Bald Rock is a roadside attraction off Highway 276 in upstate South Carolina. It’s above Jones Gap and below Caesars Head State Park. There is room for a dozen cars to park on the side of the road. You simply walk across a small wooden bridge and step onto a rocky bald that mounds over the horizon and down to the valley below.
Because of the easy access, Bald Rock is very popular with tourists. The trailhead sign that reads, “no graffiti, no littering, no camping,” comes across as a dare. The area is a littered with empty cans, cigarette butts, and broken bottles despite the fact that there are trash bins at the trailhead.
The entire rock face is covered with spray paint. This would normally be off-putting to me, but it’s beautiful is a trashy sort of way. It reminds me of the Gum Wall at Pike Place in Seattle. If someone slaps their gum on a brick wall, it’s lazy and gross. But when the entire wall is covered in a spectrum of gum shapes, sizes, and colors, it transforms into a sort of artwork of the commons. That’s what we have here.
The views from the bald are beautiful and include a broadside of nearby Table Rock. It’s worth a stop if you’re already traveling through the area.
And if you’re already in the area, swing by Caesars Head Spring to top off your water bottle.
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