Devils Fork State Park

Devil's Fork State Park earns its four stars purely on the basis of its natural setting—it is genuinely a beautiful state park with high potential. However, the overall experience is severely hampered by clear maintenance and cleanup issues. ​The campsite we stayed in was nice and offered a peaceful stay, but the immediate infrastructure was a concern. We observed sections of pavement actively washing down the hill, and critically, the stairs to our unit opened directly into an eroded hole, forcing us to use a rock as a makeshift support. ​We loved the nice, direct trail leading from our site down to the lake. Unfortunately, this walk clearly highlighted a serious litter problem. This wasn't just typical trash like water bottles or discarded poop bags; we found large, shocking refuse, including an entire set of discarded car brake rotors polluting the path. This level of neglect is unacceptable for a state park. ​Beyond enjoying the lake, the park offers very little else to do. The primary hiking trail appears heavily damaged, likely due to a recent hurricane. While the raw natural beauty shines through, management needs to prioritize cleanup efforts and infrastructure repair to protect the park and its visitors.

The Oconee Bell Nature Trail is a total disaster literally. Probably due to a recent hurricane or bad storm there’s fallen trees left and right and many were just cut with the chain saw and left there. There’s basically nothing to see on the approx 1,5 mile trail. Also if you don’t have a boat there’s nothing to do on this southern side of the lake as there are no other trails directly connected from the parking at the visitor center. The lake and the surroundings are probably very beautiful but we couldn’t enjoy them as we had small kids and couldn’t do the other many trails around the lake that are more difficult. I hope this honest review will help someone so they wouldn’t waste their time with the Oconee Bell Nature Trail as we did!

Devils Fork State Park is the best and most visited State Park in South Carolina. Lake Jocassee oh my god!!!🥰 Water is crystal clear and fresh. We had a great time and a nice relaxing spot with families. My kids enjoyed swimming for a long time. My suggestion best time to visit is on cloudy days, especially in the summer season, for those who can't stay outside for long in summer. Check the weather before planning to go to the park

We went on a great boat tour with Southern Outlaw Adventures. It was 4 hours and we saw the majority of the falls and other areas of interest. It's the only way to see the lake!

Great first visit to the campgrounds and the lake! Water was awesome and clean. Roads are a bit narrow in the campground for campers. Beautiful waterfalls seen by boat! Not a ton of boat traffic on the lake for a weekend either!

This place is so beautiful! My experience was nothing but the best! The views,the scenery,the water! Amazing! The park is nice, the lake is absolutely breathtaking! Rented a kayak and went on the water for about 6 hours and it was one of the best times in my life! The staff there are great, friendly, helpful! My first day I seen a double rainbow and a young bear!!! Definitely will be back time and time again! Get there early to have good parking or you can reserve also!

Absolutely loved the lake and state park (5 stars for both) but not sure why campground is always booked. Bathhouses were poorly maintained, we know it is state park but there were no clear instructions on how to get in the campsite after 9pm. we were expecting some sort of keypad entry only to find out that state park still lives in the old style lock & key and good luck, try working that in the night and hint of rain. do not even get me started on the dump station. this campground was on my bucket list for so long but will use the lake and statepark but will not camp again here.

Beautiful natural park with clear water, a lovely lake, and even some waterfalls — if you have a boat, this place is perfect. But if you're just looking for a beach day, it's probably not worth it. The beach is small, there’s no shade, and in most other areas there’s no easy access to the water — a big downside if you're coming with kids. The water is clear though, and there’s a restroom, a small gift shop, and you can rent a kayak. If you plan to visit on the weekend, make sure to arrive before 8 AM — closer to 7 is better — because parking is very limited and once it's full, they’ll just turn you away. We arrived at 9 AM and there were already no spots left. We ended up coming back around 6 PM — the park is open till 9, and by then no one was charging admission, so we were able to park and go in for free. However, restrooms were already closed by 8 PM. Also, don’t expect a peaceful nature getaway — the small beach area gets noisy, people bring speakers, smoke, hang out in big groups. It just wasn’t relaxing. If I had a boat, I’d definitely come back — but for a beach-only visit, it’s not really worth the money.

