I have been coming up to Jocassee with my family for many years, and have experienced so many "firsts" on and around the lake. It started with my first time scrambling up a waterfall, then my first time jumping off a cliff, and my first time paddling out to a boat-only campsite. I thought these new experiences on the lake would end as I got older, but that notion has turned out to be quite foolish! As I continued exploring Jocassee while pursuing my degree in Conservation Biology at Clemson University, and now as an employee of Jocassee Lake Tours, the firsts have kept on coming. In the last few months on Jocassee I have seen Oconee Bells in their natural habitat, a river otter, and several species of salamanders and snakes, all for the first time. Working at Jocassee Lake Tours has brought me so much joy because I get to help others experience their own firsts. Whether it is a patron's first time swimming under a waterfall, tasting a sourwood leaf, finding a salamander, or climbing and jumping off a cliff, I have yet to lead a tour that someone did not have a new experience of some kind. While Jocassee may be the "land of the lost", its unique character and ecosystem also allow it to be the land of firsts, and it is an absolute honor to be a part of that. ~Matthew Stamey, Jocassee Lake Tours guide

  


 

 

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