[theme music] Susan Collier:>> Our destination...Oconee State Park in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and a little South Carolina history at Keowee-Toxaway State Natural Area.

[theme music] Susan:>> Hi, I'm here at Oconee State Park.

I'm joined by Park Manager Andy Davis.

Andy, we're at the waterwheel, and this site is actually a replication of what was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Andy Davis:>> That's correct.

The wheel itself is the original wheel that supplied water for the CCC camp in 1935.

The original rockwork is still on the Old Waterwheel Trail.

It's a unique place to visit.

Susan:>> It's someplace that we can hike down to and take a look at.

Andy:>> Oh, yes.

Susan:>> Okay.

You have a lot of structures here at Oconee that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, don't you?

Andy:>> Correct.

We've got 19 cabins, the bathhouse, the offices.

Most of the buildings here were built by the CCC.

Susan:>> What time frame was that that they were here?

Andy:>> The park was started in 1935.

These young men during the Depression were given the opportunity to come work here in Franklin Roosevelt's Tree Army.

They were paid $25 a month.

They got to keep $5 a month to spend, and the rest was sent back home to their family.

Susan:>> Wow...that's not a lot of money, especially for as hard as they worked.

Andy:>> But at the prices back then, it wasn't too bad.

Susan:>> It wasn't too bad?

Andy:>> Especially when you got a roof and three meals a day.

Susan:>> That's for sure.

That whole time frame was significant in South Carolina's history of state parks and in our national parks too, but it really played a role in establishing the state park system here, didn't it?

Andy:>> Most definitely.

That's the reason we're here today, because of what they did back in the 1930s.

It gave us our foundation for the state parks.

Susan:>> If you come and visit Oconee State Park or any of the parks in South Carolina that may have been built by the CCC, or nationally, there's an emblem that you'll see on the buildings, so we know that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Andy:>> Correct.

There's a yellow emblem that would be on each one, and it signifies that this was a CCC-built building.

Susan:>> That was some pretty hard work that they did here in these parks.

My understanding is that everything that they built was with minimal amounts of tools and was done with materials they could find on the parks.

Andy:>> Correct, or within the area anyway.

The rockwork...most of the rock came from the Stumphouse Tunnel.

Most of the wood came from the American chestnut tree, which had begun to die out during the turn of the century.

That was a good resource for them to use.

Susan:>> A great opportunity here to see some really neat old structures built by them.

You mentioned the cabins were built by them.

We can rent those cabins and stay here today, can't we?

Andy:>> That's correct.

We've got 19 of them.

They've got all the amenities.

They've got central air and heat.

All of them have a screened-in porch.

They've got fireplaces, everything you need.

Susan:>> If you don't stay in one of the cabins, you can still come and spend the night or a week or a weekend here at a campground.

Andy:>> We've got 140 RV sites with water and electrical hook-ups, and then there's 15 primitive sites that you have to tote your gear in.

They're a little more secluded.

Susan:>> Accommodations no matter what your taste is for getting out.

You can get away from it all here.

When you are here, you've also got some great hiking trails.

Andy:>> There are several hiking trails within the park.

Some are easy, and some are moderate, and one or two are a little difficult.

Susan:>> What are you going to see if we take off and do-- let's do one that's a little bit more moderate or easy here.

What do we see?

Andy:>> The easiest trail we've got, it goes around our swimming lake here.

Around that you'll see the cabins are lined along the edge, as well as there's some beaver habitat in the upper end and a couple of footbridges to go across.

Susan:>> That would be nice.

Is there anything special to see if you get away from the park proper area and get out into the wilderness?

Andy:>> There's several vistas that you would see on the trails that originate from here.

Oconee County also has the most waterfalls of any county in South Carolina.

Susan:>> Also, Foothills Trail originates here.

Andy:>> Correct.

The Foothills Trail starts here and goes to Table Rock.

You'll need a good week, week and a half to make that trail.

Susan:>> It takes some time, but I'm sure it's well worth it to take that trip.

Andy:>> Oh, yes, it's beautiful.

Susan:>> Here at Oconee State, you have some great accommodations and a lot of other activities here.

[theme music] Susan:>> We're here at the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery, which is really close to Oconee State Park.

