Caesars Head State Park is located in northern Greenville County, SC, only three miles from the North Carolina border. It is almost seven and a half thousand acres in size and along with Jones Gap State Park, the park forms the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. It is approximately 45 miles from the nearest airport, which is Greenville-Spartanburg International and from Greenville drivers should take Highway 276 West for about 30 miles with the park located at the top of the mountain right off the Highway.
The park is a very scenic area especially during fall and is easily accessible with its headquarters on U.S. 276 just shy of the state line. It is very popular for many types of fishing including prime trout fishing in the state-designated scenic Middle Saluda River.
Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas of the park so long as they are kept on a leash not longer than six feet.
There are no cabins or villas at the park but it does have 24 primitive campsites at the Mountain Bridge Wilderness area with 18 providing fire pits, whilst the other six do not allow fires. Camping is permitted only on designated campsites with visitors requiring a permit, and anyone attempting to pitch up in other than designated areas will probably receive a fine. No drive up campsites are available on the park and there is no water or electricity provided at any of the sites.
The Visitors Information Center is open year round from 9am to 5pm except Christmas Day when it is closed, and contains exhibits of area attractions, a relief map of the Mountain Bridge trail system, hawk displays and a variety of gift and souvenir items. Visitors can bring food to the park and there is a free to use picnic shelter available on a first-come, first-served basis. Many people enjoy fishing in the Middle Saluda, Matthews and Julian creeks for brook, rainbow and brown trout, but a valid South Carolina fishing license is required to undertake this recreational activity.
One of the main attractions of the year is the Hawk Watch program during fall, which is timed to allow visitors to catch sight of hundreds of migrating raptors such as hawks, kites, falcons, eagles and others. People can observe this from the park visitors' own perch at 3,200 feet above sea level. Other features of the park include Caesars Head, which is 3,208 feet above sea level providing a panoramic view of the mountain country and is one of the most famous natural landmarks in the state.
There are several hiking trails around Caesars Head and adjoining Jones Gap state parks, which together form the Mountain Bridge Wilderness and contains approximately 11,000 acres of mountain forest. A favorite trail for visitors at Caesars Head leads to the 420 foot high Raven Cliff Falls, with a suspension bridge overlooking the falls as they drop to the mountain cove below. Park hours are 9am-6pm daily and are extended to 9pm during daylight savings time.
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