A taste of South Carolina's backcountry from the viewpoint of a mountaineer.
Written: Mar 31 '03
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Pros: Flat, easy to hike, four distinct ecosystems, no or low fees
Cons: Bugs, flooded trails, soot covered trees, repetitive scenery
The Bottom Line: Four distinct ecosystems in close proximity, no(low) fees, easy hiking and access, tons of activities--what else could you ask for?
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| wvabackpacker's Full Review: Francis Marion National Forest |
Francis Marion National Forest, South Carolina
~The Forest-
Francis Marion National Forest is a 254,550 acre forest system in the southeastern part of South Carolina spanning Charleston and Berkeley Counties. The park features four distinct ecosystems ranging from hardwood and softwood forests to meadows and swamps. Part of the forest is still damaged from the infamous 1989 Hurricane Hugo.
~Park History-
The park was declared a National Forest in 1936 with a Presidential proclamation. Before the proclamation Native American tribes built villages and hunted on the land and several Revolutionary War Battles were fought throughout the existing park. Signage is limited, however, there are several signs throughout the park at some of the battle sites. Several plantations also existed at one time on the forest land—most notably tobacco and rice farms.
~Fees-
For the most part visiting the forest is free. A daily-use self-service parking permit will cost you $5 at Buck Hall. Camping is free at all primitive sites and most sites with a well. Camping at Buck Hall will cost you $15. All fees are a daily fee.
~Trails-
The park features over 130 miles of trails that can be used for hiking, biking, riding horses, and riding off road vehicles. Some trails and activities require a fee, contact a ranger station after selecting a trail and activity to find out.
~Camping-
Buck Hall is the only developed camping site featuring flush toilets, warm water showers, RV hookups, and a motor home dump station. Elmwood, Guilliard Lake, and Honey Hill recreation areas are primitive sites with none of the above mentioned amenities. All camping is on a first come first serve basis. Yearly passes can be purchased at the nearest ranger station.
~Picnicking-
Picnicking is available at all of the above mentioned sites as well as the Canal and Huger Recreation Areas.
~Other activities-
Other permissible activities within the park are birding, canoeing, hunting, fishing, and target shooting. Some activities require a permit, check with the local ranger station before visiting.
~Wildlife-
Wildlife information according to the park service:
White tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, woodcock, squirrel, opossum, black bear, fox, raccoon, rabbit, wild boar, waterfowl, morning dove, ruffled grouse, and quail are among the land animals you might encounter while visiting the park. After hiking 42 miles of the Palmetto Trail and spending three nights in the park I encountered only deer, squirrel, opossum, and rabbit. Larger animals like bear and boars are very uncommon.
Among the aquatic life are bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish and trout. There are however, other species of mammals, birds, and fish throughout the park. The ones listed above are the most common.
~Waterfalls-
Francis Marion Forest features no waterfalls. However, neighboring Sumter National Forest has 15 waterfalls ranging from 12 to 75 feet in height.
~My thoughts-
What attracted me to the Francis Marion National Forest was the 42 mile Swamp Fox section of the Palmetto Trail. The trail stretches across the entire park and through all four ecosystems. The views from the trail were mostly repetitive and unchanging. All the swamps looked the same as did the forests and meadows. Most of the trail is covered in a white sand and in some areas topped by downed foliage—mostly needles from Pond Pines which are quite abundant to the area. Several sections of the trail are completely flooded with water up to one foot in depth. I walked from Awendaw to the Canal Recreation area. This took me four days and three nights.
For the most part the terrain is unchallenging and flat. However, several sections offer difficult to maneuver foot bridges which are 6 inch wide trees cut in half and laid over some of the flooded sections of the trail. Bushwhacking is not permitted in the park and trailside foliage is very thick so there is no going around the flooded sections of the trail. Waterproof boots will not get you through the flooded sections. Some of the nicer sections have bridges and even a couple boardwalks.
I would suggest day hiking the trail over a weekend to experience all the forest has to offer. Start where the trail crosses SC-41 and hike to the Witherbee Ranger Station and camp there. On the second day leave early and hike from the ranger station to the Canal recreation area. This path avoids badly flooded sections of the trail and will take you through all four ecosystems.
