Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Clemson University, South Carolina

Segment 3 is the "upstate" section of the SCAR, and is bookended by the towns of Westminster and Gaffney. This section transits the Blue Ridge Mountains and consists of some fabulous gravel roads with a few notable climbs and descents. It is interspersed with some beautiful paved sections--including...
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Hill Cove is a short, well-maintained gravel single-track road that winds through Sumter National Forest. This is an easy 2/10 trail with some mild 6-8" ruts due to runoff. There is a large turnaround at the end and a trail that leads to Tamassee Knob Trail. There is limited cell service, so plan ac...
Learn more about Hill Cove - FS 705

FS 744I is a simple out-and-back trail located within the scenic stretches of Sumter National Forest just beyond the Georgia/South Carolina line. The route follows an easy, mostly single-lane gravel and dirt road with no significant obstacles, making it suitable for nearly any vehicle, including sta...
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Forest Service Road 744C is a simple out-and-back trail located within the scenic sections of Sumter National Forest just beyond the Georgia/South Carolina line. The route follows an easy, mostly single-lane gravel road with no major obstacles, making it suitable for nearly any vehicle, including st...
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Horse Bone - FS 715 is a short out-and-back trail that winds through the Sumter National Forest. The trail is single-width and well-maintained. It starts in a dense part of the forest, then opens onto a clear-cut offering 360-degree views of nearby mountains. There is limited cell service (AT&T). Th...
Learn more about Horse Bone - FS 715

Norton Field - FS 715A is a well-maintained gravel road that winds through the Sumter National Forest. It starts in a clear-cut and then leads into a dense canopy. Along the trail, there is a large parking area and an open field where you can explore Tamassee Creek. At the end of the trail, there is...
Learn more about Norton Field - FS 715A

Cedar Creek Rifle Range - FS 738A turns off Cassidy Bridge Road at the rifle range sign and runs into the range itself. This 1/10 trail is graded gravel and easy the whole way, built to carry regular passenger traffic into the site. The range at the end has five shooting tables, three of them under ...
Learn more about Cedar Creek Rifle Range - FS 726

Shooting Tree Ridge is a gravel forest road located within the Jocassee Gorges of upstate South Carolina, just east of Lake Jocassee in Pickens County. The 8.5-mile trail runs from Cleo Chapman Highway in Eastatoee, north to Horse Pasture Road. There's an area within the gate for parking, and you ca...
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FS 2658 is a short out-and-back, single-lane gravel road that branches off FS 744C within the scenic sections of Sumter National Forest. The trail winds through peaceful forest terrain with several small hills and gentle elevation changes along the route. While the road may be narrow in places, most...
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This is an out-and-back trail that follows an easy, mostly single-lane gravel road for the first 3/4 of the trail. When you pass the large turnaround area, the trail gets narrow and has some small hills and slight off-camber areas that any higher clearance vehicle will have no problem with. It meand...
Learn more about Forest Road 748B

Chambers Branch Road, Forest Service Road 736, runs out of shaded hardwood and works its way onto the ridge through stands of pine. This 1/10 trail is graded gravel the whole way, with a few recently freshened sections and nothing in the way of obstacles. Pull-offs are scattered along the route, inc...
Learn more about Chambers Branch - FS 736

Bone Camp - FS 738 runs the ridge above Bone Camp Creek through mixed pine and hardwood, holding well-graded gravel the whole way. This 1/10 trail stays easy from start to finish, with a broad gravel junction partway along where Bone Camp A splits off. There isn't much in the way of standout feature...
Learn more about Bone Camp - FS 738

Chambers Branch A branches off Chambers Branch Road and runs back through mixed hardwood to a wide grassy turnaround at the end. This 1/10 trail is graded gravel and packed dirt with nothing in the way of obstacles, though a few leaning trees hang out over the roadway and cut logs are stacked along ...
Learn more about Chambers Branch A - FS 736A

This trail connects Rocky Ford Rd to State Road 37, which is an easy, mostly single-lane gravel road through the Sumter National Forest just beyond the Georgia/South Carolina line. The route has no notable obstacles, and most vehicles should be able to travel it without difficulty. The area is quiet...
Learn more about FS 750

