Caesars Head

Bryn Harmer

Park Manager

Welcome.  I'm Bryn Harmer, Manager of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area which includes Caesars Head State Park.  I first realized I wanted to be a park ranger when I was about seven- or eight-years old hiking in a state park with my dad.  I told him that I wish I could do this all the time, and he jokingly said maybe you should grow up to be a park ranger. From then on, that was my goal!  My interests have continued to focus on the outdoors and conservation, and I have never wavered.  It was a career I was born to do. 

My favorite spot at the Caesars Head end of the Mountain Bridge is Devil’s Kitchen, which is the rock passage at the main overlook.  It amazes me every time I walk through it that erosional forces caused this giant rock to split in half, and now we can walk between the two halves.  It also has its own microclimate.  Even on a very dry day, it stays humid, so there are lichen and other small plants that live there that don’t’ live on the surface where the sun hits. 

If you’re a first-time visitor to Caesars Head you should definitely see the main overlook.  Even a visitor that has been to the overlook a hundred times should see the main overlook, because It is different every day.  The cloud cover, the birds you see or even the humidity that day all play a role in what you might see.  I never get tired of that view!

**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, an 13,000-acre area of pristine southern mountain forest. Hikers can take a number of loop 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.