OCONEE COUNTY, EVER heard of it? I didn’t think so. This hidden jewel just so happens to be my favorite place in the world. They call it the Golden Corner and it lives up to the name. National Geographic went as far as to call it, “One of the world’s last great places.”

The county sits in the mountainous northwest corner of the state and is surrounded with crystal-clear mountain lakes to the east and the breathtaking and world-famous Chattooga River Gorge to the west.

IN BETWEEN ARE rolling mountains, wild creeks, spectacular waterfalls, and so much more. My grandpa and I made our way up there for another adventure. More specifically, to revisit Fair Play Camp School to help them build a new hiking trail. It’s been close to 9 months since I last visited so I was very excited and a little nervous.

We arrived late, around 8:30 am, but we were still greeted by a huge group of volunteers, old friends, mentors, and about 100 people from as far away as New York.

After hiking to Echo Mountain (a big field and the start of the new trail), we broke into groups, about 25 in each, grabbed tools, and hiked to different parts of the trail.

In total, this trail is 1.1 miles long and it traverses camps about 300 acres. It snakes down Echo Mountain to a small mountain creek, then back up a ridge with steep switchbacks, and back down ending at a rushing gorge. The hike truly was beautiful and our group started working on top of the ridge.

PEOPLE DON’T TRULY appreciate the trails we hike and I don’t think you can until you’ve helped build one yourself. A lot goes into it. We worked like an assembly line, the first people cutting down trees and raking the trail black, followed by people with grubbing hoes to dig out the slope, making the trail flat. Trail building sounds simple enough, but it is really hard work and every trail is done differently. You also have to maintain the trail, that means raking, reblazing, and even redigging sometimes.

It was great to catch up with all my old friends while we worked and, around noon, we all made our way back to Echo Mountain where lunch was being prepared. We all lined up to stuff ourselves with chili, rolls, and salad. For dessert we had piles of banana pudding. It was delicious and we were stuffed.

LET’S SKIP FORWARD a little bit. The next day, we left our hotel in Seneca and we made our way into the mountains. Our first stop was Burrells Ford, a primitive campground right on a fairly calm stretch of the Chattooga River. Popular trails like the Foothills and Chattooga River Trails pass through the campground. Just a short hike from the campground is Kings Creek Falls, a 75 foot fall. It’s so powerful that when you arrive at the base you are blasted with a constant spray of mist.

We next drove to Stumphouse Tunnel Park to see Issaqueena Falls. We were racing the rain. At Issaqueena, it started raining, but I had just enough time to run down to the overlook. Only a 300 degree walk, to snap a few pictures, then to scramble down to the base for a few more pictures.

IT WAS DUMPING rain as I climbed the slope. By the time I made it back to the car, I was soaked. Our fun was over and the time had come to travel back to boring old Lexington.

When planning a trip to the Upstate, remember that some of the best places are either free or very cheap to visit! Here are some of my favorite places in Oconee County: Brasstown Falls, Dicks Creek Falls (access in Georgia), Burrells Ford, Whitewater Falls, Chau-Ram Park, Stumphouse Tunnel Park, and there’s so much more.

YOU CAN ALSO camp, or stay and visit quaint towns like Westminster, Walhalla, or Seneca.

Oconee County is only 3 hours away and the perfect place to spend an adventurous weekend. To plan your trip or just to learn more, go to www.visitoconeesc.com .

DO YOURSELF A favor and visit Saluda Shoals on a sunny day. It has countless things to do.

The monthly World Outdoors is written by Cole Stilwell, a 10th grader at Gray Collegiate Academy and the Chronicle’s electronics and social media intern.