Piney Mountain

  • Location: Pickens County, SC

  • Size: 40 acres

  • Habitat: Foothills, headwaters streams, and mature hardwood canopy

  • Public Use: Foot access along Weaver Creek Trail for hikers.

  • Partners: SC Conservation Bank

  • Year Protected: 2021

North of Table Rock is Greenville County and the Greenville Watershed, the Piney Mountain property sits adjacent to the Watershed and one parcel away from the State Park. The headwaters of Weaver Creek begin on the 40 acres and flow southward before converging with the Oolenoy River. For over 45 years we have focused on preserving properties that fortify and expand public lands within the Mountain Bridge Wilderness and in that time, we have had very few opportunities to protect land so close to the Watershed and Table Rock.

This is an extraordinarily rare property to have a chance to protect. Securing this tract will help further protect this famous viewshed, a mature hardwood forest, headwater streams and expand recreational opportunities. When standing atop Table Rock and looking west, the Stool, another granitic outcrop, sits just below. Below the Stool is this property, which shares a border with the Greenville Watershed and tops out at 1,800 feet. Between the Stool and Piney Mountain is the High Low Gap where the headwaters of Weaver Creek begin to form. Looking at this chain of unbroken canopy from Scenic Highway 11 or from on top of Table Rock, it’s easy to assume that this land is protected because it’s a logical, ecological, and visual extension of the park.

Before we secured the property under a purchase option, we spoke with representatives of Greenville Water and SCPRT who both were extremely enthusiastic that we would protect this property. At this time, Piney Mountain does not quite touch the State Park, but we hope we’ll be able to connect the properties to eventually and formally bring this under the ownership of South Carolina’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (SCPRT). Over the years, the ownerships along the road that leads up to Piney Mountain from Scenic Highway 11 have changed hands and subdivided into dozens of homesites and cleared to the dirt to have views of the famous granite-faced mountain. Fortunately, that trend hasn’t reached this property, yet. By protecting Piney Mountain, one more scenic peak will remain undisturbed and we will strengthen the protection of South Carolina’s most iconic mountain and State Park.

Eventually, when this property can connect to the State Park, or if the State Park will accept the property beforehand, Naturaland Trust will donate Piney Mountain to SCPRT.