South Carolina’s Scenic Highway 11

Next time you visit Keowee-Toxaway State Park, or even if you’re somewhere else in the Western part of the State, take some time to enjoy the scenery up and down Scenic Highway Eleven.

It’s a remarkable stretch of road. Two lanes of blacktop all the way, with nice wide shoulders, as you see above. A 55 mph speed limit most of the way. And, even better, remarkable views of Western South Carolina’s forests and mountains around every curve.

Late this afternoon I spent a few hours driving toward Table Rock State Park on this remarkable strip of road. The Long Shoals Wayside Picnic Area is well worth a stop.

Plenty of parking in two areas, and a trail down to Little Eastatoee Creek. Not for folks with mobility problems. But I made it down and back up with no difficulty.

Here’s the sort of thing you get to see at the bottom. This time of year the creek’s low enough to display much of its water-worn granite bed. A photographer’s delight. Wish I’d had more time.

Remarkable. No wonder the CCC selected this area to quarry the granite they used when creating Table Rock State Park, just a few miles down the road.

And, speaking of Table Rock, here’s a view of it and the “Stool” that I snapped from the window of the truck. Pulled well over on the shoulder, of course. How could anyone resist?