(Keywords: Hiking, Mountain Biking- South Carolina)
Featuring,
The Swampfox Trail and Awendaw Connector
When
complete the Palmetto Trail will be South Carolina's only mountains-to-sea
trail. Several passages are already complete, including the Swampfox Trail
and the Awendaw Connector
Swampfox Trail
Francis Marion was known as the "Swampfox." A soldier in the U. S. War of Independence named by his enemies for his ability to elude pursuit by disappearing in the Low Country of South Carolina. As you ride or walk this trail it is easy to imagine getting lost in the swampy wetlands. Download this GPS map of the trail and all the places where the trail intersects forest service roads - access to higher ground.
The Awendaw Connector
From the Swamp Fox trailhead in Awendaw to the eastern terminus of the Palmetto Trail at Buck Hall Recreation area, follow Awendaw Creek through piney sand ridges, live oak shaded passages and across tidal creeks with views of the marsh and Intracoastal waterway.
Click on the binoculars to see a demonstration of ExpertGPS displaying the Awendaw Connector, the grand finale of the Palmetto Trail. swampfox_expert.gif (Approx. 45 KB) opens in a new window.
GPS Map
-
Download the free GPS Map in GPS eXchange (.gpx) file format, which can be read and transferred to your GPS using free GPS software. (The .gpx file will appear in a new window where you can File > Save as... on your computer)
GPS Map Details
File Size: 262 KB
Revised: 23 July 2004
Class A1 Data
Waypoints: 94 (Including trailheads, camp sites, water, & major junctions)
Routes/Tracks:
- Buck Hall to Awendaw
- Awendaw to Dog Swamp
- Dob Swamp to Eccles Church
- Eccles Church to Witherbee
- Witherbee to Canal Creek Recreation Area
- Bonus:Capitol City Passage through downtown Columbia, South Carolina.
Adventure Travel Tip
Best to do Low Country trails late Fall through early Spring, otherwise it can be too hot and buggy. Although the trail is level, making headway can be slow after rain. Many inundated sections of trail can be avoided by bailing out on service roads that crisscross national forest. But don't miss the the best sections of trail through the Wadboo Swamp, Turkey Creek and just about all the Awendaw Connector.
More Info
It is about 50 miles between Lake Moultire and the southern terminus of the Palmetto Trail at Buck Hall on the Intracoastal waterway. I recommend you bike it. Although most trail improvements are for the benefit of foot travel, you will appreciate the speed of travel and other advantages of ridding high. Some sections of the trail are slogs through embattled terrain while other sections are pristine sanctuaries, teeming with life.
At
the time I rode, several miles of trail west of Witherbee were like ridding
through a war zone. Evidently a controlled burn got out of control turning
the forest into cinders. Here, you see smoke still puffing from a stump
adjacent ponding water on the trail.
After
rains, water covers the trail in many places. It is typical to have to
push your bike through a creek or boggy area while you walk on single-board
width boardwalks. After a lot of rain, long stretches of trail may be
covered by several inches of water, which you must ride through. To accommodate
these conditions, you can see here that I duct-taped my Gortex pants to
the tops of my hiking boots.
In contrast, there are also many easy sections of trail. Portions of the trail south of Steed Creek Road and east of Dog Swamp, are like open praire where you pedal effortlessly, head and shoulders above the low lying brush. Then suddenly, you turn a corner and you are in a young pine forest with tress so evenly spaced and proportioned that you may become mesmerized through long stretches of unchanging scenery.
The
jewels of these low country passages are the places where you are compelled
to stop and extend your visit - the ponds within the boggy areas that
open the scenery up to a full display of the surroundings. Here at this
bridge crossing, the black mirror surface of the pond reflects the height
of the trees that flourish in this primortal muck.
Here are some links where you can find even more info:
Palmetto Conservation Foundation
Francis Marion National Forest
Runners, check out the Palmetto Trail Run at Palmetto
Race.com
Adjacent GPS Map Coverage
Mountains
Low Country
* * *
Special
thanks to my family for allowing me to run all over the low country with
my GPS, collecting trail data and special thanks to my trail partners
who endured hot steamy days peddling through the swamp.
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