Mountain lakes are almost always lovely. But even among mountain lakes, Lake Jocassee is next level. This is one of the busiest SC state parks during summer months, and the premium villas, which come with boat storage, are in the prettiest of settings. Off on a ledge overlooking the lake and mountain across, the park has waterfalls that can only be accessed by boat. In summer you can barely get into the park, and the line to get in starts super early. I love coming in the winter. It's quiet, peaceful, and still packs a scenic punch. In an unexpected polar vortex, I still had great service, and the villa had everything needed to get in and get stuck for a few snowy days.

Sites are clean. Bathroom and showers are clean and awesome shower pressure. Rangers were helpful and courteous. Would give 5 stars if move space between sites. But will definitely be back

Gorgeous lake, I can't wait to come back and kayak! There's also a nice beach area. Water was very clear.

Fair warning: this is a place that really requires advance planning and reservations. I did neither, thanks to the vagaries of my schedule and an injury that left me not wanting to try the more physically intensive ways of experiencing the lake. Nonetheless, the majesty of the sights was clear enough, even from the limited part that I could get to without a boat. Near a well-appointed nature center there was a 1.5 mile trail with some quality sights, but that was the only hiking. The main attraction is the lake itself, and uncommonly blue-hued body of water that contrasted majestically with the fall foliage. Options included getting a boat tour or kayaking or paddleboarding yourself, and that is of course if you don't own your own watercraft, which clearly many locals do. There was a small unmanned beach, and the clear chilly water was amenable to wading. Picnic and camping areas were numerous. Ideally, I'll get the shot to explore it by water in the future under better circumstances. But the reader would be well advised to beat me to it.

Our favorite state park! Definitely 5 stars. Since our last stay at the campground, they have updated the bathrooms at the office and at least one of the bathhouses in the campground. Majorly awesome! In warmer months, we kayak to waterfalls or rent a boat to venture out on the lake. Eclectic Sun rents SUPs, canoes and kayaks right from the park too. Lots of spots in the campground have direct access to the lake, some even with a patch of sandy beach when the water is low. If you're not up to a trek down a slope to the water, the day use area has lots of places to make a gentle descent with less effort and a parking lot. Roped off swimming area is large enough to swim even when the park is full and makes it easier to keep track of your kids. In the colder months, we enjoy the peaceful quiet of listening to the leaves fall, the squirrels chatter, and the occasional boater. The fall leaves are gorgeous in these parts. Several apple orchards, hiking areas, and wineries are nearby for day trip entertainment. We often drive over to Hendersonville for shopping and a nice lunch. The campground store here is one of the better stocked ones though with a great variety of Devils Fork logo gear. It would be amazing if there were some full hookup sites and it was easier to get a reservation, but I can't hold their popularity against them. Book well in advance and look forward to it!

Great place the views are spectacular planning a trip this summer to stay in villas water was Crystal clear

Here for the weekend with friends and all of our kiddos. We absolutely love it here! It's so peaceful, clean !

On our fourth trip to Devil's Fork, we timed our visit with the peak Oconee Bells bloom in mid-March. Oconee Bells (Shortia galacifolia) are only found in the wild in a few counties in Georgia, and North and South Carolina. Besides wildflower-watching, we rented a pontoon boat and cruised along the northern lakeshore checking out the several waterfalls that dump into the lake from the Blue Ridge Escarpment. The campground has adequate amenities (bathhouses, laundry, water and electrical hookups, along with rustic tent camping. There is even a boat-in campground (haven't tried it yet). We rented a villa on another occasion; it was quite nice. We've only ever visited in the spring, and the park is much busier in the summer. But so worth a visit!

An absolutely amazing and stunning place to go and a pretty affordable entry fee to the state park lots of amenities and a very clean place to go. It definitely in family friendly, and a great place to have a daycation

Bathrooms are disgusting, campgrounds are super unleveled, with almost two much tree covering, you never see the sun!! No fish biting at all, but the water was clear and preety, I much prefer Lake James, it's a much better experience!

