Lake Keowee, SC Hiking, Swimming, Pontoon Boating & Dinner!

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Lake Keowee, SC Hiking, Swimming, Pontoon Boating & Dinner!

The Basics:

Event Type:

Adventure

Event Location:

Foothills of Blue Ridge mountains near Clemson, SC

Adventure: Lake Keowee, SC Hiking, Swimming, Pontoon Boating & Dinner!

Date(s) & Time:

Sat, Aug 3 2013 10:30 am >> Sat, Aug 3 2013 7:30 pm (Carpool Departure: 8:00 am *log in for location*)

Registration Opens:

Sun, Jul 21 2013 9:00 pm

Registration Cut Off:

Fri, Aug 2 2013 7:00 pm

Event Duration:

9 Hours

Difficulty Rating:

D2: Easy to Moderate

Distance:

5 Miles

Pace:

Moderate

Trip Leader(s):

Charlie Cottingham
Bobby Marie

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Member Cost:

None

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 21 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

13 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

IN A NUTSHELL: This day trip to South Carolina's upcountry should be fun for all who enjoy hiking, water sports and beautiful scenery. Jewel-like Lake Keowee is nestled in the foothills of the "Blue Ridge" between Lake Jocassee and Lake Hartwell, a few miles NW of Clemson University. We'll kick off our activities with an AOC "first": a 5-mile hike on the Natural Bridge and Raven Rock trails at Keowee-Toxaway State Park. We'll break for lunch at craggy Raven Rock overlooking the lake, then continue down the trail to the lake for a refreshing swim. After the hike we'll car-caravan a few miles southward to my brother's home on Lake Keowee where he and my sister-in-law have offered us free use of their nice pontoon boat. During a scenic 3-hour cruise we can explore the lake, take another swim, and perhaps enjoy some "tube riding" behind the boat - followed by a hot shower if you like! Before heading home all are welcome to join us for dinner at the highly rated Lighthouse Restaurant on a pretty peninsula around the corner from my brother's place. It has a colorful dockside "Cabana Club" bar - check out their website linked below.

MORE EVENT DETAILS & TARGET SCHEDULE: Lake Keowee is an easy 2.5-hour drive from Atlanta via I-85 and SC-11. We'll gather at 8:00 AM for optional carpooling from the I-85 Indian Trail Park & Ride lot just NE of Atlanta, but feel free to meet us instead at 10:30 at Keowee-Toxaway State Park - see precise directions below to both meetup spot options. From our parking and meetup spot at the Park Visitor Center we'll enjoy the above-mentioned round-trip hike to the lake and back via the Natural Bridge and Raven Rock trails. They're "lollipop loops" that link to one another near a spectacular granite "natural bridge" where we cross Poe Creek. Our total uphill elevation gains on the trails will be ~800 feet - about like climbing Stone Mountain.
We'll target about 2:30 for arriving at my brother's dock where we'll board their pontoon boat for our Lake Keowee cruise. For those who wish to join us for drinks & dinner at The Lighthouse, we can likely be there by about 5:30 which should put our carpoolers back at the Indian Trail Park & Ride by 9:30 or 10 PM.

CONVENIENT WEBSITE LINKS for MORE INFO:
Trail Map for Natural Bridge & Raven Rock trails at Keowee-Toxaway State Park: http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/files/State%20Parks%20Files/Keowee/KT%20map%20updated%202-19-13.pdf
The Lighthouse Restaurant: http://www.lighthousekeowee.com/

Required Items to Bring:

1. Wear comfortable lightweight Athletic Shoes or Hiking Boots for the hike, and perhaps bring some Sandals or Boat Shoes to change into for our pontoon boat excursion, etc.
2. Wear lightweight Clothing Layers (plus a Cap & Sunglasses) and bring in your Daypack a Swimsuit & Towel (or WEAR your swimsuit for the hike and boating, but pack some dry clothing). Also pack some light Raingear if showers are forecast.
3. Bring for the hike about 2 liters of Water (in bottles or in a hydration system pack) plus a Picnic Lunch in your pack.
4. Don't forget to bring an assortment of Cash to cover your share of carpooling expenses - also if you plan to join us for cocktails and dinner a Charge Card or some more cash.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

1. Your Camera! We should have lots of great photo ops!

2. For our Pontoon Boat cruise: A small personal Cooler with plenty of Ice and a few of your favorite Beverages. Please AVOID BRINGING ANY GLASS, but alcohol in moderation is fine on the lake.

3. Esp. if you're fair-skinned, don't forget to bring and apply Sunscreen!

How to Get There:

Event Directions:

DIRECTIONS from I-85/ I-285 "SPAGHETTI JUNCTION" in NE ATLANTA to KEOWEE-TOXAWAY STATE PARK VISITOR CENTER & TRAILHEAD:
Total driving distance is about 125 miles each way. Allow at least 2 hours drive time, assuming a pit stop for gas, restrooms, etc. Our suggested 8:00 AM I-85 Indian Trail Rd carpool meeting spot is en route 4 miles NE of Spaghetti Jcn - see Carpool Directions below. For a zoomable color map and aerial view of our meeting spot at the Park Visitor Center click on the blue & green rectangular "Event Location" icon near the top of this article. You GPS Users may wish to augment these written Directions by entering the following Visitor Center Lat/Lon Coordinates as your GPS Destination: 34.9326,-82.8858.

1. From the I-85/I-285 "Spaghetti Jcn" interchange in NE Atlanta take I-85 N about 83 miles and get off at SC Exit #1 immediately past the bridge that crosses Lake Hartwell at the GA/SC state line. The SC Welcome Center at this Exit is a good stop for a restroom break, free SC highway map, etc.

2. Bear Right when passing the Welcome Center (to avoid merging back onto I-85) but then turn Left a short distance up the access rd onto SC-11 North (a.k.a. the "Cherokee Foothills Scenic Hwy"). Re-zero your trip odometer, go about 38 miles on SC-11, and look for a large brown sign for "Keoway-Toxaway State Park." (If you reach the SC-133 junction you've gone a tenth of a mile too far.)

3. Turn Left into the State Park (free entrance and parking!) and drive just 0.1 mile to the Visitor Center on your right (formally an old church) where we can park our cars during the hike. We'll gather just outside the Visitor Center at about 10:30. Although their office will likely not open until 11 AM they suggest that we look for a nearby kiosk where detailed Park trail maps & brochures are normally available.

RICHARD & NANCY COTTINGHAM'S HOME & DOCK (for ~2:30 PM Boating):
Address: 907 Carrigan Court, Seneca, SC 29672 Phone: 864-888-8483
Lat/Lon Coordinates: 34.7598,-82.9211

LIGHTHOUSE RESTAURANT & LAKESIDE CABANA BAR (for ~5:30 PM Dinner):
Address: 1290 Doug Hollow Rd, Seneca, SC 29672 Phone: 864-888-4446
Lat/Lon Coordinates: 34.7759,-82.9197

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):

260Mile(s)

Carpool Departure Time:

8:00 am

Carpool Location:

Carpool Directions:

Carpool Cost:

Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $104.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:

* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost Includes:

Free Event! Just chip in your fair share of gas expenses, etc.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance: Please review the AOC cancellation policy.
*Note:

We intend to go ahead with this event rain or shine, and can adjust our itinerary appropriately if the weather doesn't fully cooperate.