Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite

public land records

Likely — The record is good enough to put a pin on, but thin in places. Treat the details as a starting point, not gospel.

Coordinate: SCDNR "SCDNR Public Lands Viewer" ArcGIS feature service, layer 0 "Property Asset Points", AssetType=CampPrim, AssetID=POI00956, PropertyID=003, queried 2026-08-15 -- https://services.arcgis.com/acgZYxoN5Oj8pDLa/arcgis/rest/services/DEV_-_SCDNR_Public_Lands_Viewer/FeatureServer/0 (this is the agency layer behind https://public-lands-scdnr.hub.arcgis.com/). It is SCDNR's own mapped campsite record, NOT a field visit. Land owner of record in that layer: DukeEnergyCarolinas. County: Oconee. || TWO SCDNR SOURCES DISAGREE AND BOTH ARE QUOTED HERE. (1) SCDNR Jocassee Gorges map/brochure (https://www.dnr.sc.gov/assets/maps/LowResJocasseeMap.pdf, read 2026-08-15): "Camping is permitted (first come, first served) at designated campsites along the main roads in Jocassee Gorges. Designated sites are noted on the Jocassee Gorges map and on kiosks at each entrance. Many of these sites are places that were traditionally used as hunt camps in the past. When the main roads and gates are closed in late winter and summer, primitive camping is permitted anywhere on Jocassee; however, a written permit must be obtained well in advance. Permits are not required for primitive camping any time of year along the Foothills Trail or Palmetto Trail or on limited areas of Eastatoee Creek Heritage Preserve. Camping is not permitted along the shore of Lake Jocassee, except for the Double Springs Primitive Campground operated by Devils Fork State Park." (2) SCDNR Public Lands Regulations 123-204, Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges (https://www.dnr.sc.gov/mlands/specregs.html, read 2026-08-15): "Backcountry camping by permit will be allowed at any time during the year that the main roads allowing access to the Jocassee Gorges are not opened in connection with big game hunting. Backcountry camping is allowed by permit only at any location within the Jocassee Gorges, except for any area closed for camping by the Department. Backcountry camping is defined as minimal impact camping. No fires are allowed and each permitted camper is responsible for camping in a manner that results in no trace of the camping activity being left after breaking camp. Backcountry campers must apply for camping permits over the Department internet site. No camping is permitted within twenty-five (25) feet of a stream, lake, or as posted by the Department." THE CONFLICT: the brochure says designated roadside sites are first-come first-served; the regulation says camping anywhere in Jocassee is "by permit only". A reviewer must resolve this with SCDNR before we tell anyone they can just show up. SEASONAL CLOSURE (brochure): "Most of the roads are closed for public use in late winter to avoid detrimental impacts associated with winter weather, and they are also closed in the summer to allow for wildlife use of the unique habitats along the roadsides." Roads with red gates are closed to vehicles year-round; green gates are seasonal. FIRE: the regulation says "No fires are allowed" for backcountry camping on Jocassee. NO FEE is stated by SCDNR on either source. || Nearest incorporated place/CDP: Salem, 11.4 mi (US Census Bureau TIGERweb Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD, state FIPS 45, queried 2026-08-15; straight-line distance to the place centroid, not road miles). | auto:agency-trust 2026-08-18: state agency GIS record with a source URL and coordinates, confidence not low. Fee value is the agency's own, not field-checked. Not field-verified -- confirm access, road conditions and fire rules before you go.

Read from the agency's own season / closure text in this record (data/conditions.py) and checked against the calendar. The words we read are printed under the verdict at the top of the page.

US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center station locator, snapshot 2026-09-16. Straight-line miles to the nearest public, open, unrestricted station; restricted and planned units are shown but never counted.

On the agency's books. The land manager inventoried this site, so its existence is not in question — current conditions are. Nobody from here has camped it recently.