Area Info

Whitewater Falls is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies, falling 811 feet! The Upper Falls plummets 411 feet. It’s on the Whitewater River in the Jocassee Gorge area of North Carolina. The 400-foot Lower Falls can be accessed from a different location in South Carolina. The Whitewater River and through the series of Whitewater Falls flows into Lake Jocassee.

Lake Jocassee is a magnificent jewel nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Western North and South Carolina. Surrounded by the Jocassee Gorges and fed by 4 wild and scenic rivers and many small tributaries, it is no wonder the lake and area were recognized in National Geographic magazine’s “50 of the World’s Last Great Places” Destinations of a Lifetime. The lake was built in 1973 by Duke-Energy as a hydroelectric reservoir. The dam is 385 feet high and 1,750 feet long. Lake Jocassee has 7,500 acres of water and 75 miles of shoreline. Full pond elevation of Lake Jocassee is 1,110 feet. The Whitewater, Thomson, Horse Pasture and Toxaway Rivers all flow into Jocassee. The topography around the lake is steep undulating terrain from which the many waterfalls spill.

Lake Keowee is located on the border of Oconee and Pickens counties in the northwest corner, also known as the golden corner, of South Carolina. Since 1971, Lake Keowee’s 17,660 acres of water and 300 miles of shoreline have been a valuable source of energy and recreation in South Carolina. Full pond elevation at Lake Keowee is 800 feet. The lake provides a dependable water supply for Greenville and Seneca, South Carolina. The calm, clear waters of Lake Keowee with the reflection of the Blue Ridge mountains offer recreation such as sailing, boating, skiing, swimming, canoeing, and kayaking.