The Northern Crescent Route runs just south of the
North Carolina border, from the mountains to the sea. This 360-mile route gives you access
to several state parks and recreation areas.Going inland from
the sea, approximately one third of the trail traverses coastal flat lands through swamps,
small towns, and farm land. The second third includes rolling hills which ascend to the
mountain elevations of the route's final leg. The final 105 miles of the route follow the
Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, which offers a panoramic view of the majestic mountains
in the background and beautiful valleys below.
Four convenient state park campgrounds are located within the first
210 miles. However, from Kings Mountain State Park near Rock Hill, it is 70 miles over a
relatively steep grade to a campground. There are two parks along the next and final 60
miles which may be used for overnight stay or as a base camp for some very interesting
mountain sightseeing.
The Northern Crescent route connects with the North Carolina
Mountains to the Sea route on Highway 28, 10 miles south of Highlands, North Carolina (See
NC-JKL mountain connector maps). The Adventure Cycling Association's Virginia to Florida
bicycle route intersects this route at Cherry Grove Beach on US Highway 17. Since the
Northern Crescent route intersects every other designated South Carolina bike route, it is
possible to create loop routes of varying lengths and terrain starting from a number of
different points along the route.
County maps needed: Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg,
Cherokee, York, Lancaster, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Dillon, Marion, Horry. County map order
forms are available from: Map Sales, SCDOT, PO Box 191, Columbia, SC
29202; 803-737-1501. Also, a book of county maps is available from
County Maps, Puetz Place, N2454 County Road Hh, Lyndon Station, WI.
53944-9565, 608-666-3331.
Note: Road number signs are posted at
intersections. The numbers on the signs (such as S-26-50) denote the
county (26), and road designation (50).
Northern Crescent Directions
East to West
Start in Horry County at Cherry Grove Beach
| 0 |
|
Cherry Grove Beach |
|
| 24.1 |
(S) |
Loris (1.6 miles to left) |
24.1 |
| 22.0 |
(S) |
Marion County Line |
46.1 |
| 1.3 |
(L) |
S-34-88 Nichols |
47.4 |
| 3.7 |
(S) |
Dillon County Line (S-34-88
becomes S-17-174) |
51.1 |
| 3.3 |
(L) |
SC 41 |
54.4 |
| 1.4 |
(R) |
S-17-155 |
55.8 |
| 3.6 |
(L) |
S-17-22 |
59.4 |
| 1.0 |
(S) |
Little Pee Dee State Park |
60.4 |
| 2.0 |
(R) |
SC 57 |
62.4 |
| 2.3 |
(S) |
Floydale |
64.7 |
| 4.3 |
(L) |
SC 9 in Dillon |
69.0 |
| 1.0 |
(R) |
US 301/US 501/SC 9
in Dillon |
70.0 |
| 1.0 |
(L) |
SC 9 in Dillon |
71.0 |
| 1.1 |
(S) |
Cross I-95 |
72.1 |
| 3.0 |
(S) |
Little Rock |
75.1 |
| 7.7 |
(S) |
Marlboro County Line |
82.8 |
| 4.7 |
(S) |
Clio |
87.5 |
| 7.7 |
(L) |
US 15/US
401/SC 9 in Bennettsville |
95.2 |
| 1.2 |
(R) |
SC 9 in Bennettsville |
96.4 |
| 0.7 |
(L/R) |
Stay on SC 9
Bennettsville |
97.1 |
| 12.7 |
(S) |