The streams, swamps, and ponds all have water that looks black. However, after taking a sample of the water I found out that it is orange. The water gets the dark orange color from the abundance of pond pine needles that have died, turned orange, and fallen into the water. The water is not safe to drink without filtering. After filtering the water it will still be orange but is mostly safe to drink. Use caution.
~Photographic Opportunities-
Photographic opportunities are limited. As I stated earlier much of the forest is the same. A picture of the swamps, rice ponds, the forest, and you've got enough pictures to show your friends what the forest looks like. If you're lucky you might snap a photo or two of some of the limited wildlife.
~Concerns-
I visited the park in early March before the temperatures were hot and the most of the bugs were out. However, in the cold month of March I did encounter a small number of bugs--most notably mosquitoes and gnats. Due to the large number of swamps and streams in the forest I am suspicious that it is swarming with bugs in the warmer months. If you visit during the months April-August, I would suggest bringing a lot of strong bug spray.
~Conclusion-
The forest is different from what I'm used to from up in the north. The rice ponds which were built with slave labor are beautiful and definitely worth checking out. The swamps also give the forest some appeal. Other than that the forest is really no different than other forests besides the fact that the entire park is flat and the floor is sandy. I would visit Francis Marion National again for a picnic or a day hike but not an extended trip.
Other Information
~How to get there-
To get to the Canal Recreation area take US17A-N from Moncks Corner to US52N. To get to the Awendaw Recreation area take US17N from Charleston and watch for posted signs near the city of Awendaw.
~Ranger Stations and Visitor's Center-
Wambaw Office
PO Box 788
McClellanville, SC 29458
Phone: (843) 887-3257
Fax: (843) 887-3848
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Witherbee Office
2421 Witherbee Road
Cordesville, SC 29434
Phone: (843) 336-3248
Fax: (843) 336-4789
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Sewee Visitor & Environmental
Education Center
5821 Highway 17 North
Awendaw, SC 29429
Phone: (843) 928-3368
Fax: (843) 928-3828
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
~Website-
For more information visit the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forest homepage at http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/index.html For more information on the Palmetto Trail visit: http://www.palmettoconservation.org/palmettotrail.html
~Leave No Trace-
If we as a society want to keep these parks beautiful and in a natural state we most follow some rules.
1. Pack it in, pack it out. Meaning whatever you take into the forest, bring it back out, don't litter!
2. Camp only at designated campsites. Camping somewhere one time will leave a mark that others can see and will most likely camp at. After several people have camped in one site the ground begins to erode and creates a big ugly spot where nature used to be.
3. No new campfire rings! One of the most damaging things to the floor of the forest are campfire rings. Use only established rings and never create new ones. Follow all campfire ordinances set by the forest service.
4. Use only dead and downed wood! Do not cut trees down for firewood! Live wood does not burn as well as wood that is already dead and downed. Plus cutting down a tree changes the environment and destroys the homes of wildlife. Keep the forest beautiful by leaving the live trees alone.
5. Dispose of human waste and food properly! Human waste and food should be buried at least six inches in the ground to keep animals healthy.
6. Do not feed the wildlife! Feeding the wildlife can and will change their feeding habits. This can cause trouble for other park users when the wildlife begins to approach or stalk people for food scraps.
7. Stay on the trail! Going off trail changed the forest floor and causes unnecessary erosion. Stay on the specified trails!
The above is a set of guidelines for park users to help keep the park wild and untamed. Some are the law. If you violate them realize that the park service always prosecutes and that most judges are partial to the forest service. By violating the rules you could end up with a huge fine, jail, and possibly a court ordered volunteer service to clean up the park you helped destroy. So do yourself and nature a favor and leave no trace.
© 2003 WVaBackpacker
Written for http://www.epinions.com 31 March 2003
~Other Backpacking/Camping Reviews by WVaBackpacker-
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Gregory Shasta Backpack
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REI Half Dome Plus 2
Mountain Hardware Trinity
Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight CD
--Sleeping Bags and Pads-
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The North Face Kilo Down 32F
Cascade Designs Therm-a-Rest Luxury LE Self-inflating Mattress
--Hydration-
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--Destinations-
Heart Lake, Yellowstone National Park
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--Books-
The Backpackers Handbook
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: December-February
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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Member: Jeremy Hays
Location: Columbus, OH, USA
Reviews written: 40
Trusted by: 46 members
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Maybe I'll write another review someday...lots of new gear...
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