Jones Gap

PARK ADVISORY

PARK HOURS: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily. All hikers must be off trails by 6:30 p.m.

There are parking procedures put in place at Jones Gap that affect weekends and major Holidays. Day-use Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance. Please read this document for detailed information.

-Day-use Parking Reservations are required on weekends and Holidays. Monday through Friday Day-Use parking is a first come-first serve, unless associated with a major Holiday. Jones Gap is very busy on weekends and Holidays, if you do not have a reservations please make alternate plans as there is a high chance you may be turned away.

Hike-in trailside campsites are available only by reservation. There is NO car-camping or RV camping at this park.

-It is difficult to drive and turn around any large vehicles that do not fit in a normal size parking space- such as RVS and campers. We have no parking spaces available to accommodate these size vehicles.

Trails Closure Warning:

>Falls Creek Trail (#31) is Closed.

>Hospital Rock Trail (#30) is Closed 1.6 Miles after Trail Head. It now ends at the rock formation referred to as Hospital Rock.

HOURS

M-Su 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., daily, during daylight savings time and 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., daily, the remainder of the year. Trails close one hour before dark, year round.

OFFICE

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., M-Su

ADMISSION

$6 adults; $3.75 SC seniors (age 65 & older); $3.50 children ages 6-15; ages 5 and under, free.

PETS

Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas provided they are kept under physical restraint or on a leash not longer than six feet. Owners will be asked to remove noisy or dangerous pets or pets that threaten or harass wildlife.

No Wifi Available

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Jones Gap State Park

Mountains

Bryn Harmer

Park Manager

Hello. I'm Bryn Harmer, Manager of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area which includes Jones Gap 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 place at the Jones Gap end of the Mountain Bridge is the Jones Gap Trail. It is such a beautiful trail with something to see every inch of the way, from the incredible plants and animals that live along it, to the history of the toll road they used to bring horse and buggies through the mountains on this rough terrain. The trail follows the Middle Saluda River as it carves its way through the Jones Gap Valley. Even after 12 years at this park, I seem to find something new along this trail every time I hike it.

A first-time visitor to Jones Gap should see Jones Gap Falls. This relatively easy 2.2-mile round trip hike allows the visitor to experience a hike along the Middle Saluda River and see a very nice waterfall up close. It takes about an hour and a half, so it is not a whole day commitment, but you still get to immerse yourself into the Mountain Bridge and experience a little bit of what the park offers. If that experience suits you and leaves you wanting more, then we have another 65+ miles of trails you can explore!

**Our Ultimate Outsider stamp is located on the emergency kiosk near the vehicle bridge. This kiosk is to the left of the office building near the river. Visitors can also find a stamp in the park office during office hours.

Visitors can find the unforgettable peace and repose of a deep mountain cove at Jones Gap State Park. Trails and 13,000 acres of pristine mountain woodlands join the park with Caesars Head in what is known as the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. The Jones Gap State Park trails allow hikers to traverse between the two parks, as well as connect to a portion of the Foothills Trail and Palmetto Trail South Carolina hikers know and love.

When it comes to angling-especially trout fishing-South Carolina really shines. The state’s first designated scenic river, the Middle Saluda River, runs through Jones Gap and offers some of the best trout fishing South Carolina has to offer–and the trout fishing in South Carolina is quite good. The park also features a living lab for the park’s hand-on ecology learning center.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 scenic waterfalls

18 wilderness/back country campsites

60+ miles of hiking trails of all difficulty levels

1 fish hatchery exhibit and trout pond that once was part of SC's first state-owned fish hatchery

1 designated scenic river, the Middle Saluda River, runs through the park and is available for fishing

13K acres of wilderness when combined with Caesars Head to form the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area

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