Cherokee Foothills Byway recommended for RVs

Rex Vogel, who writes the RV-focused site RVing with Rex, published a May 15 post recommending South Carolina’s Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway for “slow” RV travel, steering readers toward a route built around short driving days, scenic pull-offs and overnight stops. The post described the byway as a better fit for travelers “thinking in terms of time, not miles,” and said frequent overlooks and small-town stops can turn a short drive into a full day. South Carolina’s Cherokee Foothills route is not a new road. Official tourism and byway listings identify it as South Carolina Highway 11, or Scenic11, running between Interstate 85 near the North Carolina border and Interstate 85 at the Georgia line. The National Scenic Byway Foundation lists the road at 112 miles and says it received National Scenic Byway designation in 1998, while Vogel’s post describes the corridor as roughly 120 miles. (rvingwithrex.com) ### Which road are RV travelers being told to take? South Carolina Highway 11 is the road at the center of the recommendation. Scenic11’s official site says the byway follows the southernmost peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers “a scenic alternative to driving the Interstate.” The National Scenic Byway Foundation says the route links Lake Hartwell near the Georgia border with historic Gaffney in the east. Recreation.gov says drivers approaching from Atlanta can join the route from Interstate 85 at Exit 1 near the South Carolina state line. (scenic11.com) The federal byways map and state tourism pages also list the route as one of South Carolina’s national scenic byways. ### Why did the May 15 post single it out for RVs? Vogel’s May 15 article said the “biggest adjustment” for RV travelers is to think about time rather than mileage because overlooks, scenic pull-offs and town stops can stretch the day. (scenic11.com) He wrote that the road works better in segments than as a single through-drive and said small towns along the route lend themselves to overnight stays. (recreation.gov) The same post also pointed to state parks and rural stops as part of the appeal for larger vehicles moving at a slower pace. Vogel wrote that state parks along the byway offer places to pause, reset and spend more time off the road. ### What official stops back up that pitch? Table Rock State Park, which sits along the Highway 11 corridor, lists 94 campsites across two camping areas, with water and electrical hookups at each site and some sites that accommodate RVs up to 40 feet, according to South Carolina Parks. (rvingwithrex.com) Keowee-Toxaway State Park lists 10 paved sites with water and 50-amp electrical hookups and says they can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet total vehicle length, though the park warns that larger units may have difficulty navigating the campground road. (rvingwithrex.com) Devils Fork State Park says two campgrounds are located near Lake Jocassee and lists restrooms with hot showers near the campsites. South Carolina Parks also promotes Highway 11 as a state-park road trip, with Jones Gap, Caesars Head and Table Rock among the featured stops. (southcarolinaparks.com) That state write-up describes the highway as a scenic, historic route built as an alternative to Interstate 85. ### How long should travelers expect the drive to take? The National Scenic Byway Foundation says the drive can be done in about four hours, but Vogel’s post argued that end-to-end timing misses the point for RV travelers. (southcarolinaparks.com) His article said shorter driving distances leave room for unplanned stops, including overlooks, roadside cafés and small-town detours. Byways.org, another byway listing site, says travelers should allow at least three hours to tour the route. (southcarolinaparks.com) Vogel’s recommendation was aimed at people willing to stretch that timeline into a multi-stop or overnight trip. ### Where can travelers check the route before they go? Scenic11’s official website offers trip-planning pages for things to see, places to stay and places to eat along the corridor. (nsbfoundation.com) The National Scenic Byway Foundation page lists local partners including visitor centers and chambers of commerce in Gaffney, Spartanburg, Pickens and Oconee County. South Carolina Parks maintains current camping pages for Table Rock, Devils Fork and Keowee-Toxaway, and Recreation.gov lists gateway access information for the scenic highway. (byways.org) Those pages are the named sources travelers can use next to check campsite limits, park access and route entry points before departure. (southcarolinaparks.com) (scenic11.com)