Highpoint #9: South Carolina

Cross-Country Highpointing Trip, Stop #2

Vanity Shot at the Summit of Sassafras Mountain

After a successful summit of Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina, I was off to Sassafras Mountain in South Carolina.  The drive in was pretty circuitous owing both to the partial closure of the Blue Ridge Parkway immediately west of Mt. Mitchell and the genuine remoteness of Sassafras Mountain.  Indeed, off the interstate, the roads quickly become windy and not particularly well signed.  It is advisable to print out directions in advance, as a cell phone signal and the GPS capability on the iPhone is completely absent in stretches. 

Trailhead

The road to the summit skirts the common border of the Carolinas a bit, before ending just shy of the true summit.  There is a parking lot with a visible trailhead marked, “Sassafras Foothills Trail Access”.  It seems a bit much as the trail to the summit is actually quite short in length (300 feet) and is pretty straightforward to follow.  With that said, there are options to follow other trails for an extended hike on and about the mountain. 

"Trail" to the Summit

A quick traipse up the hill, I quickly found the monument marker proclaiming Sassafras Mountain, at an elevation of 3,553 feet, as the highest point in all of South Carolina.  The monument itself is a squat, painted white boulder of sorts with a prominent black plaque.  It is relatively new, as it was only dedicated a few months ago on August 1, 2012.  It is a welcome addition to the site, as there was little to nothing as official to mark the actual summit prior to that. 

Official Summit Monument

Detail of Summit Monument

Just before the summit marker, there is a geological marker set in stone that is easily visible.  It is labeled as a “survey control mark”, so it differs a little bit from the usual benchmark markers one finds at the highpoints.  Together with the summit rock, one can safely lay claim to a proper summiting of the mountain.    

Survey Marker at Summit

At the top there is not much in the way of a grand view.  The highpoint sets on private property, so that is somewhat understandable.  Returning below to the parking lot however, there is an overlook.  Indeed, there is a very large signing pointing out this fact as well as a newly constructed platform that extends out from the mountain offering a nice view.  It is a worthwhile place to stand as several mountains are visible in the distance, and the blue hues meld together harmoniously. 

Sign for the Overlook

Overlook Platform

All in, it is a pretty quick stop, but it is fairly close in location to the highpoints of North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.  As such, it can easily be included as part of an extended trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains.         

View from the Platform by the Trailhead