Work on Sassafras tower starts next week

Construction of a tower at the Pickens County tourist attraction Sassafras Mountain will start a week from today and, according to DNR, once construction starts, the mountain summit will be closed for safety and security reasons.  Meantime, the current viewing platform on the west side of Sassafras will remain open, along with the parking lot next to the platform.  That overlook provides views to the west and south mountains of three states.  Because Sassafras is the highest point in the state–at 3,533 feet–winter weather extremes including ice, snow and wind could delay construction.  The mountain is 20 miles north of Pickens, sits on the Eastern Continental Divide, and is home to the Foothills Trail and the Palmetto Trail.