Last Updated on May 12, 2023 by Nikole
Lake Jocassee offers many different activities you and your family can do, including camping, hiking, boating, fishing, swimming, camping, and waterfall chasing.
Here we will go over the access points to get into Lake Jocassee and find campsites and hiking within the state park.
Intro to Gaining Access to Lake Jocassee South Carolina
Lake Jocassee is South Carolinas very own private Caribean. The reason I say “private” is because of the very few access points offered.
My husband, Clark, and I were extremely confused about where we could enter the lake. The lakes back home all have free access points.
This lake proved tricky to get to unless you wanted to pay to get into the state park.
Devils Fork State Park Lake Jocassee South Carolina
Lake Jocassee in South Carolina seems to be an extremely undeveloped area, considering how beautiful the lake is. The only access point is through Devil’s Fork State Park.
You can find a map of all the access points in the state park here.
Devil’s Fork State Park
Devil’s Fork State Park entrance fees are as follows
- $8 per adult
- $5 for South Carolina seniors aged 65 or older
- $5 for children aged 6-15
- 5 year old or younger are free
These are strictly fees for acquiring access to Lake Jocassee.
You can either pay inside the gift shop or at one of the booths. The booths close at 5 PM, but you can still get into the park after 5; the time varies on the day.
Take a ticket from the side of the booth if you want to access the lake after hours. Fill out the required info, pay your fee by putting cash in the envelope, and place the hangtag on your rearview mirror.
In case you were wondering if you can get away with not paying, many park rangers are patrolling the area… (it’s better to be safe than sorry.)
Is there Another Way of Getting into Lake Jocassee?
I wouldn’t suggest trying other ways to access Lake Jocassee to save a buck. We tried, and we wasted time doing this.
Several people even told us that the state park was the only way to access the lake, but for some reason, we didn’t believe them.
Using the Hiking Trails to Gain Access to Lake Jocassee
You May be able to access Lake Jocassee through some hiking trails. Keep in mind the trails around the lake can be extremely lengthy and not worth it to save a buck.
However, you may stumble across some of the waterfalls for which Lake Jocassee is famous. The scenery on most trails is also beautiful and worth the hike if you want to be in nature.
Other Things to Do at Devils Fork State Park
This park offers more than just a lake and access points. You will find camping and hiking trails as well.
Camping at Devils for State Park
If you would like to stay in the state park for your entire trip you can go camping at Devils Fork State Park. You will need to reserve your camping area well ahead of time.
There are several options available including
- Regular RV, campervan, and tent sites
- Tent only
- Villas
- Boat in
You can use the South Carolina Parks website to reserve your campsite. Here are some of your options, at a glance, if you want to go camping at Lake Jocassee.
Devils Fork State Park requires a 2-night minimum stay. The numbers below are the average prices you will see per 2-night stay. Keep in mind pricing fluctuates per season and on weekend nights.
| Type of Site | How many are available | Average Pricing Per 2 nights Per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Standard RV/tent | 59 | $80-$100 |
| Tent only | 25 | $70-$80 |
| Boat-only Campground (only accessible by boat | 24 | $124 per 4-night stay |
| Villas | 20 | $1,700- $1900 per week |
Hiking at Devils Fork State Park
There are so many areas to go hiking in Devils Fork State Park. Even outside of the park presents many beautiful spots to hike.
In some of these areas, you can hike to the waterfalls and the lake; however, the journey to your destination is relatively long when starting outside Devils Fork.
Here are some of the best hiking areas in and outside of Devils Fork State Park. Click on the link to find directions or read more about the trail.
Hiking Trails Inside Devils Fork State Park
| Trail Name | Length | Difficulty | View |
| Oconcee Bell | 1.5-mile loop | Easy | Small waterfall, creek |
| The Bear Cove Trail | 2-mile loop | Easy | Beach with a view of the lake |
| Laurel Fork Falls | Short Connector trail | Moderate | Waterfall on the lake |
Hiking Trails Around Lake Jocassee
Keep in mind that these are not ALL of the trails you will find around Lake Jocassee. Below are some of the BEST Lake Jocassee trails with the best views.
| Trail name | Length | Difficulty | View |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foothills Trail | 15.6 mile loop | Strenuous | 15.6-mile loop |
| Laurel Fork Falls | 9.6 miles out-and-back | Strenuous | Lake Jocassee and Laurel Fork waterfall |
| Lower White Water Falls Trail | Upper White Waterfall viewing deck | Strenuous | 4.0 miles out-and-back |
| Upper White Water Falls Trail | 1.2 miles out-and-back | Easy | Lake Jocassee and the river |
Conclusion to Lake Jocassee South Carolina
If you want a grand vacation to this beautiful lake I would suggest just going to Devil’s Fork State Park.
There are other surrounding campgrounds you can go to (we went to Jocassee RV camp with our camper van), but Devil’s Fork offers access to Lake Jocassee among anything else you may need during your stay. Happy travels!