Great place to swim, hike and have a day out with family and friends. It does cost to get in, cost is per person not per vehicle

We had a great week trip here in both a regular RV site and a tent site for our group. We chose site 47 for the camper since we wanted to be close to a bath house, then we chose site 21 for the tent site because it had excellent lake views. Overall, we had a great time here and would be glad to come back due to wonderful people camping around us, the lake access and views, and because it's a nice little campground. If you have a boat this is one of the best places to camp with so much to see and do on the lake. They have excess parking available for boat trailers as well. If you have kayaks or paddle boards they have a launch for that inside the state park or you can launch at many of the areas along the edges of the campground with beautiful mountains all around you for your kayak or even can make your way for a long paddle to one of the falls. A few things we noticed for improvement while camping for the week were that they cut down many trees which we are sure needed to happen, but they weren't picked up just left on the ground scattered all over the park. On Monday we walked around to see what our tent site looked like and by Wednesday when we went to setup the tent it was a completely different looking site due to trees knocked down and brush all over the surrounding area of the site. It cleared a prettier view of the lake, but caused a massively clustered area all around the site great for snakes and other critters to hide inside. We actually had a snake come into the bathhouse area while we were trying to exit the bathhouse due to the doors being propped open because of covid concerns which typically wouldn't happen when the doors are shut. The sinks in the bathhouse required you hold them on without any kind of paper towel or anything so they became a cause for concern with sanitation. The bathhouse down by the kayak launch was more of an outhouse with no sink or trash cans and seemed like in the 4 days we went down there it was never cleaned or maintained with an atrocious smell that hit you even when standing in the parking lot. We also had an issue with the gate getting into the campground after it locked on the first night. We were given a code which when we put it into the lock didn't open the lock. We were locked out and another lady was actually locked in the campground trying to leave. We pulled on it and tried different codes with no success. Finally, another vehicle pulled up and a man was able to force it open as the lock had gotten jammed somehow and was almost impossible to open. We all thought we had the wrong code, but turns out it was just extremely stuck. Other than those few situations the campground was great for our stay. We will definitely come back with a boat next time and not just kayaks. The lake was gorgeous and extremely refreshing. The showers in the bathhouse worked well. The community of people camping while we were here were extremely friendly. We even had issues with our vehicle and the ranger came by to jump us right away. We had an eventful, but great camping trip here and hope to be back in the future to explore some more. There's not much near the campground so it's probably best to grab supplies on your way in or plan to spend 30mins one way to get them. There is a lot of hiking in the area though with waterfalls, trails, other state parks, and more to venture off to see if you feel like leaving the park to explore. We enjoyed this area and we are looking forward to coming back.

Lake Jocassee is a beautiful 7,500 acre reservoir created by Duke Energy for their nuclear power plant in 1973. The state park has stunning waterfalls, trails, and campsites along the lake. You can reserve cabins or campsites, but make is to schedule well in advance. Bring your water craft or rent it for a day out on the water. I would highly recommend taking a tour of the lake; it is the best way to see the waterfalls and extremely educational! The natural beauty of the lake, mountains, and forest make Devil's Fork State Park well worth the trip to South Carolina.

It's a beautiful place to go for recreation or to simply ride through and take advantage of great photo ops.

Very nice top rated beautiful lake view like Joe Cassie is a valuable resource and full of trout it's a little cold water is very deep most people draw guaranteed to be a good time for your whole family bring your boat spends money the local restaurants meet people Oconee county we are fun people and like outsiders

Very nice state park. Boat rentals can be arranged for individual rental or guided tours. Places to swim and waterfalls to visit by boat. Kayak rentals also available. I would recommend you need a boat with motor to get to waterfalls.

Spent a few nights here in June. The lake is beautiful and the campgrounds are well maintained with a very clean bathhouse. Great place to camp! We tried to kayak to waterfalls but they were too far. Wish we had gotten more info on that ahead of time.

