Lake Keowee, situated in the northwest region of South Carolina, is less than 150 miles from six major southern cities: Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Columbia and Greenville in South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Atlanta and Augusta in Georgia. Your perfect lodge, luxury condo, or rustic mountain cabin awaits you in this beautiful state near the Blue Ridge Mountain Range. Enjoy rentals with tranquil lakeside vistas, stunning mountain views, creekside retreats or urban amenities. While you check your calendar, here’s a list of some of the very best places to find a Lake Keowee vacation rental dreamed up just for your family and friends.
1. Seneca, South Carolina
Situated at the southern end of Lake Keowee in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Seneca is a friendly town that welcomes visitors with southern charm and hospitality. Book into your vacation house by the lake and enjoy access to the the town’s shopping, movies, and casual and formal dining. The Keowee Marina figures prominently as the focus of the town’s access to the lake, ready to provide you with rentals that include pontoon boats, sports boats, jet skis, and other water sports equipment.
2. Walhalla, South Carolina
Hide out in a rustic cabin, a modern condo, or a cozy cottage in the Walhalla area, about 11 miles west of the lake. The town is close enough to the lake to give you easy access to your swimming, boating, fishing, and other adventures while also providing outlets to hiking trails. Explore the trail to pristine Issaqueena Falls at the Stumphouse Tunnel Park near Walhalla or enjoy shopping for antiques at Drake’s Emporium in town.
3. Liberty, South Carolina
Get close to nature in a pet-friendly mountain cabin, wake up in the lap of luxury in modern condo, or enjoy being pampered at a cozy bed-and-breakfast inn in the Liberty area. Sample local barbecue cuisine at Circle M BBQ or sit down for a casual breakfast or lunch at Yank’s Place. If you’re looking for a different flavor, try Stefano’s Italian-American Greek Restaurant. Experience the breathtaking panoramic view from one of the lookouts at Table Rock State Park, atop Table Rock Mountain.
4. Clemson, South Carolina
If you’re looking for more of a city-oriented vacation rental, Clemson is a university town that offers culture, dining, entertainment, shopping, and the metropolitan flair you expect in an urban center. Drive from your well-appointed rental home to the southern tip of Lake Keowee in minutes. When you tour the Clemson campus, take a look at the Strom Thurmond Center, the university’s flagship public policy research institute.
5. White Harbor, South Carolina
Imagine dawn beginning to break over the horizon as you step out the back door of your waterfront cottage near White Harbor. In minutes the soft mist over Lake Keowee begins to rise, revealing a lovely little island. Enjoy a first cup of coffee on your private dock, in the quiet moments before the rest of the family awakens and your day begins. The cooler is already packed and the rented pontoon boat is waiting at the marina for your much-anticipated sightseeing day on the lake.
6. Westminster, South Carolina
Southern hospitality and magnolia blossoms come to mind when you book your vacation home in the Westminister area. A stroll down main street takes you back in time with a stop at the General Store Museum. Based on the original structure of the 1908 England’s General Merchandise store, the museum houses more than a century’s worth of original merchandise accumulated by the store’s various owners.
7. Sunset, South Carolina
A few minutes north of Lake Keowee, 50,000 acres of protected forest lands encompass two state parks, Jocassee Gorges and Keowee-Toxaway State Park. Choose a rustic mountain cabin to fully experience the wild, remote, and rugged beauty of this pristine wilderness. Stop by the Jocassee Gorges Visitor Center to learn about the terrain and discover the extensive hiking trail network, visitor-accessible roads, and locations of observation platforms where you can view fantastic Joccassee Lake and the surrounding mountains.
8. Near Keowee Key
Tucked away on the western side of the lake, beautiful Keowee Key juts out into the lake. Delightful lake shore homes, posh country club condos, immaculate cottages, rental homes in gated communities, and luxury resorts invite your family to blend in for an amazing vacation. Many of these rentals welcome your fur kids with refundable deposits and nominal additional rental fees. Picture sitting on your private dock with the kids, just cooling your feet in the water at the end of a busy day.
9. Near Warpath Landing
Staying near the location of your favorite activities makes sense, and if scuba diving is your hobby, look for a house, waterfront cottage, hotel, or condo close to Warpath Landing. Located in the cove by the power plant, about a quarter-of-a-mile out, the Hot Hole is the place to dive at Lake Keowee. Divers go to the concrete outlets that protrude up out of the water, marking the spot.
10. Pumpkintown Area
A few private homesteads, quaint mountain cabins, and resorts make up the vacation rental options in the Pumpkintown area, a little unincorporated town just southeast of Table Rock State Park. Go there to find your privacy, your solitude, and your zen. Walk or bike country roads to nowhere in particular or explore the forests near your vacation home base. You might see deer, rabbits, and perhaps even a bear. Love them from afar without disrupting their day.