Jocassee Gorges Gravel Ride to Jumping-Off Rock

Verified September 28, 2026 against the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR: its Jocassee Gorges property page, property map, news releases and 2026 to 2027 hunting regulations), the South Carolina Code of Laws and Code of Regulations, and U.S. Geological Survey elevation data. Roads here close for weather and management, so check before you ride.

Ten miles of ridge-top gravel, a string of overlooks, and a finish at Jumping-Off Rock, perhaps the most photographed spot in Jocassee Gorges. Horsepasture Road (you’ll also see it spelled Horse Pasture Road) runs through the heart of the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges, which SCDNR calls South Carolina’s premier mountain property. The state bought nearly 35,000 acres here in 1998, and locals had long called the whole area simply “the Horsepasture.”

The best part for riders: the rules are clear. In Jocassee Gorges, SCDNR lets bicycles ride any road or area that isn’t posted as closed to bicycles. The Foothills Trail and the Palmetto Trail are the exceptions, and they’re closed to bikes. The road to Jumping-Off Rock is also open to traffic all year, so this ride works in any season the weather allows.

The ride at a glance

• Start: the Foothills Trail parking area on Horsepasture Road, at SCDNR’s Laurel Valley entrance off US 178 near Rocky Bottom (GPS 35.0490, -82.8137).
• Route: Horsepasture Road to the Jumping-Off Rock overlook, then back the same way.
• Distance: SCDNR puts the year-round section at 10 miles from US 178 to Jumping-Off Rock, so plan on about 20 miles round trip from the lot.
• Climbing: hilly. By our measure the road starts around 1,770 feet, tops out around 2,500 feet, and adds up to roughly 2,400 feet of climbing round trip.
• Surface: gravel. SCDNR calls it “the upper gravel road” at the entrance, and it has advised drivers to use four-wheel drive and high clearance for “the long ride over steep hills and rough terrain.”
• Cost: SCDNR’s rules and property page list no entrance fee or permit for riding.

Getting to the start

From SC 11, take US 178 north about 8 miles, through the small community of Rocky Bottom. Just past the narrow bridge over Eastatoee Creek, look for a brown sign with binoculars (it marks a Watchable Wildlife site) and turn left. Bear right onto the upper gravel road, Horsepasture Road, not the lower paved road, and drive about a quarter mile to the Foothills Trail parking area on the left.

Coming from North Carolina on US 178, the turn is on your right about 3 miles after you cross into South Carolina, just before that bridge.

The entrance kiosk shows the property map and rules. Stay on the road near the highway: SCDNR’s map marks the land along US 178 at the entrance as No Trespassing.

The route

1. From the lot, pedal west on Horsepasture Road. The Foothills Trail climbs away from here too, but it’s for feet only.
2. The first few miles climb gently. Then the road climbs harder onto the ridges and rolls along them past several developed overlooks. SCDNR says the route “runs the prominent ridges within the landscape” and that many of the views are “breathtaking and worth the trip.”
3. Stay on the main road. Side roads with red gates are closed to vehicles, and others open to vehicles only in spring and fall. Carry SCDNR’s map so you can tell them apart.
4. About a mile before the end comes the steepest pitch of the day. On the way out, it’s a descent.
5. Near the end, where a seasonal road splits off to the south, stay on the year-round road as it swings west to the Jumping-Off Rock overlook. Beyond the overlook, Horsepasture Road becomes a seasonal road, so the overlook is your turnaround.
6. Soak up the view, then ride back the same way. The trip home is a net downhill, but it opens with a climb that includes that steep pitch.

At the rock. SCDNR says the overlook takes in Lake Jocassee and the wild lands around it all the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Peregrine falcons began nesting near the rock in 2008, and SCDNR built a new overlook to protect the birds and make the area safer, so enjoy the view from the overlook itself.

Bike, tires and what to carry

• Bike: a gravel bike with wide, tough tires, or a hardtail mountain bike, plus your lowest gears. We’d run tires at least 40 mm wide, set up tubeless.
• Repair kit: SCDNR’s map tells visitors to carry spare tires, and that goes for bikes too. Pack a spare tube, a plug kit, a pump and a multi-tool.
• Water and food: carry all of it. SCDNR lists no drinking water, food, fuel or restrooms along Horsepasture Road.
• Map: download SCDNR’s property map before you go. SCDNR says it works in the Avenza Maps app even without cell service.

Share the road

• Cars and trucks: Horsepasture Road is open to licensed vehicles every day of the year. Motor vehicles must keep to posted speed limits, or 15 mph where none is posted.
• ATVs: from March 20 to May 10 and September 15 to January 15, ATVs can use the road Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays if every rider has a hunting license and WMA permit. No ATVs on Sundays, and none on this road the rest of the year.
• Horses and hikers: SCDNR allows horseback riding on open roads except during hunting periods, and Foothills Trail hikers start from the same lot.
• Your part: ride on the right, take blind curves slowly, and pull fully off the road at overlooks. SCDNR’s rules say no one may block travel routes, and they ban reckless riding of any vehicle, bikes included.

