By Jason Evans

Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

SIX MILE — Rainy weather didn’t put a damper on the opening of the 10 new cabins at Mile Creek Park in Six Mile on Friday afternoon.

“It’s still an absolutely beautiful day in Pickens County when you look at what they’ve accomplished up here with these cabins,” county council chairman Roy Costner said. “If you haven’t been inside the cabins yet, it’s absolutely perfect, gorgeous.”

Costner said his days of Boy Scouts camping in pup tents are over.

“This is my kind of camping,” he said. “This is what I would like to do.”

A previous county council had the vision to begin the cabins project, and the current council saw it through, he said.

As part of Duke Energy relicensing, the county received $300,000 to put toward a project.

Emily DeRoberts, Duke Energy’s government and community relations manager, said county planning director Chris Brink served on the Keowee Toxaway Relicensing Stakeholders team.

DeRoberts said Duke Energy has had “a long and wonderful relationship” with Pickens County.

“We hope to continue that,” DeRoberts said.

County officials came up with extra funding to pair with the Duke Energy funds and “go the extra mile,” she said.

“We’re thankful to Pickens County also for respecting the Shoreline Management Plan and the recreation needs that Duke Energy agrees with,” DeRoberts said. “We want to continue to do that and offer more places for our country folks to live and work and play.”

In the weeks leading up to the cabins’ completion, Pickens County held a contest to give away stays at the cabins.

The 10 contest winners began their free stays Friday afternoon. Carson and Cohen Bratcher of Honea Path were among the winners.

Carson Bratcher was surprised to hear she and her husband had won a stay.

“I don’t ever win anything,” she said.

Friday was the first time the couple had been to Mile Creek Park.

“We’re really excited about it,” Carson Bratcher said. “I love it. The cabin is so cute.”

County Councilman Wes Hendricks said the cabins and the park are “the top of the top.”

“We’re not done here at Mile Creek,” he said.

Future plans call for upgrading the power at the park’s campsites and creating campsites with larger pads.

Hendricks said he would like to see a kayak put-in created at the park.

“I think that would be great,” he said. “It’s a very popular sport here in our area.”

County tourism director Jay Pitts said interest in renting the cabins is already high.

County administrator Gerald Wilson has said that the 10 cabins are likely the first phase of cabins at Mile Creek.