Long before Highway 11, Highway 178, or the winding mountain roads we know today, travelers crossing the Blue Ridge Escarpment relied on a rough toll road that climbed through the mountains near present-day Sassafras Mountain.
Today, thousands of hikers pass near its remnants without realizing they are walking through a forgotten chapter of Upstate South Carolina history.
A Road Through the Wilderness
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, mountain communities depended on a handful of routes connecting the South Carolina Upstate with western North Carolina. One of those routes crossed the mountains near Emory Gap and Sassafras Mountain.
According to an early Foothills Trail guidebook, portions of today’s Foothills Trail actually follow sections of the old Emory Gap Toll Road. Travelers used the route to move livestock, supplies, timber, and goods between the mountain settlements and the communities below.
The guidebook records that tolls in the early 1900s ranged from:
- 50 cents for a horse and rider
- $1.25 for a loaded ox-drawn wagon
Those amounts may sound small today, but they represented a significant expense at the time.
Crossing South Carolina’s Highest Mountain
The old road passed near Sassafras Mountain, which rises to 3,554 feet and remains the highest point in South Carolina. Modern hikers know the area for its spectacular overlooks, rugged ridgelines, and sections of the Foothills Trail.
For generations, however, the mountain was less of a recreation destination and more of a transportation corridor.
Before modern highways were built, mountain travelers often followed natural gaps and ridges that provided the easiest passage across otherwise difficult terrain. Emory Gap became one of those strategic crossing points.
Hidden Along the Foothills Trail
One of the most fascinating details is that remnants of the old road can still be found in the area today.
The Foothills Trail guide describes portions of the trail near Emory Gap and Sassafras Mountain as following the old toll road alignment. Many hikers likely walk across these historic traces without recognizing them.
Even nearby Sassafras Gap Road appears on early maps as a primary route through the mountains before modern Highway 178 became the dominant corridor. Historical mapping shows the road serving travelers crossing between South Carolina and North Carolina during the late nineteenth century.
From Toll Road to Hiking Trail
By the 1930s, the old toll road had largely fallen out of use as newer roads and improved transportation networks replaced many mountain routes.
The mountains that once echoed with wagon wheels, livestock, and travelers gradually became known for something different: recreation and conservation.
Today, hikers on the Foothills Trail cross many of the same ridges and gaps once traveled by farmers, merchants, and mountain families more than a century ago. The route that once collected tolls now welcomes adventurers from around the world.
A Piece of History Beneath Your Boots
The next time you hike near Sassafras Mountain, Chimneytop Gap, or Emory Gap, take a moment to look beyond the trail itself.
Beneath your boots may lie the remains of a forgotten mountain road that connected communities, carried commerce across the Blue Ridge, and helped shape the history of the Upstate long before modern highways arrived.
Sometimes the most interesting part of a trail is not where it goes, but where it has already been.
Leave a Reply