Poinsett State Park - Member Hike
| Hike Name: | Poinsett State Park |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | South Carolina |
| Nearby Town: | Wedgefield |
| Rating: |  |
| Directions: | Meet at Palmetto Trail's High Hills Outdoor Center at Battens, S.C. Highway 261 in Wedgefield. Reservations are required for all but Saturday's hike after the grand-opening event. Call 803-494-5954 or e-mail highhillscenter@palmettoconservation.org. |
| Total Hike Distance: | 3.00 miles |
| Hike Difficulty: | Easy to Moderate |
| Permit Required: | No |
| Hike Type: | Roundtrip, Loop Hike |
| Hike Starts/Ends: | MArch 29 |
| Trails Used: | Trails |
| Backcountry Campsites: | Yes |
| Backcountry Water Sources: | Streams |
| Management: | State Park Service |
| Contact Information: | Meet at Palmetto Trail's High Hills Outdoor Center at Battens, S.C. Highway 261 in Wedgefield. Reservations are required for all but Saturday's hike after the grand-opening event. Call 803-494-5954 or e-mail highhillscenter@palmettoconservation.org. |
| Best Season: | Spring, Fall |
| Users: | Hikers |
| Road Conditions: | Primary Paved Roads, Secondary Paved Roads |
| Hike Summary: | Poinsett State Park. 10 a.m. Explore Poinsett State Park, the most diverse of all the South Carolina state parks, which boasts myriad trails through near-mountainous terrain. From the sharp bluffs to the moss-draped trees of the Wateree Swamp, the trail user can take in the variety. The hike is led by Linda McCombs, a local educator and avid outdoor enthusiast. This will be one of the premier hikes offered by the High Hills Center. Rated easy moderate about three miles round trip. Reservations required. Call or e-mail (listed above). Article below by Phil Gaines, SC State Park Service Director I'm Confused! As you find your way down the winding road to the entrance to Poinsett State Park it would be easy or even expected to notice the traditional park sign indicating that you have reached your destination. You’ve arrived alright, but before you travel any further take a minute to check out the historic entrance of Poinsett. The entrance, nestled into the landscape, was built by the masterful hands of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Cocina rock forms the gateway to a park unlike any other. It is one of many surprises and a bit of confusion at Poinsett. The message of the entrance: welcome to the park and come along on a trip through the mountains on your way to some hidden treasures by a lake and a newly renovated Park Headquarters and CCC Tea Room. Wait a minute isn’t Poinsett in the midlands near Sumter? Now I’m confused! Mountains? Well, maybe that’s a stretch but stay with me and let’s get to the bottom of this. Find the nature trail and almost immediately you notice that the topography and habitats you are seeing are from the mountains. Yes, that’s mountain laurel over there but, wow, is that Spanish moss hanging from the pines and other large trees? Is this a low country swamp? How did that happen? Confused? More like intrigued as to what’s behind the next bend and beyond the trail. Parks and nature never cease to amaze me. Just when you think you have it figured out, you make one those fascinating discoveries like Mountain Laurel and Roderdindrum in the midlands. South Carolina state parks are places of reflection and we all need that special spot from time to time. While you are here, look for your own personal place. I’ve got a special spot right at Poinsett. It is one of my favorites in the entire park system. Don’t tell anybody, but it’s the spillway just beyond the lake. You have to look for it, maybe even ask a ranger, but the reward is great. Walk to the bottom of the trail and look just beyond the end and you’ll recognize ruins from an old mill site that date back to the Revolutionary War era. A cool place, no doubt, but listen to the sounds of falling water. It is a calm and soothing sound that absorbs you into the site and the resource itself. Look again at the CCC craftsmanship that brings the water directly to you seeming to carry your troubles with it as it passes you by. The beauty of man complementing nature and the resource. The rock work of the CCC that you first saw at the entrance of the park is visible once again and things are beginning to make sense. The confusion of where you are at is gone. You have figured it out. The place that once confused you with its mountain and low country habitats miraculously sharing the same spot of land has now enlightened and inspired you in ways you thought not possible … who knew? |
Recommended
Trail Map For This AreaTrip Reports
There are no Trip Reports yet.
There are no comments yet.