How to Hike South Carolina's Palmetto Trail
South Carolina offers the Palmetto Trail, an innovative new idea in outdoor hiking. The idea of the 425-mile system of trails spanning the state was first conceived in 1994. Since then, close to 290 miles worth of trail have been built and more is constantly on the way. It is one of just 16 cross-state trails across the country and is known for being one of the most scenic in the Southeast
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Instructions
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Start online by looking up the trails. The longest anyone can hike the system is for 162 miles and the shortest span is 3.3 miles. Check to see where you want to start.
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Drive to a starting point (there are 21 passages at this time) and look for the Palmetto Trail kiosks, which will have information about the trail. Nancy Stone-Collum of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation confirms that all of the current trails are fully marked.
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Hike at a steady pace. Don't burn out to quickly on one part of the trail because you may have a long way to go.
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Keep hydrated. This is true for almost any hiking, but very neccessary on the Palmetto Trail where long parts are very dry and humid.
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Know where you are going. Parts of the trail goes through small towns and cities such as Spartanburg and Glenn Springs. That gives you some time to stock up on food or spend the night in a hotel.
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Bring a camera. Some of the must-see sights on the trail are the waterfalls at Jocassee Gorges, the 24-mile strecth along the blue waters of Lake Moultrie and the 36 miles through Sumter National Forest that includes several man-made bridges over swamps and streams.
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Tips & Warnings
Stay on the trails. Once in a while, you will see some offshoots, but please stay off those.
You can't camp on the trail, but there are locations nearby.
Don't leave anything behind. The trail's main goal is to keep the paths pristine, so if you brought it, don't leave it.
Dress for the weather. The South Carolina mountains generally are a good 10 degrees cooler than the midlands and lowcountry. Parts of the trail go through several urban areas as well so be prepared to add or shed clothes as needed.