Hunting season: wear orange

Almost all of Jocassee Gorges is in SCDNR’s Wildlife Management Area (WMA) program and open to public hunting. South Carolina law says everyone on WMA land during deer season must wear a hat, coat or vest of solid international orange (blaze orange). SCDNR exempts only certain hunters, not cyclists, so this means you.

SCDNR says regular Game Zone 1 seasons apply here. For 2026 to 2027, the ones to know:

Orange is smart any time hunters are out. SCDNR can also close WMA land to other visitors during special hunts, one more reason to check before you drive up. Details are in SCDNR’s WMA regulations.

Closures, seasons and when to go

Horsepasture Road to Jumping-Off Rock is open year-round, but SCDNR can open or close any road at any time, and it has closed Jocassee roads for snow, ice and storm damage. Treat a weather closure as your closure too. As of September 2026, SCDNR’s property page lists one alert: the Beech Bottom Falls and Twin Falls hiking trails are closed after Hurricane Helene damage. Neither is on this route. Check the alerts on SCDNR’s Jocassee Gorges page or call (864) 654-1671 before you go.

• Spring: SCDNR says Jocassee is especially popular when the wildflowers bloom.
• Fall: SCDNR says color runs from early October until late November. That’s also deer season, so orange on.
• Late fall and winter: once the leaves drop, SCDNR says the long-range views get better. Crisp, cold days are the norm up high, and snow or ice can close the road.
• Summer: no deer season, no ATVs on this road from May 11 to September 14, and forest shade most of the way.
• Any time: SCDNR warns that heavy rain can come in any season. This corner of the state gets more than 75 inches of precipitation a year.

Gates, side roads and the rules

• Gates: this route passes no closed gate. All 10 miles are open to traffic year-round.
• Side roads: roads behind green gates are open to vehicles only from March 20 to May 10 and September 15 to January 15, and red gates close roads to vehicles. Bikes may ride any road that isn’t posted closed to bicycles, so unless a sign says otherwise, those roads are legal to explore, and SCDNR counts over 200 miles of old logging roads on the property. SCDNR also warns it’s easy to get “turned around” out there, so bring the map.
• Trails: the Foothills Trail and Palmetto Trail are closed to bikes.
• E-bikes: SCDNR treats Class 1 e-bikes as bicycles on its land, and they may ride open roads where bikes are allowed. That rule doesn’t cover Class 2 or Class 3 e-bikes, so ask SCDNR before you bring one.
• Leave no trace: pack out every wrapper, give wildlife room, and camp only at designated sites.

Safety and cell service

We couldn’t confirm cell coverage anywhere on this road, so plan as if you won’t have any. Tell someone your route and turnaround time, carry the offline map, and pack a light. SCDNR advises flashlights, spare tires and navigation aids for anyone heading into the Gorges. In an emergency, call 911. SCDNR’s map also lists the Pickens County Sheriff at (864) 898-5500 and SCDNR Law Enforcement at 1-800-922-5431.

Ride for every body

This is a big mountain ride, but it’s an out-and-back, so it can be as short as you like.

• Shorter ride: the first few miles from the lot climb gently (about 300 feet in 3 miles, by our measure). Ride out as far as feels good, then roll back down.
• E-bikes: Class 1 e-bikes are treated as bicycles on SCDNR land.
• Meet at the top: the road is open to licensed vehicles all year, so a friend can drive to Jumping-Off Rock and meet you there. Remember SCDNR’s advice on four-wheel drive and high clearance.
• Not confirmed: accessible parking, paths or restrooms at the lot or the overlook, and anything specific to adaptive cycles. Call SCDNR at (864) 654-1671 before you count on them.

For more easy-access trips, see our Accessibility Guide.

Stay the night

SCDNR says the year-round stretch of Horsepasture Road has 4 designated campsites, first come, first served, marked on the kiosk maps at each entrance. Its rules cap a stay at four nights in one spot. For more places to pitch a tent, see our Free Backcountry Camping in South Carolina list.

Refuel like a local

SCDNR lists no food or fuel on Horsepasture Road, so stock up before you head up US 178. Our free Mom & Pop Trail Map covers family-owned places to eat and gear up in The Peaks.

Make a weekend of it

• Hike the Foothills Trail from the same lot, on foot.
• See the lake you just stared down at from water level on our Lake Jocassee Kayak & Waterfall Tour.
• Drive home the scenic way: the entrance is about 8 miles north of SC 11, the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway.
• Find more routes and gear tips on our Gravel Cycling hub.

Now go outside and play. Earn the view.

Top photo: Gravel ride up to Jumping Off Rock by Glory Cycles, CC BY 2.0, cropped.