Our family got together for Christmas in 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina. On December 22nd our son, Sam, planned a hike for us on the Palmetto Trail, along the Swamp Fox Passage. Our entry point was near the intersection of Halfway Creek Road and Steed Creek Road in the Francis Marion National Forest. Awendaw, on Hwy 17, is southeast 11.2 miles; Huger, on Hwy 41, is northwest 7.4 miles; both towns are connected to where we were by Steed Creek Road.
The Palmetto Trail is a foot and mountain bike trail in South Carolina which currently has 26 segments totaling 350 miles. The Swamp Fox Passage is the largest segment, totaling 47.6 miles. We crossed through a section of swamp and long-leaf pine forest. We did an out and back hike to the southeast totaling about 2.5 miles.
We got a late morning start, so it was not an ideal time for wildlife. We saw a dead raccoon on Halfway Creek Road, not too far from the trailhead.
Andrew and Michaela found quite an assortment of mushrooms
and Michaela, the frog whisperer, found lots of tiny southern cricket frogs, the smallest frogs I've every seen.
Sam was identifying trees and plants.
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| Pond pine |
He waded into the swamp several times to look at yellow pitcher plants and found the water to be excruciatingly cold.
I was unsuccessfully trying to find birds. I would love to go back earlier in the morning, particularly to try and see a red-cockaded woodpecker, which is found in the long-leaf pine forests. I've spent very little time in swamp country and this was a fun foray into it.
What a blast. Something for everyone!
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