Jocassee Gorges Foothills Trail Access Network

The Jocassee Gorges backcountry roads snake through 43,000 acres of protected wilderness where waterfalls crash down granite faces and old-growth forests still stand. These interconnected forest service roads and gated maintenance tracks access trailheads for Laurel Fork Falls, Raven Cliff Falls, and the legendary Foothills Trail, but the real prize is the solitude found between destinations. Expect stream crossings, loose rock climbs, and narrow shelf roads carved into mountainsides where one wrong move drops you into Deep Creek Gorge.

This is intermediate to advanced territory requiring high-clearance 4WD and solid recovery gear. The network includes everything from gravel fire roads to technical rocky climbs that’ll test your diff locks. Best tackled April through October when water levels are predictable. No permits needed, but fuel up in Walhalla—you’re heading into country where cell service dies and the nearest help is hours away. Come for the waterfalls, stay for some of the most pristine backcountry left in the Southeast.