{{Short description|River in South Carolina, United States}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox river | name = Pacolet River | name_other = Pacolate River | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = States | subdivision_name2 = South Carolina; North Carolina | length = 50 mi (80 km) | source1 = Confluence of North Pacolet River and South Pacolet River | source1_location = North of Spartanburg County, South Carolina | mouth = Broad River | mouth_location = Cherokee–Union line, South Carolina | basin_size = Part of the Santee River watershed | coordinates = {{coord|34.839665|N|81.457818|W|type:river|display=inline}} }}

The '''Pacolet River''' is a tributary of the Broad River, about 50 miles (80&nbsp;km) long, in northwestern South Carolina in the United States.<ref name="Columbia">[http://www.bartleby.com/69/2/P00102.html Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051205134717/http://bartleby.com/69/2/P00102.html |date=2005-12-05 }}</ref> One of its principal headwaters tributaries also drains a small portion of western North Carolina. Via the Broad and Congaree rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.<ref name="DeLorme SC">DeLorme (1998). ''South Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. {{ISBN|0-89933-237-4}}</ref> The stream's name has also been spelled historically as "Pacolate River".<ref>{{Gnis|1250005|Pacolet River}}</ref>

==Course== The Pacolet is formed by the confluence of its short north and south forks:<ref name="Columbia"/> *The '''North Pacolet River''' <ref>{{Gnis|1024194|North Pacolet River}}</ref> rises in the Blue Ridge Mountains in southeastern Henderson County, North Carolina and flows eastwardly into Polk County. It then passes near the town of Tryon and turns southeastwardly into northern Spartanburg County, South Carolina.<ref name="DeLorme SC"/> *The '''South Pacolet River''' <ref>{{Gnis|1250966|South Pacolet River}}</ref> rises in northeastern Greenville County, South Carolina, and flows eastwardly into northern Spartanburg County, where it passes the town of Campobello and is dammed to form Lake William C. Bowen.<ref name="DeLorme SC"/> The two forks join 10 miles (16&nbsp;km) north-northeast of Spartanburg,<ref name="Columbia"/> and the Pacolet then flows generally southeastwardly, through or along the boundaries of Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties, through Lake Blalock and past the town of Pacolet. It joins the Broad River on the common boundary of Cherokee and Union Counties,<ref name="DeLorme SC"/> 4 miles (6&nbsp;km) north of the town of Lockhart.<ref name="Columbia"/>

In Spartanburg County the Pacolet collects '''Lawsons Fork Creek''', which historically has also been known as "Lawsons Fork of the Pacolet River".<ref>{{Gnis|1246315|Lawsons Fork Creek}}</ref> The creek flows for its entire length in Spartanburg County, passing through the city of Spartanburg.<ref name="DeLorme SC"/>

==See also== *List of North Carolina rivers *List of South Carolina rivers

==References== <!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags--> <references/>

{{coord|34.839665|-81.457818|type:river_region:US-SC|display=title}}

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Category:Rivers of North Carolina Category:Rivers of South Carolina Category:Rivers of Cherokee County, South Carolina Category:Rivers of Greenville County, South Carolina Category:Rivers of Henderson County, North Carolina Category:Rivers of Polk County, North Carolina Category:Rivers of Spartanburg County, South Carolina Category:Rivers of Union County, South Carolina Category:Tributaries of the Broad River (Carolinas)