Natural History

The Southern Appalachian region that is home to the Foothills Trail has drawn the attention of scientists for centuries. It is where, in the mid-1700s, William Bartram discovered the flame azalea along with other species new to science, and enjoyed "a view inexpressibly magnificent and comprehensive" from the crest of Oconee Mountain. In 1787, botanist Andre Michaux discovered his "small plant with saw-toothed leaves" that today is recognized as the Oconee bells, a rare plant species that is a hallmark of the region.

The forest coves through which the Foothills Trail travels contain an abundance of native wildflowers, including various species of trilliums, orchids and many species largely restricted to this area. They create a special floral show for the woodland hiker in spring months, with peak blooming from mid-April to mid-May. Oconee bells grow only in the Jocassee area and in a few counties in the North Carolina foothills. Visitors can see the flowers in abundance at Devils Fork State Park on the Oconee Bell Trail. Its blooming period is typically mid-March to mid-April.

Besides the common rhododendron that occurs throughout South Carolina's mountains, the Jocassee area supports showy displays of other rhododendron species that add color to habitats ranging from drier hillsides to the banks of the area's streams. Among the great diversity of ferns and mosses that inhabit the Jocassee area are several species otherwise known only to occur in tropical habitats of Central America. Their occurrence at Jocassee is because of the abundance of rainfall and the protective shaded habitats found in the steep river gorges.

Although most of the area's timber has been harvested at some time over the decades, stands of mature and old-growth forest occur throughout the area and include hemlocks, white pine and yellow poplar trees more than four feet in diameter. Fall colors are spectacular with yellow poplar, sourwood, black gum, red maple, hickories, and oaks creating the centerpiece of the display, typically in its peak between mid-October and early November. Visitors can readily observe the colorful mountain landscape from various trails and overlooks within state parks, along roadways and by boat on Lake Jocassee.

Wildlife populations in the region are diverse and contain many rare elements. An overview of a few major components would include one of the most abundant black bear populations in the Southeast. Lake Jocassee supports trophy-sized rainbow and brown trout, and a self-sustaining population of smallmouth bass, besides other warm-water species of game fish. Brook trout, the only species of trout native to the eastern United States, continue to sustain viable populations in the headwaters of several streams near Lake Jocassee.

Bald eagles can be observed over Lake Jocassee throughout the year. Peregrine falcons have been re-established as a nesting species in South Carolina through a program conducted in the mountains in the late 1980s. Peregrines have successfully nested in the region each year since 1990, and a new nesting pair was discovered in 2008 near Jumping Off Rock overlooking Lake Jocassee.

The abundance and diversity of salamanders are unique to the area around Lake Jocassee and include numerous species of "spring lizards" (the dusky salamanders) that live along stream edges, to brightly colored species that inhabit the forest floor, to uniquely adapted species, like the rare green salamander, that live in the crevices of rock faces. The wood frog, more commonly known in the Great North Woods, breeds in the Jocassee area in winter during the first mild rain. The loud, nonmusical calls can be heard in the winter woods.