OT- GtownDawg get me some details on the Eastatoe, Laurel Fork

LINK

It's up highway 11. Turn left on highway 178. Few miles you will see a rough looking bar (Bob's Place) take the left in front of it. When you get to the bottom you will cross the Eastatoe.

EASTATOE RIVER
The headwaters of this stream are also situated in the Jocassee Gorges area, but unlike the above-mentioned waters, it is not a feeder like Lake Jocassee. Much of the Eastatoe is readily accessible, but such is not the case with the steep gorge that forms that portion of the headwaters where the stream squares its shoulders and gets down to serious abundance. It really isn’t a river here, just a fast-flowing, decent-sized mountain creek. If you are looking for a reasonably remote area that can still be the focus of a one-day trip, the Eastatoe might be just the ticket.

To gain access to the gorge area, you must hike in from the Laurel Valley parking area. This is reached from Highway 178 (Moorefield Memorial Highway) just a short way from the border with North Carolina. A comparatively easy hike of 2 1/2 miles along a blaze-marked trail takes you to the river, where the maintained trail ends. However, there is a readily discernible angler’s path alongside the right side of the stream. This is mainly wild rainbow water, although you may occasionally catch a stocked fish that has made its way upstream from the valley area lower down, where stocking takes place on a regular basis.

LAUREL FORK CREEK
Laurel Fork Creek flows into the Toxaway River arm of Lake Jocassee. It is a four-mile boat ride from the launch area at Devils Fork State Park (after entering the Toxaway River arm, turn right into the finger where Laurel Creek enters the lake). You can see spectacular Laurel Creek Falls from the lake, but it’s a tough, long hike (some eight miles) to the falls.

Of course, our present interest isn’t waterfall viewing but fishing. The entire Laurel Fork drainage is designated “trout-natural” water by DHEC. You’ll find bigger trout in the lower end, below the falls, but don’t overlook the headwaters or Laurel Fork’s feeders.

The Foothills Trail crosses the stream via a suspension bridge, but it’s a long, eight-mile-plus hike to this point. For multi-day trips, taking the trail to here from U.S. Highway 178 (turn off it onto Laurel Valley Road, Pickens County Road S-237, take the gravel road to the right and drive half a mile to the Laurel Valley Access parking lot) is the way to go. For a day of fishing, the lower reaches, accessed by boat from Lake Jocassee, are really the only viable option.

Thanks for the invite but will be in Athens for the weekend.