This South Carolina lake ranks No. 1 in nation for swimming. What makes it ‘idyllic’?
As temperatures heat up, one South Carolina destination has been named an ideal place to cool off.
Lake Jocassee ranks No. 1 on a nationwide list of lakes that are “perfect for swimming.”
“From natural water features to human-made bodies of water, the United States is full of beautiful lakes where you can enjoy a refreshing dip,” USA Today’s 10Best wrote in its June 12 report.
And Lake Jocassee wasn’t the state’s only body of water to be recognized. Lake Murray, in the Columbia area, ranked No. 2 in a separate category of nation’s best lakes for water sports.
To create the list, 10Best said it received nominations from editors and travel experts. Then readers could vote on their favorite waterfront destinations up to one time per day over the course of a month.
What makes Lake Jocassee special?
In the resulting readers choice awards, Lake Jocassee topped the list of swimming spots. The 7,500-acre lake’s sandy beaches are accessible to the public from Devils Fork State Park, a roughly 40-mile drive west from Greenville, according to the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and Visit Oconee websites.
“Scenic Lake Jocassee is fed by natural Appalachian rivers all throughout the year, each one coming together to form a particularly idyllic mountain lake,” 10Best wrote in its report. “During a swim, visitors can scour the water for creatures like sunfish and trout, and as an added bonus, there’s no shortage of rushing waterfalls to admire along the shore.”
People are welcome to swim in the lake, but visitors are warned that there’s no lifeguard on duty. The waters, which are “some of the cleanest and clearest in the Southeast,” also draw boaters and divers, S.C. State Parks wrote on its website.
Though two South Carolina lakes received praise, the state’s waterfront destinations missed out on winning other readers’ choice awards. Those categories focused on the best places for tubing, fly fishing and other summer activities.
In the past, 10Best has told McClatchy News that it doesn’t reveal the number of people who vote in its contests.
This story was originally published June 13, 2024 at 11:49 AM with the headline "This South Carolina lake ranks No. 1 in nation for swimming. What makes it ‘idyllic’?."