Stay on SC 9 in
Wallace |
109.8 |
| 1.1 |
(S) |
Chesterfield County Line |
110.9 |
| 0.8 |
(L) |
2nd Street, stay on
SC 9 in Cheraw |
111.7 |
| 0.5 |
(S) |
Stay on 2nd Street
which becomes Old Cash Rd. in Cheraw |
112.2 |
| 3.7 |
(R) |
US 52. Entrance to Cheraw State Park
straight ahead |
115.9 |
| 0.8 |
(L) |
US 1 |
116.7 |
| 3.3 |
(R) |
S-13-20 |
120.0 |
| 4.6 |
(R) |
Bear right and stay
on S-13-20 |
124.6 |
| 1.4 |
(R) |
Bear right and stay
on S-13-20 |
126.0 |
| 5.1 |
(S) |
Chesterfield (Pass through on SC
9/SC 265) |
131.1 |
| 3.8 |
(R) |
Stay on SC 9 |
134.9 |
| 2.1 |
(S) |
Ruby |
137.0 |
| 3.2 |
(S) |
Mt. Groghan |
140.2 |
| 0.8 |
(S) |
Stay on SC 9 |
141.0 |
| 8.9 |
(S) |
Pageland |
149.9 |
| 7.2 |
(S) |
Lancaster County Line |
157.1 |
| 13.7 |
(R) |
US 521 Bypass in
Lancaster |
170.8 |
| 2.0 |
(R) |
US 521 in
Lancaster |
172.8 |
| 7.3 |
(L) |
Andrew Jackson State Park
left onto SC 5 |
180.1 |
| 4.0 |
(S) |
Cross Catawba River (York County
Line) |
184.1 |
| 9.8 |
(L) |
SC 72 in Rock
Hill |
193.9 |
| 2.2 |
(R) |
SC 901 in Rock
Hill |
196.1 |
| 3.5 |
(L) |
SC 5 in Rock Hill |
199.6 |
| 8.8 |
(R) |
SC 5 Bypass in
York |
208.4 |
| 4.3 |
(R) |
SC 161/US 321 |
211.7 |
| 1.4 |
(L) |
Veer Left on SC 161 |
214.1 |
| 9.6 |
(L) |
S-46-705 Enter King's Mountain
State Park |
223.7 |
| 5.3 |
(S) |
Leave park and S-46-705 becomes
SC 216 at the Cherokee County Line |
229.0 |
| 0.6 |
(L) |
S-11-21 |
229.6 |
| 3.7 |
(L) |
US 29 |
233.3 |
| 3.3 |
(S) |
Blacksburg |
236.6 |
| 7.4 |
(R) |
W. Fredrick St. in
Gaffney |
244.0 |
| 0.6 |
(R) |
W. Floyd Baker Blvd. (SC 11)
in Gaffney |
244.6 |
| 1.2 |
(S) |
Cross I-85 in
Gaffney |
245.8 |
| 9.9 |
(S) |
Cowpens National Battlefield |
255.7 |
| 1.7 |
(S) |
Spartanburg County Line |
257.4 |
| 0.3 |
(S) |
Chesnee |
257.7 |
| 16.2 |
(S) |
Cross I-26 |
273.9 |
| 3.4 |
(S) |
Campobello |
277.3 |
| 3.7 |
(S) |
Greenville County Line |
281.0 |
| 16.3 |
(S) |
Pleasant Ridge County Park |
297.3 |
| 9.4 |
(L) |
Pickens County Line (Stay on SC
11) |
306.7 |
| 6.4 |
(S) |
Table Rock State Park |
313.1 |
| 12.9 |
(S) |
Keowee Toxaway State Natural Area |
326.0 |
| 1.0 |
(S) |
Oconee County Line |
327.0 |
| 18.0 |
(S) |
Walhalla |
345.0 |
| 5.8 |
(S) |
Westminster (2.8 miles to right) |
350.8 |
| 13.0 |
(S) |
Welcome Center |
363.8 |
West to East
Start in Oconee County from the Welcome Center at the Jct. I-85 and SC 11
| 0 |
(S) |
Welcome Center
Cross I-85 on SC 11 |
|
|
13.0 |
(S) |
Westminster
(2.8 miles to left) |
13.0 |
|
5.8 |
(S) |
Walhalla |
18.8 |
|
18.0 |
(S) |
Pickens
County Line |
36.8 |
|
1.0 |
(S) |
Keowee
Toxaway State Natural Area |
37.8 |
|
12.9 |
(S) |
Table Rock
State Park |
50.7 |
|
6.4 |
(S) |
Greenville
County Line |
57.1 |
|
9.4 |
(S) |
Pleasant
Ridge County Park |
66.5 |
|
16.3 |
(S) |
Spartanburg
County Line |
82.8 |
|
3.7` |
(S) |
Campobello |
86.5 |
|
3.4 |
(S) |
Cross I-26 |
89.9 |
|
16.2 |
(S) |
Chesnee |
106.1 |
|
0.3 |
(S) |
Cherokee
County Line |
106.4 |
|
1.7 |
(S) |
Cowpens
National Battlefield |
108.1 |
|
9.9 |
(S) |
Cross I-85 in
Gaffney |
118.0 |
|
1.2 |
(L) |
W.
