Have you seen the Oconee Bell? Spring is the perfect time to spot one of the rarest wildflowers in the world. It doesn’t bloom in many places, but Devils Fork State Park is one of the few places it does.
About the Oconee Bell
The Oconee Bell is only found in a few locations in the southern Appalachian Mountains. It thrives in moist, wooded areas along the streams of Georgia, North, and South Carolina. The tiny flowers are one of the first to bloom in the Upstate and attract quite the crowd to this state park better known for summer swimming and camping.
The sides of the stream bed are blanketed in waxy, red-tinged leaves, and the small white flowers are only visible upon a closer look. Had we not traveled to Devils Fork State Park specifically to see this delicate wildflower, we might have hiked right past it.
The flower has a very limited range in the wild, so the appearance of this native wildflower is cause for celebration. Every year, Devils Fork State Park puts on the Oconee Bell Nature Walk. If you can’t make the ranger-guided walk, you can still see the Oconee Bell blooming. The flower usually blooms from mid-March to early April, and the Oconee Bell Nature Trail takes you along a dozen colonies of this unique wildflower.
You can also see the flowers at Bell Fest, an annual festival dedicated to the rare wildflower that also has lots of great local vendors. In 2026, the date is Saturday, March 21st from 10 am – 3 pm. The festival is free with park entry.
The Oconee Bell Nature Trail
The Oconee Bell Nature Trail is an easy 1.5-mile loop that takes hikers through an oak-hickory forest, past a small pond full of American toads, and alongside the creek that is home to the elusive Oconee Bell. In addition to the rare flower, dozens of other plants and trees identified by wooden markers and several small cascades on the creek add to the list of year-round attractions.
If you’re headed to Devils Fork to hike the Oconee Bell trail, just follow signs to the Ranger Station. A quick stop there for a map or restrooms, and then it’s just a matter of crossing to the other side of the parking lot to the trailhead. The parking lot is on the southeast corner of Lake Jocassee, and the scenic views of the lake, Double Springs Island, and the swimming and picnic area on the southwest shore are stunning.
Bring a picnic to eat on the lake, or upon finishing your hike, circle around to Buckeye Drive where you’ll find picnic shelters and a playground.
In any case, make sure you practice what the park naturalist terms “belly botany”. To get an up-close look at the low-lying flowers you’ll have to get close to the ground. There are several locations where the colonies are right on the trail, so it’s relatively easy for all the kids (and adults) in your group to get a good look at the Bell. Remember, for your safety and the protection of the flowers, please stay on the trail!
Enjoy the Oconee Bell
Devils Fork State Park
161 Holcombe Circle
Salem, SC 29676
Oconee County
Visit the website Devil’s Fork Oconee Bell Nature Trail.
This post was originally published on Femme au Foyer.
Enjoy your hike, and know that spring is on the way. The Oconee Bell says it’s so!
There is a very small patch of these flowers in Mauldin,D.C. behind the old Bill headquarters that barely anyone knows about.