Horsepasture Road

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Allowed

Features Views

Bring plenty of water in the summer months. Be aware of off-road vehicles traveling no this road. Road is open all year.

Area is open to hunting during hunting season. Wearing orange is required, but it is advised to avoid this area entirely during this time.

Bicycles are permitted on all roads, unless otherwise posted.

Horsepasture Road is the main artery through the Jocassee Gorges WMA. It begins at the Laurel Valley parking area and descends all the way down to Jocassee Dam on Lake Jocassee. The dam is not accessible to the public. This road is open all year unlike the seasonal roads in the WMA. Parking is available at the Laurel Valley parking area or anywhere along the road where there is a site with space. 8 miles or so in, Jumping Off Rock lookout point may be visited for some spectacular views of Lake Jocassee. Along the road, there are 3 smaller lookout points with good views.

There are green road signs at the intersections with the other roads in the WMA, making navigation somewhat easy. This road is rated black due to the gravel, lack of grip, and sketchy high-speed descents. The road surface is mainly large gravel (2-4 inches in diameter) over loose sand. It is very difficult at times to get grip on the climbs. On the descents, the looseness of this surface can make it difficult to control your bike, often washing out in the corners. Heavy erosion may be present after seasonal wet weather. The roads generally get resurfaced every 1-2 years, unless heavy erosion makes sections impassable. A cyclo-cross bike is not recommended for this area, and even a hard-tail may be difficult to ride in some sections.