Fredrick (SC 11) in
Gaffney |
119.2 |
|
0.6 |
(L) |
Granard St.
(US 29) in Gaffney |
119.8 |
|
7.4 |
(S) |
Blacksburg |
127.2 |
|
3.3 |
(R) |
S-11-21 |
130.5 |
|
3.7 |
(R) |
SC 216 |
134.2 |
|
5.4 |
(S) |
Kings
Mountain State Park |
139.6 |
|
0.5 |
(R) |
SC 161 |
140.1 |
|
9.6 |
(S) |
SC 161 & US
321 merge |
149.7 |
|
1.4 |
(L) |
SC 5 Bypass
in
York |
151.1 |
|
4.3 |
(L) |
SC 5 |
155.4 |
|
8.8 |
(R) |
SC 901 in
Rock Hill |
164.2 |
|
3.5 |
(L) |
SC 72 in
Rock Hill |
167.7 |
|
2.2 |
(R) |
SC 5/SC 21
in Rock Hill |
169.9 |
|
5.9 |
(L) |
Stay on SC 5 |
175.8 |
|
3.9 |
(S) |
Cross
Catawba River (Lancaster County Line) |
179.7 |
|
4.0 |
(R) |
US 521 -
Andrew
Jackson State Park
on the
left |
183.7 |
|
7.3 |
(L) |
US 521
Bypass in Lancaster |
191.0 |
|
2.0 |
(L) |
SC 9 |
193.0 |
|
13.7 |
(S) |
Chesterfield
County Line |
206.7 |
|
7.2 |
(S) |
Pageland |
213.9 |
|
9.7 |
(S) |
Mt. Groghan |
223.6 |
|
3.2 |
(S) |
Ruby |
226.8 |
|
2.1 |
(L) |
SC 265 |
228.9 |
|
3.8 |
(S) |
Chesterfield |
232.7 |
|
1.0 |
(R) |
S-13-20 |
233.7 |
|
10.1 |
(L) |
US 1 |
243.8 |
|
3.3 |
(R) |
US 52 |
247.1 |
|
0.8 |
(L) |
S-13-148 -
Cheraw State
Park Entrance
on the
right. |
247.9 |
|
4.2 |
(R) |
US 1/SC 9
in Cheraw |
252.1 |
|
0.8 |
(S) |
Marlboro
County Line |
252.9 |
|
1.1 |
(S) |
Stay on SC 9
in Wallace |
254.0 |
|
12.7 |
(L/R) |
Stay on SC 9 in Bennettsville |
266.7 |
|
0.7 |
(L) |
US 15/US
401/SC 9 |
267.4 |
|
1.2 |
(R) |
SC 9 |
268.6 |
|
7.7 |
(S) |
Clio |
276.3 |
|
4.7 |
(S) |
Dillon
County Line |
281.0 |
|
7.7 |
(S) |
Little Rock |
288.7 |
|
3.0 |
(S) |
Cross I-95 |
291.7 |
|
1.1 |
(R) |
US 301/US
501/SC 9 in Dillon |
292.8 |
|
1.0 |
(L) |
SC 9
in Dillon |
293.8 |
|
1.0 |
(R) |
SC 57
in Dillon |
294.8 |
|
4.3 |
(S) |
Floydale |
299.1 |
|
2.3 |
(L) |
S-17-22 |
301.4 |
|
2.0 |
(S) |
Little Pee
Dee State Park |
303.4 |
|
1.0 |
(R) |
S-17-155 |
304.4 |
|
3.6 |
(L) |
SC 41 |
308.0 |
|
1.4 |
(R) |
S-17-174 |
309.4 |
|
3.3 |
(S) |
Marion
County Line (S-17-174 becomes S-34-88) |
312.7 |
|
3.8 |
(S) |
SC 9
in Nichols |
316.5 |
|
1.2 |
(S) |
Horry County
Line |
317.7 |
|
22.0 |
(S) |
Loris (1.6
miles to right) |
339.7 |
|
24.1 |
(S) |
End at
Cherry Grove Beach |
363.8 |
|