We love this park, it's beautiful and along the lake. It is generally quiet and the people who camped along side of us were kind and friendly. The staff knocked on our door to let us know the code to the gate would be changing the next day, they wanted to assure us re-entry. Each RV site has water and electric and patios are provided, so you can sit level outdoors. There is a fire pit as well, which must be attended to or completely put out. There were buildings for bathrooms and laundry, but we didn't use either. It rained most of our trip, but the serenity and peace being here was so relaxing and refreshing, so we didn't venture out by foot much. We had armadillos under our RV, yes I said armadillos! There were trails to explore, but due to the rain, we didn't investigate, that will have to be a future return trip. We enjoyed our stay so much that several days before we were to leave, we extended our stay. We have been here before and I guarantee we will be back.

The lake is most definitely a five star. I believe it has 28 waterfalls but 5 major ones. Even though the lake is feed by the mountain springs the temperature was perfect, and this is coming from someone who is always cold. The color of the lake is breathtaking. Slip off in a cove and enjoy the absolute beauty. I only found one cliff to jump off but I think there is more. The one I jumped off was about 25 foot so plenty of excitement for those dare devils. The water was super smooth great for tubing or skiing. I definitely recommend renting or bringing a boat. We rented a pontoon from Jocassee boat rentals. It was expensive but worth it. We paid $350 for 8 hours but only used it for 6. Of course you have to pay to fill it up they charge the card you rented it on. That came out to be $86 not great but not as bad as I was expecting. It rains a lot there if your out on the boat pull into a cove and grab a snack because it passes quickly. They provide a map on the boat but google maps shows quite a bit of the waterfall locations. Now for the reason for the 3 star rating. The camping area. We had lot 4 which was right by one of the bathrooms, in my opinion the best spot for campers. The driveway is long, plenty of room for a big rig and a vehicle. But was great for our little PUP and two vehicles. What I did not like about it was it's a strick park. You can't disturb nature, which is fine but you can't pick up the limbs that have fallen on the ground which makes it look messy. They have a fire pit that doubles as a grill. If you dont bring your own wood you will have to spend $5-$6.50 for a small bundle of wood. We just used charcoal but didnt get that true campfire feel. The bathrooms uggggg. I guess this is when I become a diva. The water pressure is horrible and you pretty much only need to turn the hot water on, and God forbid if someone flushes the toilet you basically deal with a dribble. My husband said the water in the men's room didnt have much hot water at all. The stalls for the shower only have a curtain in the changing area so if you dont get it to close all the way anyone walking in will see you in all your glory. In the first shower there is a bench and two iron shelves that are nice to hang your towel on and put your phone on. But in the shower there is nothing to set your soap, razor, washcloth or your shampoo on. You can kinda set a few things by the water knobs but you gotta do a balancing act to make it work. The second shower does not have the bench in it, I didnt use that one because I have way to much stuff. The sink area was small. It had two sinks with one plug between the two. Blow drying you hair is doable but you'd be in the way if someone needed to wash their hands. Speaking of washing hands you have to get the soap and rub your hands together and rinse one at a time because you have to push the knob with the other, lame. The toilets are okay. Everything was at least clean just old and tired. All and all the lake is what made the trip if we had not of rented the boat I would of not been that happy. I did enjoy my trip and made the best of it. Would I go again probably not. But everyone should go once to enjoy the lake just dont stay long. I forgot to add it's in the middle of nowhere. Walmart is 45 minutes away so be sure to stock up on groceries. There is a dollar general 20 minutes away but that's only good if you plan on eating sandwiches. And bring more coolers so you can store all the food. The boat and camp ground sell ice for when you need it.

The five stars is 100% for the lake. I was expecting a pretty scenic like, but wow! Water is crystal clear, and the scenery is amazing. The parking south has a surf shop where you can rent kayaks, canoes, and stand up paddle boards. Restroom facilities parking, boat ramp. There didn't seem to be much else around the park, but again this is 100% focused on visiting this lake. You can swim anywhere in the lake, park your canoe her about on the shore, and eat lunch, or just to around and try to find the waterfalls.

This is the loveliest state park I have been to in SC. The main office was nicely stocked and the campgrounds were very well constructed. The view of the lake is incredible. The staff is professional and everything is quite clean. I'm looking forward to camping here.

