Every Bit The Journey

The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, and this is mine.

Montana Mountains

Tag: State Park

Hiking South Carolina – High Hills of Santee

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On November 13, 2017

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, SC State Parks, Travel

Looking for a great one day hike? Then this may be the answer. This passage of South Carolina’s Palmetto Trail snakes through the Manchester State Forest, linking Mill Creek County Park with Poinsett State Park. The High Hills of Santee Passage trail gets its name from the high, rolling sandy dunes, which are part of the regional geology. These rolling hills are the ancient ocean shoreline found in the state’s midland area. This is one of my favorite hikes when introducing new hikers to the trail.

Located in Sumter County, near the Northern side of Santee Lake, this 10 mile trail winds through the forest from Sumter County’s Mill Creek Park (+-195’), North up to Poinsett State Park. As the Manchester forest is state managed, you will pass through a couple areas which have been logged in the past and are now in various stages of regrowth. The term forest however is a little misleading.  With fairly diverse terrain, including rolling sand ridges, mixed pines and hardwood forest, creeks, and even a patch of quicksand, there is plenty to keep the hike interesting every step of the way.

Of course you can hike in either direction, I prefer starting at Mill Creek Country Park and Hiking toward Poinsett State Park. The southern end of the trail is a bit more sandy and easier to travel through while you’re fresh. Towards the northern end of the trail you enter more rolling hills and wooded sections. As you come up from Shanks Creek crossing, there is a parking lot area before the trail crosses Poinsett Park Road. You are within the last few miles before entering the state park. With a latrine here, this is a great spot to take a short break before the last leg of this hike. Crossing over the road you pick up the trail again. You will step into another completely different type of wooded area as you enter a forest of scrub oaks draped with Spanish moss. This is one of my favorite sections of this hike. As the trail enters the park, it crosses and drops off to the left of the park road and winds down around the creek as you head toward and around the Old Levi Mill Pond. You will comes out of the woods and cross the earthen dam holding back Old Levi Mill Pond. While you are there, take a few minutes and explore the Singleton Grist Mill ruins and old grinding wheel. You end your hike at the park visitors center (+-100’) trail head at the parking lot.

Favorite Time of year: Fall through Spring

Distance: About 10 miles

Things to Know: This is a Moderately Easy hike.

Camping: Camping is available at both Mill Creek County Park and Poinsett State Park (reservations required). Both parks have restrooms, bathhouses, and parking. For all permit and reservation information at Mill Creek county park, call Steve at (803) 436-2248.

Pet friendly: Must be leashed at all times, including the forest, okay everywhere outdoors except cabin and lodging areas of the park.

Getting There: Poinsett State Park and Mill Creek Park are both located near on the Northern side of Santee Lake, and West of the town of Sumter, in Sumter County, South Carolina. It’s about a 1 hour drive from the Charleston area.

Hiking South Carolina – Kings Mountain

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On September 14, 2017

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, National Parks

This is a great hike any time but more so during reenactment weekends. The national park hosts several living history events with period encampments and demonstrations throughout the year. I  normally have done this hike over the Memorial Day weekend inconjunction with the park’s “Military Through the Ages” event. The historic significance of the battle ground really is driven home as you near the end of the hike. You get a real sense of what life and travel was like 200 years ago.

This 16 mile trail loops through both Kings Mountain State Park and Kings Mountain National Military Park. You can pick up the trail from one of the organized group primitive camping sites (+-800′) or from the state park camp ground, the trail loop conveniently passed both. Water and latrines are available in both areas. You will start out heading South and wind towards the South-west as the trail takes you over some rolling hills. The trail passes several wilderness designated camp sites and streams along the way. Near the state park’s southern boundary, the trail will make a fairly sharp turn to the North and rising up and away from the water. Just before this direction shift happens, the stream flattens out a little with some low banks. This is a good place to top off your water. The Garner Creek Campsite (+-700′) on the national park side is on high ground and dry. There is another stream past the Garner Creek Campsite but it’s about a quarter mile after the campsite. Once the trail shifts to the North, it rises out of the cooler valleys, becomes a little dryer and warmer. You know you are getting close to the camp site when you cross a dirt road. The Garner Creek Campsite is clearly marked and the only designated wildernes campsite of the national par side.

Up and on the trail the next morning this section goes pretty quickly with a run up bowns’s mountain and exploring the battle ground visitors center. about a mile after you leave Garner Creek, you will come to a spur trail for Browns Mountain (1045′). Summiting this peak is a short run up to the top of Brown’s Mountain and back down. The visitors center is only a couple short miles from here. The trail loop passes to the North of the battle ground and visitor center. Hike the spur trail on in for a stop at the national park visitor center.

This is a must do if you have not been here before. First of all, the visitor center has bathrooms and water. The area near the bathrooms is shaded and a great place to eat lunch. Second, but probably most importantly, the visitor center and 1.5 mile self-guiding walking trail around the battle field (+-1020′) is the heart of the park and key to understanding the history of the site. One of the cool things about Kings Mountain is the connection to the Appalachian Trail in the Roan Mountain area. In the late September-early October of 1780 (the rebel Americans were knee deep in a not-going-so-well break-away revolt against the British empire), hundreds of men crossed what is today the Appalachian Trail near the Over Mountain Shelter in Tennessee and hiked 80 miles in to history at the Battle of Kings Mountain, changing the tide of the Revolutionary war. Hiking these areas really adds a depth and an order of magnitude to history you just can’t get from a text book.

After touring all of the sights at the national park visitor center, simply retrace your way back to the loop trail and continue the remaining few miles to your starting point.