We can't talk about all of the activities at Oconee State Park without talking about the fly-fishing you can do.

Andy:>> That's correct.

We're at the fish hatchery, and they are responsible for stocking the streams and rivers in this area, and they stock the park lake from usually about mid-October until mid-March, while the water temperatures are in the proper range.

Susan:>> When they stock the rivers and lakes, it also helps to maintain the biology of the stream and increases the trout population.

It provides some pretty good fly-fishing, and that's one of the activities Oconee is known for.

Andy:>> That's correct.

The hatchery here, they do a tremendous job.

They're also doing it by helicopter--stocking.

[helicopter rotors whirring] [water sloshes] [helicopter rotors whirring] [water babbling] Susan:>> I'm here along the East Fork of the Chattooga River.

I'm joined by Dennis Duncan, better known as Dink.

Dink, we were watching you do some fly-fishing earlier.

While it looks like a lot of fun, it also looks like it's a pretty difficult thing to do.

Dennis "Dink" Duncan:>> Not really.

You get the right rod, which in my opinion, to fish a stream, would be a 3- to a 5-weight rod with a line to match it.

You're throwing the weight of the line as opposed to throwing the weight of a lure in bass fishing, like with a spinning outfit or casting reels.

You're actually throwing the weight of the line, the fly rod, and you just come back to the one o'clock position instead of going all the way back and watching your line pile up in front of you.

You work your line out just from a one o'clock position till you're out the distance you want to be, whatever the case may be.

In a small river like this, you'll never have out very much line at all.

You can gain control.

The best way to do it is practice in your front yard when you get you a rod before you ever start out and put a fly on the end of it.

Susan:>> When we talk about fly-fishing, a lot of times we think about it in a stream or in rivers, but you can also go fly-fishing in the lakes.

Dink:>> That's right.

Susan:>> Will that be a different kind of a pole that you would use in a lake?

Dink:>> It would.

You could use this, but not like you would with an 8-weight rod.

You need a bigger rod, because there's a good chance you may catch a bass.

You're fishing for larger fish most of the time when you fish in a lake.

I would say an 8-weight rod, 8½ to 8 foot--well, 8-weight rod with a matching line again.

You can throw more line out probably with that than you can a small 4-weight like this one.

Susan:>> There's pretty good fishing up here.

We were just talking about the fish hatchery and everything.

You've got some pretty good trout fishing up here.

If you're somebody like me who's never gone fly-fishing, could I come here and try fly-fishing on my own?

Is there something I'd need to know before I came?

Dink:>> Well, it would be best if you could get some of the locals that do fly-fish to go with you.

Somebody in Trout Unlimited-- they come from all over the state to fish here.

You can always find somebody.

People will be helpful to you.

If you arrived here by yourself, I'm sure you could get all the help you needed from anybody already here fishing.

There'd be some bait fishermen here, but it's rare that you would come here and find that there wasn't fly-fishermen too.

Susan:>> What is it that makes fly-fishing so appealing?

We're seeing more and more interest in fly-fishing.

What is so appealing about it?

Dink:>> To tie your own flies, fool the fish into taking it, and managing to catch a fish... there's satisfaction in that.

It's really something.

Susan:>> You make all of your own flies.

Dink:>> I make it a point-- I don't say this boastfully, but if I don't tie it, I don't fish with it.

I've had people give me flies, which I put in a collection.

It makes me feel so good to tie a fly that I catch a fish on, that I just vowed I was going to--the same thing with bass fishing.

With my other fly rod, I'll do the same thing with that.

Susan:>> What would you say to somebody that was watching this, and was saying, Wow, I'd like to go try fly-fishing?

Dink:>> Give it a try.

I think you'll like it.

[theme music] Susan:>> We're at the swimming area at Oconee State Park.

Andy, we were talking about all the activities at Oconee.

The lake and the swimming is one of those big draws in the summertime.

Andy Davis:>> Very popular in the summer.

Cabins and camping... they love it.

There are not many natural areas in the local area that have a protected swimming area with lifeguards on duty.

Susan:>> One other thing, too, is we've got some pedal boats behind us.

Andy:>> Pedal boats, johnboats, canoes, kayaks... it's all available for rental here at the park.

Susan:>> A great opportunity to get out here and learn how to do some canoeing and kayaking if you've never done it before.

