Backpack Trail Guide

Trails

Top Backpacking Trails in South Carolina

9 routes. Each page shows when we last checked it. Updated October 2026.

Most of the site’s South Carolina trips are in the Upstate, on the Blue Ridge escarpment: three sections of the Foothills Trail between Oconee and Table Rock state parks, the Chattooga River Trail to Ellicott Rock in the Sumter National Forest, the Jones Gap-Caesars Head loop in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness, the short Raven Rock loop at Keowee-Toxaway State Park, and the Kings Mountain loop on the North Carolina line. Expect steep climbs, long stair sections, river crossings and waterfalls. In the Midlands, the Boggy Gut Trail crosses Congaree National Park’s floodplain forest, which the park says floods about ten times a year. In the Lowcountry, the Swamp Fox Passage of the Palmetto Trail runs about 47 flat miles through the Francis Marion National Forest with one water source.

Camping rules depend on who manages the land. Foothills Trail and Sumter National Forest trips need no permit, though Foothills hikers register at kiosks; state park trailside sites take reservations; and Congaree issues free permits by email. The Andrew Pickens Ranger District requires food to be hung or kept in a bear-resistant container.

Congaree says mosquitoes are out from mid-spring to mid-fall, while Jones Gap expects heavy crowds in October and November, when hunting seasons are also open. The Foothills Trail and Mountain Bridge trails have reopened after Hurricane Helene, though campsite repairs continue. The remnants of Isaias brought heavy rain and wind to the Upstate on Oct. 10-11, 2026, so check current conditions before you go.

Quick picks

Lowcountry

Midlands

Upstate South Carolina

Backpacking in South Carolina: common questions

Do you need a permit to backpack in South Carolina?

It depends on the managing agency. No permit was found for the Foothills Trail or the Sumter National Forest trips on this site, though the Foothills Trail Conservancy requires hikers to register at a trailhead kiosk, while Congaree National Park requires a free backcountry permit requested by email at least 72 hours ahead. Trailside sites at Jones Gap, Caesars Head and Keowee-Toxaway state parks are reserved through South Carolina State Parks, and the Garner Creek site at Kings Mountain National Military Park requires free registration. Check with the park, forest, or trail group before you go.

Can you camp anywhere in South Carolina's national forests?

Not everywhere. On the Sumter National Forest, the Forest Service's East Fork Trail page allows primitive camping more than 50 feet from streams and trails and more than a quarter mile from roads, an order through April 22, 2027 limits camping groups to six on the upper Chattooga River, and a forest-wide order caps stays at 14 days in any 30. On the Francis Marion National Forest's Swamp Fox Passage, camping is limited to designated primitive sites, and the Palmetto Trail says the Cane Gully site is closed until further notice. Camping isn't allowed inside Oconee or Table Rock state parks along the Foothills Trail, so check the rules for each piece of your route.

Do you need a bear canister in South Carolina?

No canister requirement was found for the trips on this site, but food storage is required on the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest, which includes the Chattooga River and the western Foothills Trail. A Forest Service order through April 18, 2027 requires food, trash and other attractants to be in a bear-resistant container, hung at least 10 feet up and 4 feet out, or locked in a hard-sided vehicle, and it bans burning or burying food or trash. The Foothills Trail Conservancy says many designated sites have bear cables.

When is the best time to backpack in South Carolina?

It depends on the trip. Congaree National Park says it floods about ten times a year and that mosquitoes are out from mid-spring to mid-fall, and the Palmetto Trail says wet areas on the Swamp Fox Passage can flood after rain. In the mountains, Jones Gap State Park expects heavy visitation in October and November and requires parking reservations for guaranteed weekend and holiday entry from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check river forecasts and agency alerts before any trip.

Is it safe to backpack in South Carolina during hunting season?

Fall backpacking overlaps hunting on much of the state's public land. The Palmetto Trail's Oct. 1, 2026 notice asks hikers to wear blaze orange and to check hunting regulations and closures before they go, and the Forest Service closes the Wambaw Trail loops in the Francis Marion National Forest on deer-hunting dog-drive days set by SCDNR. Hunting isn't allowed in Congaree National Park but happens on adjacent private land, so stay inside the park boundary. Check SCDNR's current season dates for the area you're visiting.

Are South Carolina trails still closed after Hurricane Helene?

Most of the trails on this site have reopened. The Foothills Trail Conservancy says the whole Foothills Trail is open but that some sections remain rough and campsite repairs are ongoing, and Jones Gap and Caesars Head state parks say all official trails in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area are open. The latest official trail update found for Kings Mountain National Military Park, from October 2024, said trails remained closed, so call the park. Separately, Table Rock State Park closed its Nature Center and trailhead restrooms on July 27, 2026, for construction, and hikers register at the Concessions Area instead.

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