of certain streams within the Jocassee Gorges eagles, both mature and immature, can be observed over Lake Jocassee throughout the year, although no nests have been discovered to date. Peregrine falcons were identified for the first time in decades and they successfully nested in 2008. The peregrines represent an important addition to the Resources found on Jocassee , and they should return to nest every year.

4 Ruffed grouse, another species unique to the mountains, can be heard drumming on the hillsides in springtime. Wild turkeys inhabit the forests of the gorges, and the visitor may chance to observe a group of these secretive birds gliding high overhead from one ridgetop to another - a unique and thrilling sight. Many resident and migratory songbirds occupy habitats on the area. With dry ridges, wet hollows and a variety of vegetative types, as well as elevations that range from about 1,000 feet to over 3,500 feet above sea level, many birds, mammals and reptiles find areas to live here. Common loons, large diving birds, overwinter on Lake Jocassee and remain through April when they have attained their summer plumage. At this time they can be heard giving their beautiful calls that are typically heard only in the lakes and marshes of the northern United States and abundance and diversity of salamanders are unique to the Jocassee Gorges area and include numerous species of spring lizards (the dusky salamanders) that live along stream edges, to brightly colored species that inhabit the forest floor, to uniquely adapted species, like the rare green salamander, that live in the crevices of rock faces.

5 The wood frog, more commonly known in the Great North Woods, breeds in the Jocassee area in winter during the first mild rain. Their loud, nonmusical calls can be heard in the winter woods. Camping in and around Jocassee GorgesCamping opportunities on Jocassee are numerous. They range from family type destinations that are accessible by vehicle to remote, leave-no-trace spots that test the limits of physical exertion. Some campsites are located on high mountain ridges, while others are situated in the valleys, closer to is permitted (first-come-first-served) at designated campsites along the main roads in Jocassee Gorges. Designated sites are noted on this map and on kiosks at each entrance. Many of those sites are places that were traditionally used as hunt camps in the past. When the main roads and gates are closed in late winter and summer, primitive camping is permitted anywhere on Jocassee ; however a written permit must be obtained well in advance. Permits are not required for primitive camping any time of year along the Foothills Trail, Eastatoee Creek Heritage Preserve Spur or the Palmetto is not permitted on the shore of Lake Jocassee , except for the Double Spings Primitive Campground operated by Devils Fork State Park.

6 The state parks surrounding the Jocassee Gorges offer everything Popular trout streams include Eastatoee River, Side-of- mountain , Thompson, Whitewater, Reedy Cove, Laurel Fork, Cane, Abner, Willis and Emory creeks. Native specks, or brook trout, might be caught in the smaller headwaters at higher elevations. The larger streams support both stocked and wild rainbow and brown trout. In general, the streams that can be easily accessed by vehicle support stocked trout during the spring and summer months. The creeks that require long hikes and foot trail access typically support wild, reproducing populations of Eastatoee River can be easily accessed from US Highway 178 near the state line, or from either the Cleo Chapman Road or Roy Jones Road further down in the Eastatoee Valley. Hemlock Hollow Access Point on SC Scenic Highway 11 offers a short hike to a beautiful section of the lower Eastatoee. Most of the other primary streams on Jocassee require hikes that range from easy to difficult.

7 Use of the roads and terrain depicted on the Jocassee map will aid any angler or hiker in selecting the best rivers that feed Lake Jocassee are largely wild. They originate in North Carolina and include the Toxaway, Horsepasture, Thompson and Whitewater rivers. Bearwallow Creek is also an important stream that provides good fishing opportunities. The main rivers are most easily accessed from Lake Jocassee , and anglers who fish in North Carolina should secure the appropriate on Jocassee emphasizes improvement of water quality. Old logging roads have been re-graded, stabilized and repaired to reduce sedimentation, erosion and stream impacts. Old roads have been opened to allow fisheries biologists access to several streams to conduct aquatic inventories and implement aggressive trout management. Some streams recently received the first trout stockings in years due to the improved Cove and Laurel Fork creeks were re-engineered in 2006-2007 and their Natural characteristics were restored.

8 The water source for Reedy Cove Creek was managed to lower the stream temperatures as the water passes through Jocassee on its way to Reedy Cove, or Twin communities that have resulted, and management efforts to maintain and protect the Resources of the area. Opportunities for hands-on activities and field excursions by land or boat are DNR and conservation organizations conduct educational excursions periodically, and state park interpreters conduct a variety of nature-based programs and walks highlighting mountain Resources and culture. For more information about educational opportunities, visit the Jocassee GorgesIntroductionIn the uppermost reaches of northwestern South Carolina , the clear waters of Lake Jocassee splash against the base of the blue ridge Escarpment, a blue Wall of hills that represents the sharp transition between the Carolina mountains and piedmont. Forested slopes drop in elevation by 2,500 vertical feet in a matter of one to two miles. The land supports streams with names such as Saluda, Eastatoee, Laurel Fork, Toxaway, Horsepasture, Bearcamp, Thompson, Whitewater and Devils Fork, which carved the rugged gorges, creating scenic waterfalls and other Natural beauties.

9 These gorges, their streams and the more than 75 inches of precipitation that occur here each year make this area unique among mountain settings in the eastern United States. It is a place worthy of residential communities began appearing across the landscape in the 1970s and 1980s and wild lands were being rapidly consumed by development. While some envisioned houses, roads and rooftops for the escarpment and gorges of South Carolina , conservationists Dr. James A. Timmerman Jr. and John E. Frampton of the Department of Natural Resources had different ideas. Timmerman and Frampton worked closely with business interests and conservation groups in the Upstate to protect the largest contiguous parcel of mountain property ever shielded from development. In the fall of 1998, nearly 35,000 acres of land were purchased by the State of South Carolina for future generations to enjoy and the area was formally named The Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges. The area had been known locally as the Horsepasture and is often referred to as Jocassee Gorges.

10 Jocassee Gorges, along with conservation lands in North Carolina and Georgia, helped form almost 250 square miles of protected forestland associated with South Carolina s blue ridge Escarpment and its name Jocassee , according to legend, means Place of the Lost One. Evocative Indian names echo throughout the Jocassee region, such as Oconee and Eastatoee, both tribes that inhabited the area. The Eastatoees were called the Green Birds and likely received their name from the Carolina parakeet, the only parrot native to eastern North America, a species that became extinct in 1904. The Eastatoee Valley was the last site where scientists recorded a sighting of the species in South 1787, botanist Andre Michaux discovered a small plant with saw-toothed leaves that today is recognized as Oconee bell, a rare plant species that is a hallmark of the Jocassee Gorges. It was also the location of many detailed botanical studies that in the mid-1900s documented the unique qualities of the Jocassee Gorges the past century, much of the land was owned or managed by commercial timber interests.