Sumter National Forest

Andrew Pickens Ranger District

A stone and timber picnic shelter at the Chattooga Picnic Area provides a cool spot to hide from the summer heat. A curving boardwalk winds through the cool streamside forest, allowing visitors to stop and rest or throw a line in at the fishing pier. In this forest you will see some of the state's largest and oldest white pine and hemlock trees.

Visitors who want to stay longer may like to see the adjacent Walhalla State Fish Hatchery. More than 200,000 pounds of brown and rainbow trout are produced each year to stock the Chattooga River, Lake Jocassee, and many streams in Oconee, Pickens, and Greenville counties.

The picnic area is near Ellicott Rock Wilderness. Consult the Andrew Pickens Ranger District for information on the wilderness and purchasing a trail guide.

Directions: North of Oconee State Park on Highway 107. Follow signs to the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery.

Site Information: Wheelchair accessible boardwalk and fishing pier. Nonaccessible toilet facilities. Wheelchair accessible picnic area, tables, and grills. Accessible restrooms at Fish Hatchery during business hours.

Yellow Branch Picnic Area
Nestled in a mixed pine and hardwood stand, this area has picnic tables scattered about upper and lower loops. A Civilian Conservation Corps stone and wood shelter and a restroom are accessible by wheelchair from the lower loop parking lot. Yellow Branch creek is located across from the picnic area and is easily accessed by a short loop (about one mile) hiking trail.

The Stumphouse Ranger Station (district office for the Andrew Pickens Ranger District) is located a quarter-mile mile north of the picnic area. A wide variety of information is available here. Items such as maps, field guides, and Smoky Bear merchandise may be purchased.

Stumphouse Tunnel Park, owned by the Pendleton Historical Society, is located between the picnic area and the ranger station. The tunnel is no longer open due to safety concerns, but the park has picnic tables, a small stream and Isaqueena Falls. Another point of interest nearby is Walhalla, South Carolina, which has several restaurants and specialty stores. The town holds an Octoberfest each year.

Directions: Drive about six miles north of Walhalla, SC. The picnic area is on the left off Highway 28.

Site Information: The shelter can be reserved for a group to use for a fee. Reservations require two weeks advance notice. Reservations are first-come, first-served. The area is open April through October for day-use only.

Enoree Ranger District

Molly's Rock Picnic Area
Molly's Rock Picnic Area is nestled amongst a pine forest that was once the location of a plantation home, with a large playfield that was once the lawn. The one-acre pond was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and is managed for catfish.

Directions: From Newberry take S.C. Route 121 north 9.5 miles to U.S. Route 176; turn right (southeast) and drive 2 miles to Forest Service Road 387; turn left and drive a half-mile.

Site Information: There is a fish limit of five catfish. The site has a self-guided interpretive trail, accessible fishing pier, picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking water, and several picnic tables and grills. There is a large grassy area for game playing. No swimming, wading, or boating are permitted. South Carolina fishing license required.