Favorite Time of year: Memorial Day Weekend, but check the park schedule for reenactments events.

Distance: 16 miles (the 1.5 mile battle field trail is a bonus)

Things to Know: This is a moderate hike. The actual battle ground is in the national park with regular park camping on the state park side. The 16 mile trail loops through both.

Camping: Primitive on the trail. Primitive, tent site, and cabins designated within the park (reservations required). There are several primitive trail camp sites on trail in the state park, however on the national park side camping is only allowed at Garner Creek Campsite.

Pet friendly: Mostly pet friendly, must be leashed at all times, okay everywhere outdoors except cabin and lodging areas of the park.

Getting There: Located near the Northern border of the state, Kings Mountain State Park is in Cherokee and York Counties, South Carolina, just to the West of Charlotte North Carolina. It’s about a 4 hour drive from the Charleston area.

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Hiking South Carolina – Table Rock

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On September 4, 2017

In Hiking & Camping in South Carolina, SC State Parks, Travel

With some challenging hiking and amazing views, this Table Rock trip is one of my favorite backpacking campouts in the state. Any time of the year.

This trip strings together a combination of trails which basically form a 12.5 mile loop around, in and out of the park. As the park rules state you can’t camp within Table Rock State Park (other than in the designated campground areas), this hike takes you out to a campsite on the adjacent Foothills Trail running next to the West park boundary for the night. The next day you will come back in to the park and summit two of South Carolina’s higher peaks including Table Rock. Table Rock is a mountain with a bald face providing amazing views. Sitting on the face of of Table Rock you can eat your lunch and on a good day, see halfway to Columbia.

The Table Rock State Park area is in general, on a leading edge of the blue ridge mountains which skims the border between South and North Carolina. This state park includes the tallest mountain totally within the state, Pinnacle Mountain (3425′) and of course Table Rock Mountain (3124′). Just as a footnote, the highest point in South Carolina is the nearby Sassafras Mountain (3563′), but it straddles the border between South and North Carolina.

The Trail: You will start in the parking lot Near the Nature Center (1160′), located just past Pinnacle Lake. You can leave your vehicle in the parking lot overnight, but you must display a valid parking permit. You can pick up a parking permit at the park Visitors Center (located across Highway 11 next to the East park entrance). Once you’ve parked, gather your gear and head to the Nature Center trail head. Hikers must complete a trail registration form at the kiosk before hiking the trails. I also usually checked in with the Nature Center if they are open. They are a good source for trail information before you head out. Bathrooms and water sources at located at the Nature Center.

Leaving from the nature center, the trail is easy along the boardwalk and paved portions along Carrick Creek, but rapidly increase in difficulty as you shift to the Pinnacle Mountain Trail and continue up and West towards Pinnacle Mountain. There is a little spur trail which take you to the Mill Creek Falls. The falls are somewhat seasonal, so depending on the time of year and amount of rain fall there may or may not be any water for there to be falls. You’ll continue towards Pinnacle Mountain passing Bald Knob (2849′) which offers a great view and is a good place to take a break. The trail continues and then splits just before Pinnacle Mountain. This split away from the mountain will take you down and out of the park to campsites on the Foothills Trail. The first big campsite you come to is one of my favorites. It’s furthest from the water source but the site has an open view to the East which will catch the sunrise. If you continue along the foothills trail you will pass some more secluded camping sights on the way (+-200 yards) to a strong water source.

Once you are ready to hit the trail again in the morning, you’ll retrace the route back and up in to the park to the Pinnacle Mountain trail and continue up to summit Pinnacle Mountain. The wooded peak can be a little anticlimactic and depending on the time of year you may have a limited view of the surrounding areas. What ever the view you have here,  it now gets better as you go. Just to the north of the summit you’ll pick up the Ridge Trail and continue on along the ridge line between the Pinnacle and Table Rock mountains. There is a bit of a saddle at Panther Gap where the Ridge Trail and Table Rock Trail intersect. Depending on your pace and progress, you can either lunch here or continue on and lunch on Table Rock. If you’re inclined, you can ditch your packs out of sight to the north of the trail and slack-pack up the rest of the way to Table Rock (you’ll comeback here later). Some of the remaining trail up to Governors Rock (2854′) and on to Table Rock can be a bit of a scramble. Depending on the time of year, I’ve encountered sheets of ice on Governors Rock which definitely increased the challenge factor. There is a summit sign at the peak of Table Rock but continue past and the trail slopes down and will lead to the South Eastern balds over looking the entire state of South Carolina. It’s probably worth noting here, the bald rock face is a huge curved rock. It slopes more as you head out on the bald more. There is no “edge” to tell you to “stop here.” It just curves down more. Be careful. When you are done enjoying the breathtaking views, simply retrace your route back to Panther Gap and take the Table Rock Trail down and back to the Nature Center where you started. Take your time descending as the Table Rock Trail is steep and can be hard on the knees.

Favorite Time of year: Any

Distance: 12.5 miles

Things to Know: This is a strenuous hike. The hiking trails within the park officially close ½-hour before dark and overnight camping is not permitted on park trails.

Camping: Primitive on the Foothill Trail. Primitive, tent site, and cabins designated within the park (reservations required).

Pet friendly: Mostly pet friendly, must be leashed at all times, okay everywhere outdoors except cabin and swim beach areas of the park.

Getting there: Located near the North-West border of the state, Table Rock State Park is in Pickens County, just to the NNW of Greenville South Carolina. It’s about a 4 hour drive from the Charleston area.

Table Rock SC Webcam
(as seen from the visitors center live webcam)

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