South Carolina

I started exploring this park when I was about 14 years old. My mom was a huge fan of the park and took us to it as kids. However, I did not realize that there was a path until I was roughly 20 years old. That path is beautiful. It is a paved loop that covers about 0.4 miles. There are smaller pa...

This trail is located on the Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge. The trail is very well marked and well maintained so it's easy to access. But, it also runs right along several marshes and swamps so the wildlife is incredible. While walking near Ibis Pond you'll see several types of birds. When you ...

From Columbia SC, take I-26 South towards Orangeburg. Stay on this road for 31.5 miles and then take exit 136 to merge onto SC-6 E towards St. Matthews. Continue about 34 miles until you enter the town of Santee. Turn left onto I-95 Northbound and continue another 3 miles. You will see a large wo...

Starting at Thurmond Dam, drop your kayak in just below the dam and travel down the Savannah River. There are a couple places to you can choose to end your adventure: The first, and closest, is Riverside Park. Around the 7 mile mark downstream, Riverside park is a right hand turn towards a boat ...

As soon as you walk into the park you are immediately surrounded by the absolute beauty of the area. The twisting and intertwining trees provide the right amount of shade and a beautiful backdrop for taking pictures. The gravel paths throughout the park allow runners and cyclists to navigate thro...

This tucked away trail is well-hidden. I actually needed air in my tire and this was the closest gas station. As I was circling the parking lot to see if they had an air pump, I saw there was a sign that read "14 Creek Mile Trail". As I'm an adventure lover, I immediately parked my car and follow...

Location: From the intersection of US276 & SC11, head Northwest on US276.  Drive to the top of the mountain, 1 mile past the visitor's center, and The Raven Cliff Falls Parking Area and trail head will be on your right.  After parking in the Raven Cliff Falls Parking Area, the trailhead is l...

The Swamp Fox Passage is a portion of the larger Palmetto Trail, which travels from the Western mountains of South Carolina, Eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. This adventure hikes along a 29 mile section of the Swamp Fox through the Francis Marion National Forest in Eastern, South Carolina. The S...

This loop starts at the parking lot on the Firebreak Trail. About 1 mile in the trial hits a fire road and turns right but you will cross the road and continue on the Firebreak connector to Stewardship Trail. Take a left and continue onto the Stewardship Trail. You'll pass over two bridges, after...

By all appearances, Sand Hills State Forest is well-maintained and seldom-used. This particular adventure refers to the Sugarloaf Mountain Recreation Area, but there's more of the forest to explore.  Sugarloaf mountain is a geographical oddity that provides a pleasant view of the scrub-pine fore...

If you're looking for a longer hike in Congaree National Park than just the Boardwalk Loop, try adding another 2.0 miles to the Boardwalk Loop by hiking the Weston Lake Trail.   From the visitor's center, take the Boardwalk Trail and stay straight at the intersection with the Bluff Trail. The ele...

Carolina Bays go by different names. In the Mid Atlantic they're known as Maryland Basins or Delmarva Bays. Sometimes they're generically referred to as pocosins, an Algonquin word for "swamp on a hill." But these elliptical depressions don't always contain bodies of water; instead they derive th...

Spoonauger falls housed in Sumter National Forest, received its name after the Spoonauger family which historically lived above the falls. From Walhalla SC, drive north on Highway 28 until it meets SC 107 (right under 10 miles). Take a slight right onto SC 107 and drive another 10 miles until yo...

Fort Sumter is a sea fort out on an island in the middle of Charleston Harbor and is a great place to visit if you like history and/or exploring ruins.  The National Park Service collaborates with Fort Sumter Tours, so you will have to book a boat tour with this company to visit the fort. Tickets...

West Dam is located across the road from one of the most prominent structures in area: J. Strom Thurmond Dam. Thurmond Lake is created by the dam and the park is located on this lake. Fishing is extremely popular here, especially for largemouth bass and striped bass. There is a large swimming are...

Croft State Park, called Tour de' Dump by locals, is a 7,000 acre state park containing a lake, a river, horse back riding, recreational fields, etc. but it is more commonly known for its mountain biking. Made up of a little more than 16 miles of trails you can enter the Southside Loop Trail fro...