Beautiful place but the rangers are so burned out. No one manages the ramps, parking lots, or anything. Unless they are collecting money. Then they have locals doing those jobs.

The lake is without a doubt 5 stars. You have to get here early but you get to enjoy the most beautiful lake in the area hands down. The waterfalls and water are absolutely gorgeous. The state park is not nice. The boat ramps need to be redone, there is no place to unload or prepare the trailer for the road after you get off the water. The parking lot is a complete mess If you arrive after 8:30 am. I am always very happy with the days on jocassee but many of the people who are "rangers" at this park are not friendly or reasonable. Park rangers should be happy to help people but the people directing traffic act like you are attempting a coup on the president of the US if you make a wrong turn. The rangers left a really bad taste in everyone's mouth after a great day on the lake. The park needs updating, better signage and rangers who actually like their job.

This is the third time we have been. This place is spectacular. The cabins are so nice and the views are breathtaking. Very clean and cozy. Kitchens are stocked with everything you need, as well. Why pay Airbnb prices when these cabins are perfectly located and a fraction of the price. Only minor complaint are the pillows were not great, so bring your own. Love this place!

Only about an hour from Greenville, we've been to Devil's Fork/Lake Jocassee twice now for kayaking. It's a gorgeous place with cool, clear water and majestic mountains as a backdrop. Jocassee is large and can be intimidating with rougher water from boats and jet skis, so we kayaked close to shore and checked out all the peaceful coves. One cove had a sandy beach area where we rested and watched the fish in the beautifully clear water. We also noticed a lot of campers along the coves, some of which had hung their hammocks between trees and had lounging floats in the water. What a great way to spend a week, or even just a day. Rentals are available for kayaks, paddle boards, as well as jet skis, and there are kayaking tours if you don't want to go it alone. Highly recommend!

This spot was breathtaking, I could not believe that there was a view this beautiful. The mountains were perfectly lining the lake and the weather was perfect to go out on the jet skis. I went with some family and we enjoyed it very much and even got to see some hidden waterfalls and take really amazing pictures.

I went camping here a few weeks ago in august at a tent site and it was amazing. Would 100% recommend. The water is beautiful, refreshing and clean. The walk from the parking lot to the hike in camp site isn't bad, maybe 3 minutes. We rented a kayak from eclectic sun and kayaked an hour to a waterfall. I would love to go back and explore some more!

Please check out my YouTube video of these hikes at: Josh the Travel Guy Oconee Bells: This is a nice short trail. This trail is wooded, and has a nice stream which you cross a couple times. Should take less than an hour to complete. There is a parking lot close with lots of space. I was the only one on the trail when I went. It was a hot humid day, so I was glad I had shorts. Oconee Bells are a flower. You can see a little placard near the stream which will indicate this. Bear Cove: Bear Cove is a nice little 2.5 mile or so loop hike. I parked at the visitor center and connected with the trail head from there. Easy to follow. Trail is mostly wooded, with the opportunity to go to the lakeside in several locations. Great views from the tip of the hike. Once again, thank you for checking out my review, and be sure to check out these hikes visually at my YouTube page. Simply search for Josh the Travel Guy and you can find it there!

Camping (1 star) It's will be a one time thing due to the cost of $37 a night on a non holiday weekday for a tent. The tent area given is given around 50 square feet for all your stuff minus a uncomfortable bench and a small fire pit and with the map for the tent camper is misleading making it look like it's on the water and you have water access,you don't and they don't make it easy to carry your stuff to the camp do to the putting a fence making you take a longer route Lake (3 stars) It's a nice lake very clear and is nice for water sports. If fishing on kayaks it's difficult in August in the morning due to wind and we caught plenty of bluegills Note If you are one of the campers who like this park you may want to try other parks

What a beautiful place . We rented a kayak and enjoys a few hours out in the water. Will definitely come again!

