Lakeside Trail Guide: Table Rock State Park

The Lakeside Trail is in Table Rock State Park in northwestern South Carolina and features tremendous views of Pinnacle Lake and Table Rock Mountain. The park is about a 45-minute drive from Greenville, South Carolina, or an hour from Asheville, North Carolina.

We pulled into the parking lot near the Lakeside Trail on a beautiful fall afternoon. To my surprise, the parking lot was nearly empty. We’d just left Ceasars Head State Park, where a ranger recommended we swing by Table Rock State Park and hike.

As we got out of the car, the weather was gorgeous. It was in the low 70s, not that humid, with a bright blue sky streaked with wispy white clouds. After a quick drink of water and a small snack, my wife and I headed down the purple-blazed trail.

Trail Name: Lakeside Trail
Trailhead Location: Parking Lot near the beach
Distance: 1.9 Miles Roundtrip
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: ~150 Feet
Type: Loop
Features: Lake, Mountain Views, Fall Foliage
Dogs: Yes – On Leash

Hiking the Lakeside Trail in Table Rock State Park

This was an excellent choice for us. We’d already done a few hikes that day and were a bit tired. The Lakeside Trail is a 1.9-mile loop with about 150 feet of elevation gain. Many of the trails in Table Rock State Park are steep mountain trails, including the one up Pinnacle Mountain, which is the tallest mountain in South Carolina. South Carolina’s high point, Sassafras Mountain, is partially in North Carolina.

The Lakeside Trail was a delightful hike. It loops around Pinnacle Lake and features beautiful views of Table Rock Mountain reflecting on the lake. A bonus for us was that the leaves were starting to change. We were probably a few weeks too early for peak fall foliage, but it was still quite nice.

The Civil Conservation Corps built a trail in the mid-1930s, but the loop was not completed until 2011.

This hike took us about an hour to complete, and we spent about two hours in the park. I wish we had more time that day, but I look forward to revisiting.