After a late-summer storm passes through the South Carolina Upstate, low clouds and rising mist can transform the mountains. Here’s why the clouds seem to hug the ridges and the forest appears to steam after the rain.
Discover why Table Rock Mountain, Pumpkintown, and the Oolenoy Valley often receive more snow than the rest of South Carolina. From the Blue Ridge Escarpment to local winter legends, learn how geography creates one of the state’s most fascinating weather patterns.
As the sun sets behind the Blue Ridge Escarpment, we are reminded of the steady presence fathers often provide in our lives. This Father’s Day, we celebrate the dads, grandfathers, and father figures who have helped shape our journeys and create lasting memories.
From misty mountain mornings and hidden waterfalls to scenic overlooks, historic communities, and unforgettable sunsets, Upstate South Carolina is filled with places waiting to be explored. PumpkintownSC.com is your guide to the trails, small towns, natural wonders, and local stories that make the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains one of the most beautiful regions in the Southeast. Whether you’re planning your next adventure or simply looking to learn more about the area, you’ll find inspiration around every bend in the road.
Before Lake Jocassee covered the valley with deep blue water, four wild mountain rivers joined together to create the Keowee River. Discover the waterfalls, communities, farms, and natural wonders that once filled the lost Jocassee Valley beneath the lake.
The mountains surrounding Pumpkintown have always been shrouded in mystery. Long before hiking trails, state parks, and scenic overlooks brought visitors to the area, local residents told stories of strange creatures roaming the deep forests of the Blue Ridge foothills. Among the most enduring of these legends is Bigfoot. Known by many names, including Sasquatch,…
Long before Highway 178 and the Foothills Trail, travelers crossed the mountains near Sassafras Mountain on the Emory Gap Toll Road. Portions of this forgotten route still survive today, hidden beneath one of South Carolina’s most famous hiking trails.
For generations, residents of Pumpkintown and the South Carolina Upstate have reported sightings of mysterious large cats in the mountains. Are mountain lions really roaming the forests around Table Rock and Jocassee, or is it simply another local legend? We explore the evidence, the sightings, and the mystery that refuses to disappear.
Dark clouds rolling over the mountains are a familiar sight in Pumpkintown. Discover why the foothills receive so much spring and summer rainfall and how these seasonal storms have shaped life in the Oolenoy Valley for generations.
Towering above the Upstate, Table Rock State Park offers hiking trails, waterfalls, mountain views, Lake Oolenoy, and some of South Carolina’s most unforgettable outdoor experiences.