LMPS Members Enjoy Long Weekend on Lake Jocassee

It was too early for fall colors, but 52 members of the Lake Murray Power Squadron were happy to find the water still warm enough to enjoy while cruising the waters of Lake Jocassee 20-23 September 2021. With one couple camping, the remainder of the group rented 13 villas at Devils Fork State Park for the long weekend. Some folks took time for a cruise of Lake Keowee, while others added a drive through the mountains. Especially nice was the abundance of waterfalls resulting from the summer rains. do plan to sign aboard for this trip next time around - remember we have to plan two years out in order to reserve cabins for this popular destination! If anything, some of us old timers miss the relative secluded nature that defined the lake when the squadron was one of the first groups to book villas when they first opened in 1992. It was daunting to see the line of traffic waiting to launch Saturday - the park actually closed when it reached capacity, a common problem during boating season.

Incoming Administrative Officer Valerie Hunter coordinated the trip and members Charles and Stephanie Heath provided an excellent guided tour of the lake, which is a 7,565-acre, 300-foot deep man-made reservoir in northwest South Carolina. Formed by the Whitewater, Thompson, and Toxaway Rivers, it is known for its mostly undeveloped shoreline, views of the Jocassee Gorges Wildlife Management Area and surrounding mountains, and waterfalls that cascade directly into the lake. The lake is operated by Duke Power Company. Public access is through Devils Fork State Park, created in 1973 through a partnership between South Carolina and Duke Power.