Big Rock
Location: Nine Times Forest, Pickens, SC
Size: 13 acres (access area)
Habitat: Granite outcrops
Public Use: day use, hiking and climbing only
Partners: SC Conservation Bank, Duke Energy, US Forest Service, Fred and Alice Stanback, Access Fund, Carolina Climbers Coalition, SCDNR, Upstate Forever
Years Protected: 2015, 2019
One of the crown jewels of the Nine Times Forest in Pickens County is Big Rock Mountain. Exposed granite towers over the forest floor and creates a stunning landscape. Naturaland Trust raised funding through the South Carolina Conservation Bank to purchase 12 acres adjacent to Big Rock to improve public access to this side of Nine Times. Once protected, we partnered with the Access Fund, Carolina Climbers Coalition and REI to build new trails for hikers and climbers. Today, Big Rock is the most important rock climbing destination in South Carolina.