Took my son camping here for the first time... Just the two of us so was a little nervous. Felt very safe - small and friendly and amazing location right off the water with lots of trails - one even led to a private little beach!! SO fun - recommend camping site #1 (trail leads to jumping rock) or #13 (right at the peninsula - can put you kayak right in the water). Clean and big bathrooms and huge showers! Will def go back soon :)

This state park/campground is about as good as it gets - at least for us. We have been to a few in South Carolina but this one is just exceptional. Lake Jocassee is just beautiful and the water is the most beautiful blue green - pictures just don't do it justice. We camped up the hill from the lake and loved our site. We have a small RV and the site was level and clean. The park is very quiet and the bathrooms are large and clean as well. The showers are large by most state park standards with racks for shampoos and such. There is a separate dressing area inside each shower stall with curtains on both areas which is always nice. Another nice touch is a fully loaded drink machine outside the bath house. We took our canoe out on the lake and it was just wonderful. We have never experienced a lake quite like this one. Hubby even took a swim even though the water was pretty cold there in October but he thoroughly enjoyed it. There are pack in tent campsites and lots of different types of RV sites at this campground as well as picnic areas, opportunities for scuba diving, kayaking and more. We loved the campground so much that we extended our stay a day longer and we definitely would have stayed longer if we had not had to get home. We already booked another stay there for a full week next year. It's also very safe and has a locked gate at night with quiet time from 10 PM till 7 AM. Can't recommend this campground and Lake Jocassee enough!!!

We stayed last week in July during the week, thinking it would not be as crowded but we were wrong. It is a nice lake pretty water lots of kayaking and boating opportunities. We stayed in site 1 and it was steep. The pull through area wasn't bad and they had a level step down area to sit at but the pit was further down from that area. I would not suggest site 1. If it rains all the rain water comes to site 1 and 3. There is also beach access in between 1 and 3 so people are up and down and the little area at the access is also crowded with boats and hard to fine a quiet area. There is also no view from the sites.

Beautiful lake. Beautiful scenery. Extremely clear water. We rented a pontoon boat for the day and it was gorgeous. Debbie was extremely friendly and helpful. Not crowded here at all when we were there. Beautiful discreet waterfalls you could get to on the boat. Did not catch any fish though.

HELP !!! I went snorkeling near the primitive campsites 2 days ago. We went off some beach where a pontoon boat was parked. I left my really nice and expensive wetsuit out to dry on a log. It's orange on the inside and black/green on the outside. I think it is an XL OR L. I really hope somebody has this bc i just bought it and saved up for months for it. I should've been more attentive but it was dark. Please and thank you so much! 336.554.2359

Bear Cove Trail Length: 2.5 mile loop Type: Hiking Trail: "Scenic views of Lake Jocassee await you at the loop end of this hilly, mildly rugged, dirt trail. From the kiosk in the picnic area you will descend into a mixed forest where you may see dogwood, black cherry, red maple, and a variety of other trees among the oak and pine. Although the trail is mostly easy to follow, look for the blue blaze markers and avoid side paths especially where you cross a park road, re-enter the woods and climb a hilly area where the loop portion of the trail begins. You can relax on a bench near the lakeshore before following the loop back. After a short distance, you will be at the end of the loop portion of the trail and you will go back the way you came. Watch for a variety of birds, as well as bear, deer, snakes, and other wildlife." (southcarolinaparks.com) The trails are very well market and this was a great family hike - not too difficult and beautiful scenery!

Experienced this amazing place with my wife and dog while road tripping. This is a hidden gem and I was hesitant to even write a review. We had a corner lot for camping with breathtaking views, sun, shade and nature. The bathroom facilities were actually pretty clean with warm water and had absolutely no pest or animal issues. There is also lake access with kayak and supply sales/rentals. I would definitely go back.

Camped here July 2014 with 7 other families. Everyone had such a great time. We stayed in the RV section but used a tent. The tent pad was too small so we used the paved area to set up our tent. The site had electric and running water which was such a nice amenity. We used inflatable beds which was key to a good night's sleep. Only bugs were horse flies and there was a snake in our campground but that's just part of camping. Beautiful lake, great cliffs to jump and so much more to do. It entertained all 20 of the kids that were with us. Definitely returning next summer!