Matthew Slawiak

Park Manager

Welcome! My name is Matthew Slawiak and I am the park manager of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, which includes Caesars Head and Jones Gap state parks. Before I started my park ranger career, I worked for the Department of Social Services as a Crisis Worker. After a few years, I knew that wasn't my calling.  I wanted a change. I started researching how to become a park ranger and realized I already had all the qualifications that were needed. I heard from a friend that Hickory Knob State Resort Park was hiring an assistant park ranger. I applied, interviewed and was offered the position. In 2016 I was promoted to a full-time ranger, and I have been "Living the Dream" ever since.

My favorite place at Caesars Head State Park is the suspension bridge overlooking Raven Cliff Falls. Not only do you get an amazing view being suspended over the falls, but the engineering that went into the design of the bridge is amazing as well.

One thing that a first-time visitor should experience at Caesars Head is walking through Devil's Kitchen after watching the sun set at the overlook. After the sun descends past the ridge line of the mountains, you have just enough daylight left to guide you through the rocky gap. The opening is just wide enough for one person to pass through. It's an amazing experience to walk through a formation that was created thousands of years ago, at dusk.

**Our Ultimate Outsider stamp can be found at the front door of the ranger station/visitor center.  There is an additional stamp in the visitor center at the front desk.

A granitic gneiss outcropping atop the dramatic Blue Ridge Escarpment gives Caesars Head State Park its name. Every fall, from the easily-accessible overlook atop the rocky peak of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, sight-seers are treated to the Hawk Watch program and a spectacular view that extends into North Carolina and Georgia.

Caesars Head connects to Jones Gap State Park in what is known as the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, a 17,000-acre area of pristine southern mountain forest. Hikers can take a number of loops and traverse hiking trails that connect the parks, and trailside camping is available for those who choose the longer routes.

One of the most popular trails at Caesars Head is the four-mile, round trip Raven Cliff Falls trail. This hiking trail leads to the scenic overlook, where you can view the 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls. There is also a 6.6 mile round trip hike to a suspension bridge that crosses the creek above Raven Cliff Falls. The bridge offers a unique view of the falls as they plunge deep into the mountain cove below.

Check out other South Carolina State Parks! Explore another mountainous area at Paris Mountain State Park or observe nature at a blistering pace on South Carolina mountain bike trails.