Bone Camp A - FS 738A splits off the main Bone Camp road and runs down through the forest to a closed gate. This 1/10 trail is graded gravel the whole way and stays easy from start to finish, with room to pull off and park a few rigs at the junction near the gate. Access to the Chauga picks up past ...
Learn more about Bone Camp A - FS 738A

Rhoda Branch - FS 739D runs west off Cassidy Bridge Road and follows Rhoda Branch down to a bank access on the Chauga River. This 1/10 trail is graded gravel the whole way and stays easy end to end, finishing at a wide turnaround with plenty of room to park. The stretch of river it reaches sits insi...
Learn more about Rhoda Branch - FS 743

Forest Service Road 793 is a straightforward out-and-back trail located within the scenic stretches of Sumter National Forest, just beyond the Georgia/South Carolina line. The route follows an easy, mostly single-lane gravel road with no notable obstacles, making it accessible to nearly any vehicle,...
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Crooked Creek - FS 743 runs east through mixed pine and hardwood. This 1/10 trail is graded gravel the whole way and stays easy from start to finish. Toward the end, a section of forest has been cleared out, opening up good views across the ridges, and the road finishes at a large open parking area ...
Learn more about Crooked Creek - FS 743

Sassafras - SCAR Alternate is an easy, scenic out-and-back trail designed for any offroad enthusiast looking to stand atop South Carolina's highest point of elevation. This 8.7-mile route serves as a fantastic spur from the main South Carolina Adventure Route (SCAR) loop, climbing from an elevation ...
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Hellhole - FS 765 runs out and back into the forest along Hell Hole Creek, dead-ending at a wide gravel turnaround with room to swing a full-size rig around. This 1/10 trail is one of the better-maintained gravel roads in the district — wide, well-graded, and easy the whole way. Breaks in the canopy...
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Horse Bone - FS 715 is a short out-and-back trail that winds through the Sumter National Forest. The trail is single-width and well-maintained. It starts in a dense part of the forest, then opens onto a clear-cut offering 360-degree views of nearby mountains. There is limited cell service (AT&T). Th...
Learn more about Horse Bone - FS 715

Norton Field - FS 715A is a well-maintained gravel road that winds through the Sumter National Forest. It starts in a clear-cut and then leads into a dense canopy. Along the trail, there is a large parking area and an open field where you can explore Tamassee Creek. At the end of the trail, there is...
Learn more about Norton Field - FS 715A

Shooting Tree Ridge is a gravel forest road located within the Jocassee Gorges of upstate South Carolina, just east of Lake Jocassee in Pickens County. The 8.5-mile trail runs from Cleo Chapman Highway in Eastatoee, north to Horse Pasture Road. There's an area within the gate for parking, and you ca...
Learn more about Shooting Tree Ridge Road

West of Table Rock you will find this scenic out-and-back diversion. It's a nice addition to add some more challenging riding or driving to the main South Carolina Adventure Route loop. Along its path, you will encounter steep grades which are often rutted and loose. About the SCAR: The South Carol...
Learn more about Jumping Off - SCAR Alternate

Horse Bone - FS 715 is a short out-and-back trail that winds through the Sumter National Forest. The trail is single-width and well-maintained. It starts in a dense part of the forest, then opens onto a clear-cut offering 360-degree views of nearby mountains. There is limited cell service (AT&T). Th...
Learn more about Horse Bone - FS 715

Norton Field - FS 715A is a well-maintained gravel road that winds through the Sumter National Forest. It starts in a clear-cut and then leads into a dense canopy. Along the trail, there is a large parking area and an open field where you can explore Tamassee Creek. At the end of the trail, there is...
Learn more about Norton Field - FS 715A

Shooting Tree Ridge is a gravel forest road located within the Jocassee Gorges of upstate South Carolina, just east of Lake Jocassee in Pickens County. The 8.5-mile trail runs from Cleo Chapman Highway in Eastatoee, north to Horse Pasture Road. There's an area within the gate for parking, and you ca...
Learn more about Shooting Tree Ridge Road

Big Bend is a short but beautiful trail that takes you through the dense Sumter National Forest. It provides multiple access points to the Big Bend trail system, which crosses over Crane Creek and leads to the wild and scenic Chattooga River, offering world-class trout fishing and endless hiking. Th...
Learn more about Big Bend - FS 709