Trail Overview
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 some time on the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway, which passes Table Rock Mountain and Caesar's Head State Park. The highest elevation of the SCAR Loop is in Caesar's Head State Park, at about 3,500 ft. Be sure to stop at the visitor's center and absorb the view! Another notable point of interest is the Cowpens Revolutionary War battlefield. About the SCAR: The South Carolina Adventure Route loops through approximately 1,000 miles of rural South Carolina. Along this route, you'll enjoy the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Atlantic Ocean, diverse forests, cotton fields, state parks, historical sites, and quaint towns. The SCAR also connects to the Smokey Mountains 500, the Georgia Traverse, and the Trans-America Trail (TAT), providing riders on those trails with a scenic route to the Atlantic coast at Edisto Beach. The roads along the SCAR are a mix of pavement and dirt, 60% and 40% respectively, with the surface alternating between gravel, dirt, clay, and sand. The route is not exceptionally technical, but dry conditions can leave the sandy roads loose, while wet conditions can leave the mud and clay roads slick and rutted. Travelers should expect to encounter deep sand and sizable mud holes in the worst conditions.
