Swimming, Hiking and Much more at Bull Sluice

Named a person of South Carolina’s Seven Wonders by the South Carolina 7 Expedition the gorgeous Chattooga River region is whole of recreational chances for Upstate families, which includes hiking and swimming at a sandy beach front! KAG contributor Liene tells us what we will need to know about the place and a single of the main points of interest, Bull Sluice.

The Chattooga River and Sumter National Forest

Looking at a map of South Carolina, the northwest corner of the point out is primarily eco-friendly, indicating a prosperity of community lands. In addition to state parks and county parks like Oconee and Chau Ram, you have huge swaths of National Forest land, open up to the general public for all kinds of functions. The 85,000-acre Andrew Pickens Ranger District is named for the Revolutionary War Basic Andrew Pickens, and is 1 of the three districts of Sumter National Forest.

The abuse wrought on the land by the early settlers left huge spots worthless for farming and timber output. The abandoned land ended up in federal fingers in the early 1900s, and it was selected a nationwide forest in 1920. The Countrywide Forest is bordered on the west by the Chattooga River, just one of the handful of remaining no cost-flowing streams in the Southeast. The river also varieties the border of South Carolina and Georgia, from the NC border to its confluence with the Tallulah River (and subsequent renaming as the Tugaloo River).

With its remoteness, dense forests and wealthy diversity of plant and animal daily life, this is a really unique position and has been acknowledged as these types of it was declared the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River on Might 10^th, 1974. This designation protects a 15,432 acre corridor along the river, like the section operating by way of the Ellicott Rock Wilderness, the spot in which SC, NC and GA occur together.

Bull Sluice

The Chattooga winds via the mountains for 57 miles from its headwaters to the southwest of Cashiers, NC. It is flat and calm in spots, suitable for swimming and tubing, on the other hand in other sections it will become whitewater, with perilous rapids ensuing in portages for even proficient paddlers.

One particular these spot is Bull Sluice, a benchmark Class IV+ quick all through regular movement (it becomes even extra dangerous and almost impassable all through lower h2o). Infamous for getting highlighted in the film “Deliverance,” the rapids are found in the vicinity of the highway 76 bridge and the boat/raft put-in parking space for Section 4, producing it a common spot for whitewater rafters and kayakers. Bull Sluice is truly the biggest & final immediate on Portion 3 of the Chattooga, and quite a few boaters who are functioning Area 4 (which is narrower and far more perilous) will very first run Bull Sluice.

As it’s just a brief hike, Bull Sluice is also well-liked as a swimming hole with a sandy seashore a few hundred toes below the fast. There is supposedly a tiny cave beneath the main circulation of h2o where swimmers can observe boaters functioning the rapid higher than them. With 3 youthful small children we stayed nicely away from the rapids, leaving the checking out to more mature and much more adventurous. Soon after soaking in the scene we retraced our ways again to the paved street that sales opportunities from the parking location to the beach front, stripped off our sneakers, and appreciated a handful of quiet hours in the interesting waters of the river.

To entry the river and the Bull Sluice rapids, park in the substantial parking region on the north side of Highway 76. The road to the beach front departs to the left from the shelter, and the path to the Bull Sluice ignore is just a few hundred yards even further heading off to the right.

From the parking region you are going to also come across stairs that lead down to US76 and cross the river for a scenic watch upriver. This is the spur path that carries on on 11 miles to connection to the William Bartram Path, the trail that retraces the well-known explorer/naturalist/writer’s 1773 journey through the region. A viewing platform on the south aspect of the river is obtainable from a pull-off also on the downriver facet it is not possible for pedestrians to cross the freeway, you must drive to get to the parking space on the reverse side.

Nearby points of interest:

There are two waterfalls on the SC facet in close proximity to US76 at this place: Drop Creek Falls and the 50-ft Very long Creek Falls that cascades into the Chattooga. Really don’t confuse Tumble Creek Falls with Slides Creek Falls up in the course of Jones Gap Slide Creek Falls is a tricky, 2-mile downstream hike (while the a number of waterfalls ranging from 30-50 ft in height alongside the mile-lengthy extend of creek are really worth it in my viewpoint!).

King Creek Falls and Spoonauger Falls are a minimal more north, and can be merged with a tenting trip to Burrells Ford Campground: Camp Close to Scenic Waterfalls in Upstate, SC .

A different enjoyable spot in Sumter Nationwide Forest is the Walhalla Fish Hatchery. Tour the fish hatchery, have a picnic, and fish the East Fork!

This publish very first appeared on Femme au Lobby as Bull Sluice on the Chattooga.

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