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To visit Jones
Gap before 2 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, on the day before
your visit, it is necessary to pay $5 and reserve one of the 30 parking
spots available. This parking fee was in addition to the visiting fee.
Since it was a Wednesday, the Two RV Gypsies did not call ahead and
almost did not get into the park. So maybe it is best to always call
ahead before going here at 864.836.3647. |
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Jones Gap State
park is in northern Greenville County, near Marietta. The 3,964-acre
park includes the headwaters of the Middle Saluda River, and along with
nearby Caesars
Head State Park, it is administered by the State Department of Parks,
Recreation, and Tourism as part of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness. Jones
Gap State Park ranges in elevation from 1,000 to 3,000 feet. |
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Just before entering
the admission gate, Lee Duquette (while driving) noticed a waterfall
way up on the mountain top. He stopped the car and Karen Duquette took
a quick photo. (It is the black spot centered at the top with white
streaks flowing down it). |
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The Two RV Gypsies
almost did not get admitted into the park because it was at capacity
by noon on this Wednesday. But they were thankful that they did get
in. When they parked their car in the last available parking site, Karen
Duquette took a picture from each side of a small bridge. |
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Below: The Middle
Saluda River, South Carolina's first state-designated scenic river,
runs through the park as does The Eastern Continental Divide. |
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Below: Often,
Lee Duquette sees unusual shapes, designs, or faces in various object.
On this giant bolder, he saw two eyes and a smiling mouth. |
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Below:
From a different point of view, the side of the big rock looked like
a sharks head to Lee Duquette. |
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Jones Gap is also
the site of the partially restored Cleveland Fish Hatchery, South Carolina's
first fish hatchery which operated between 1931 and 1962. On this date,
the two RV Gypsies did not see any fish here, but they enjoyed the signs. |
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Then the two RV
Gypsies found a nice picnic table by the water and they enjoyed a light
lunch with a nice view before starting their hike. |
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While eating lunch,
the two RV Gypsies noticed a walk bridge a short distance away, and
Karen Duquette wanted to investigate the area. |
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Below: Two panorama
photos showing the bridge from each side, plus the picnic table where
the Two RV Gypsies enjoyed their lunch. |
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Below: Karen Duquette wanted a view from the bridge, while Lee enjoyed the
view from the side of the bridge. |
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The two RV Gypsies
watched this young person contemplating jumping across the river. He
was very hesitant, but his two friends who where standing on the bridge
just kept encouraging him. He finally made the jump. |
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Below: View
by the bridge |
A nice, clean restroom was open. |
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THEN THE TWO
RV GYPSIES BEGAN THEIR HIKE: |
While near the
beginning of the trail, the two RV Gypsies noticed that backcountry
trail side camping is allowed at designated sites. |
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Below: This is
a 5.3 mile trail, round trip, with an estimated time of 1 hour 44 minutes
each way. It is rated "Moderate" but Lee Duquette called it
"Strenuous" because each step must be taken with caution.
Karen Duquette noted that extreme caution is needed when walking over
the big rocks. And even the little rocks could cause a sprained ankle.
As the two RV Gypsies began the hike, it was a nice enough trail,
but soon became rocky.
Note: Rainbow Falls is nearby, but even more strenuous. The two RV
Gypsies met younger people who did not like that trail and turned around. |
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Below: Views
of the flowing water alongside the trail. |
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Below;
Then it was back to the trail and time to step over some big rocks.
The hiking sticks helped a lot. |
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Below: The trail
was often uphill of course, and a bit steep. The photo below on the
left shows a narrow path with a big drop-off cliff on the right. Then,
as the two RV Gypsies rounded the corner by the big rock, it became
time to carefully maneuver around the rocks on the trail again. |
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And then it was over down trees, and around the wet, rocky section. By this
time, Lee Duquette thought about turning back, but they were too far
into the trail, so Karen Duquette insisted they keep going. |
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Below: The two RV Gypsies have seen a lot of burls as they hike, but this
was definitely one of the biggest. And the burl could be seen through,
which is unusual. |
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Below; While walking
the trail, Karen Duquette occasionally stopped to photograph a quick
view of the fast flowing waters created by the waterfall. Jones Gap
waterfall drops almost 1,000 feet in four miles and has many cascading
falls along the way, |
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Below; Then it
was back to the uneven trail and all the big rocks and even little rocks
that could easily cause a sprained ankle if stepped on. |
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Below: The Two RV Gypsies made it to the bridge and they photographed each
other. |
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Below: Views from
each side of the bridge. Lee Duquette wondered how workers got all this
heavy material up so far into these woods to build the bridge. |
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Below:
A quick look back at the bridge that the Two RV Gypsies just crossed. |
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Below: Karen Duquette crossed a small stream . |
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Below:
Side view of the stream and some big steps up to continue on the rocky
trail. |
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The trail changed
often. Sometimes it was big rocks to maneuver around, sometimes it was
small wobbly rocks, sometimes mud, water, or narrow trails with a drop-down
cliff on the side. But mostly uphill and every moment, each step must
be taken very carefully. The two RV Gypsies have been travelling and
hiking for 12 years now, and this was definitely one of the roughest
trails, because each step had to be precisely placed. |
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The two RV Gypsies
got through another muddy area.. |
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Below: Finally,
the two RV Gypsies reached the Jones Gap Waterfall. |
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Jones Gap Falls
has a 50-foot cascade over a staircase of stones. (A trail nearby leads
to Rainbow Falls with a 100-foot spill over a beautiful granite wall.)
But the two RV Gypsies were only able to get to Jones Gap Falls, shown
here, which they thoroughly enjoyed. |
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Below: Lee Duquette "threw in the towel" -
while Karen Duquette relaxed and enjoyed the view. |
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Below:
As Karen Duquette relaxed on a big rock by the waterfall, she took a
few photos downstream. |
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Below: Then it was time
for the Two RV Gypsies to start the hike back |
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Below: At this point, Lee
Duquette decided to take a brief rest stop. Then as Karen Duquette looked
just beyond Lee (to the spot marked 'big rocks' in the photo below)
she saw a man in a KILT and BAREFOOT hopping over those big rocks as
if he were playing hopscotch on a sidewalk,. |
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Below: At first The Two RV Gypsies were stunned, but as the barefoot dude
quickly ran past them, Karen Duquette snapped a photo. He was really
running fast. |
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