This episode of the Outside Podcast is brought to you by Lake Hartwell Country.

Region in the mountains of South Carolina that's one of the best adventure playgrounds anywhere.

Talked into the northwest corner of the state, this is a place blessed with unique geography.

Unlike most spots along the Appalachian chain, which have gently sloping mountains,

here the elevation plunges more than 2,000 feet in less than half a mile.

The result is the Blue Ridge Escarpment.

A dramatic feature that the Cherokee tribes in the area gave a special name.

No, shock konigae, Dr. Young.

That's the Blue Wall, as translated by Garfield Long Jr.

A tribal linguist with the eastern ban of Cherokee Indians. With such rugged terrain,

plus abundant rainfall, it's no surprise that Lake Hartwell Country has incredible waterways.

This includes the Chateuga River, a federally

designated wild and scenic river that Outside magazine regularly calls out as

one of our favorite paddling destinations. It's one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the southeast,

and it provides visitors spectacular scenery as it plummets through the mountains.

Some sections offer thrilling whitewater for experienced rafters and kayakers,

including the infamous Bowl sluice rapid. But there are also tamer sections for those just getting

started. There's also great trout fishing, sandy beaches, and easy access to some incredible

waterfalls.

To learn more about all the adventures to be found in Lake Hartwell Country, from hiking

and cycling to horseback riding and camping go to Lake Hartwellcountry.com because South Carolina is just right.

From Outside magazine and PRX, this is the outside podcast. It was about a decade ago that Outside magazine started publishing stories that looked

...