Oconee State Park
About
Oconee State Park is a South Carolina state park managed by State Park and Recreation, about 5 miles from the town of Tamassee. It sits within the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, so the surrounding land is a mix of state park and national forest. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Walhalla weather station show October highs around 72°F with lows near 48°F, and April is similar at about 72°F by day and 45°F at night. July is the warmest month, with highs near 89°F. Several short trails start right at the park, including the Lake Trail, Foothills Trail and Old Waterwheel Trail, each about 0.2 miles away. Paddlers can head to the Chauga River, about 3 miles off, and anglers can fish the Chattooga River, roughly 5 miles away.
Park size
1,090 acres
Inside this park
Location
Oconee State Park
South Carolina
Data source: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Protected Areas Database, public domain)
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Mar–Jun. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 63–85°F and lows of 37–63°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Walhalla, SC weather station, 7.7 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan52° high29° low1 days with snow
- Feb56° high31° low
- Mar63° high37° low
- Apr72° high45° low
- May79° high55° low
- Jun85° high63° low
- Jul89° high66° low
- Aug87° high66° low
- Sep82° high60° low
- Oct72° high48° low
- Nov62° high37° low
- Dec54° high32° low
Where it is
- Andrew Pickens Ranger District · Ranger district
- Oconee State Park · State park
- Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests · National forest
- Nearest town
- Tamassee, South Carolina · 5.1 mi
- Managed by
- State Park and Recreation
Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Andrew Pickens Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:
Occupancy and use restrictions for food storage
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
Lake TrailHikingPhoto: Dallas Epperson, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.2 mi- Foothills TrailHikingPhoto: Dallas Epperson, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.2 mi
- Old Waterwheel TrailHiking0.2 mi
- Chauga RiverCanoeing3.3 mi
- Andrew Pickens Ranger DistrictRiver fishing4 mi
- Chattooga RiverRiver fishing4.9 mi
- GrapevineCamping5.3 mi
- Long Bottom FordCamping5.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Oconee State Park open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. It doesn't name Oconee State Park, so check the source for the area it covers (4 listed).
Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests Road Closures
Agency closure covering Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests · USFS · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
Litchfield Bridge Closure on Francis Marion National Forest
Agency closure covering Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests · USFS · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
Emergency Bridge Closure off Forest Service Rd. 251H
Agency closure covering Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests · USFS · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
FSR 374 (Hunting Fork Rd) closed
Agency closure covering Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests · USFS · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
FSR 361 (Bonds Road) closed due to bridge repair
Agency alert covering Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests · USFS · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
As of · Source: USFS · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Oconee State Park
Best months: February–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
52° / 29°
10 wet · 1 snow
Feb
56° / 31°
10 wet
Mar
63° / 37°
10 wet
Apr
72° / 45°
10 wet
May
79° / 55°
11 wet
Jun
85° / 63°
11 wet
Jul
89° / 66°
12 wet
Aug
87° / 66°
12 wet
Sep
82° / 60°
9 wet
Oct
72° / 48°
8 wet
Nov
62° / 37°
9 wet
Dec
54° / 32°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Walhalla, SC, 7.7 mi away at 980 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
