Sumter National Forest

Sumter National Forest is a protected forest covering roughly 370,000 acres in South Carolina, divided into three ranger districts: Enoree, Long Cane, and Andrew Pickens. The terrain features wooded hills, river valleys, and mountain ridges with numerous trails and water bodies throughout the property.

The forest was established in 1936 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated it as a separate national forest and named it after Revolutionary War general Thomas Sumter. This creation reflected the federal government's broader effort to protect forest lands for the future.

The forest is named after a Revolutionary War general and reflects the area's heritage as ancestral lands of the Cherokee people. Visitors walking through it today can sense this deep historical connection to the indigenous communities who lived here for centuries.

The forest offers activities such as hiking, camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting, and fishing spread across its large area. It helps to choose a specific section or trailhead beforehand and confirm which activities are permitted in that particular zone.

Ellicott Rock Wilderness within the forest spans across three states—South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina—making it a rare tri-state wilderness area. This cross-border protected zone shows how nature conservation transcends political boundaries.

Location: Jackson County

Operator: United States Forest Service

GPS coordinates: 34.57856,-81.70381

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:52