Native-born wild trout, including the rare brookie. Several hundred different plant and animal species. The unforgettable peace and repose of a deep mountain cove. It’s all at Jones Gap State Park.

Jones Gap and Caesars Head state parks together form the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, 11,000 acres of pristine mountain woodlands on the Blue Ridge Escarpment.

Jones Gap highlights include the Middle Saluda River, the state’s first designated scenic river. Besides trout fishing, the river serves as a living lab for the park’s busy environmental education center, providing hands-on ecology lessons for young and old alike.

The park also includes restored portions of the old Cleveland Fish Hatchery, offers trailside camping and serves as an access point to the 80-mile Foothills Trail.