Lake Jocassee, the gorgeous reservoir that fills 300 feet of the bottom of the Jocassee Gorges in the Upstate of South Carolina, is widely known as a bit of a paradise when it comes to outdoor activities. But did you ever stop to wonder about how Jocassee and the Gorges came to be named as such?

If you're surmising the name has a Native American origin, then you are correct. The land underneath the water belonged to the Cherokee Indians long before we staked claim to the area.
Wikipedia/User:Mwanner
The lake itself wasn't built until 1973, but the name Jocassee was around long before the reservoir came into existence. Here's the scoop on where it came from and what it means:
Wikipedia/Clemson3564
Long, long ago, two tribes of the Cherokee indians live on opposing sides of the Whitewater River.
alltrails/Kat Wickstrom

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A lovely Cherokee maiden, named Jocassee, lived on the west side of the river, and her love interest, Nagoochee, lived on the opposing side of the river.
Flickr/kris krüg
One day, her own brother went out to battle and came back with the severed head of Nagoochee hanging from his belt. Legend has it that Jocassee was so distraught, she stepped into the Whitewater River and, instead of sinking, she began to walk across THE TOP of the water. She walked all the way to the other side to meet the ghost of her dearly departed Nagoochee.
Wikipedia/public domain
The name Jocassee means "Place of the lost one." The site where Jocassee stepped into the Whitewater River to meet the ghost of Nagoochee is reportedly now under the water on the western side of the reservoir.
Google Maps/Michael Lake

Have you been to Jumping Off Rock to see this view high above Lake Jocassee? It’s fantastic! You can learn more about getting to the Jumping Off Rock overlook from this previously published article.

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