Andy:>> Right, we've got a seasonal naturalist that's on during the summertime.

Some of the courses that he has will be kayaking.

Susan:>> That's great!

You can get out here and learn how to do some of that.

Andy:>> Yeah...especially before you go to the river!

Susan:>> It would probably be a good idea to do it here before you hit one of those rivers.

Andy:>> Definitely.

Susan:>> Talking about some of the activities out here on this lake, I've got to guess that one of the others is probably fishing.

Andy:>> Good fishing at times.

There's bass, bream, catfish.

One man caught a 25-pound catfish on September 1st this year.

Susan:>> I guess he probably was pretty pleased with that.

Andy:>> Very excited!

The state fish hatchery also stocks the lake with trout during the fall and the winter.

Susan:>> That's great.

Get out here and do some trout fishing or maybe get lucky and catch one of those catfish that's that size.

Andy:>> Oh, yeah, definitely.

Susan:>> Talking about all the activities here, I had the opportunity--you and I went out a little bit earlier, and you were showing me how to do some archery.

That's something I've never done, and you guys have an archery range here.

Andy:>> Got an archery course.

There's 18 targets on it.

It is free to the public, and the only thing we ask is just follow a few simple rules posted at the range.

Susan:>> It was a lot of fun out there trying that.

Andy:>> Yeah.

Susan:>> Another thing that you've got here at the park that isn't available at all state parks--it's unique to a few in the state-- and that's your carpet golf.

Andy:>> Do have a carpet golf.

It's not probably as elaborate as those at Myrtle Beach, but it's good family activity.

Susan:>> You can get out and test your putting skills and kind of have some competition amongst the family.

You also have a building here that's used a lot, and that's The Barn.

Andy:>> The Barn is a basketball court-sized building.

We have a local group of kids that come in once a week and shoot a few baskets and have square dances every Friday night during summertime.

Susan:>> Oh, wow, square dancing...I bet that draws a lot of people out.

Andy:>> It does.

It's an activity that's been going on since 1942.

It started off in what's now the office complex.

Susan:>> So that's a tradition here at Oconee State Park?

Andy:>> Very much so.

Susan:>> That's really neat!

Come out here to maybe do some square dancing or enjoy some of the other activities.

If you want to just come relax, some of the structures that were built by the CCC that we haven't mentioned yet-- some picnic shelters out here.

Andy:>> We've got four picnic shelters available for rental.

They're first-come, first-served if they aren't reserved.

Three are CCC structures.

One of them is a log shelter built from American chestnut, which was a use of a resource that they had.

Susan:>> Another great opportunity to see some of their structures and enjoy using some of those that are still in use at Oconee.

When you come up to Oconee State Park and if you go to the office, the first thing you're going to see is a statue, a recent acquisition at the park that's a dedication to the CCC.

Andy:>> It's a bronze statue that was dedicated on September 16th this year.

It's just kind of a thank you and a commemorative to those that worked not only here at Oconee, but in the state as CCC workers.

Susan:>> It's a beautiful statue.

If you go beyond the statue and go into the office there, you guys have a small museum.

Andy:>> Right, there's a museum.

One of the things we're proud of is a bamboo fishing rod that belonged to Teddy Roosevelt.

Then we've got a Maytag washing machine.

It's a wooden washing machine that still works.

Susan:>> Wow!

That's pretty impressive!

Andy:>> Yeah.

Susan:>> You've also got some tools that were used by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Andy:>> Right.

We've got a good collection of tools that were used.

It shows you just what they had to deal with as far as trying to get these hand-hewn timbers done and all.

Susan:>> It's a great opportunity to step back in time and see a lot of different things from another era.

Andy:>> Right.

Susan:>> Oconee State Park, it's a wonderful place to visit in South Carolina... a little bit of history and pleasure with all of the Civilian Conservation Corps structures that are here, lots of wonderful activities.

Be sure and put Oconee State Park on your list of places to see in South Carolina.

[theme music] Susan:>> If you'd like to visit Oconee State Park, it's located 12 miles northwest of Walhalla off S.C. 28 onto S.C. 107.

For more information about the park, call 1-864-638-5353.

Special events at Oconee State Park include a special 4th of July Celebration