Oconee State Park

Date: Sunday, December 12, 2010
Map: Link
Trails: Foothills, Tamassee Knob
Distance: 4.2 miles
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Rating: 4 out of 5

With the forecast calling for temperatures in the 30's and 20mph winds (but no precipitation), I went to Oconee State Park for a hike. It took about 45 minutes to get there from my house. From Seneca, I took Hwy 28 north through Walhalla, and stayed right onto Hwy 107 to the park entrance. As I got to Walhalla, the snow flurries started, and I noticed that cars coming down out of the mountains had 2-3 inches of snow on them. I watched my car's thermometer drop from 43F to 33F over the course of the trip.

The flurries were still falling as I started on the Foothills trail from the parking lot. In fact, there was actually snow accumulated on the ground. In many places the trail was completely covered, although it was never difficult to make out the path. I got started about 2:10pm. The skies were overcast. Not the best conditions for hiking, but I had on a really warm fleece pullover, and hat/gloves, so I was really comfortable the whole time.

After maybe 10 minutes the path crosses over the Palmetto Trail and then hits the junction with the Tamassee Knob trail (i.e., turn right). The terrain is mostly gentle ups and downs, with the path sometimes winding around hillsides on narrow paths. There was one spot that was a little treacherous due to the snow, and I was glad to have a hiking pole with me. Beyond this point, it seemed that either not as much snow had fallen, or it had mostly melted.

At around 25-30 minutes, I reached the "saddle" between two mountains, with great views on both sides. There was almost no snow on the ground here. In the distance, I could see the valley floor being lit up in places by the sun breaking through the clouds. This was really an incredible sight; the snow made it look like parts of the valley were glowing. I don't think my pictures really do it justice, and it is difficult to describe.

Beyond the "saddle", there is a pretty steep climb up to Tamassee Knob. I reached the overlook (and the end of the trail) in about 45 minutes. After a 10 minute break to take some photos and eat some snacks, I headed back. While I was up there, though, the skies really started clearing, and the wind was really blowing hard. The whole scene was spectacular.

I headed back the way I had come, and returned to the car about 3:55pm. Amazingly, despite the sunshine at Tamassee Knob, the conditions at my car were exactly the same as when I had left: overcast with snow flurries.

I think that normally this trail would get a "3-star" rating. However, the combination of unique weather conditions and great scenery absolutely made this a 4-star hike!