It’s only natural to think of trees and wildlife alone, when you think of a big major forest. But the Francis Marion National Forest, located within South Carolina’s coastal plain, is much more than trees – although, some of the towering bald cypress trees found in the forest definitely belong on everyone’s must-see list!
The forest is comprised of 239,000 acres, two-thirds of which had nearly all of the trees destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Fortunately, the trees shown below survived.
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The forest is making major strides toward bounding back. New trees have been planted, and new amenities, like a revamped rifle range have been added in recent years.
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But the forest offers much to do that many people don’t even consider on a daily basis. For instance, the cross-state hiking trail known as the Palmetto Trail has three segments that traverse the Francis Marion National Forest.
alltrails/Adrianne Jarvis
The first segment of the more than 500-mile trail is the Awendaw Passage, which is a mere 7.1 miles and is considered an easy hike (bring bug spray and wear ankle boots). You’ll be surprised what you’ll see on the trail, including the tree below, considered to be more than 300 years old. (More.)
alltrails/Benjamin Benjamin Postell
Fast forward through the Swamp Fox Passage (47 miles) to the Lake Moultrie Passage, a bit long at 27.2 miles, but there are campsites along the way.
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And that hike ends up at the western end of the Francis Marion National Forest on the edge of beautiful Lake Moultrie. (More.)
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Not into hiking at the moment? Get in your car and head to South Carolina’s famous Hell Hole Swamp. It’s located, you guessed it, in the middle of the forest.
Facebook/Hell Hole Inc
Need an occasion to head to Hell Hole Swamp? Arrive during the last weekend in April and join in the festivities of the annual Hell Hole Swamp Festival. (More.)
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A little farther to the east, you can visit Hampton Plantation State Historic Site just north of McClellanville. Tour this colonial-era plantation to gain some insight into life on a 1700s rice plantation. The site is one of the 47 state parks in South Carolina. (More.)
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Just off Coastal Highway 17 near McClellanville you can set up camp in the forest at Buck Hall Recreation Area. The campground is great for tent and RV camping with hookups available. (More.)
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And still another fun thing to do within the forest is to go see some forest and coastal waters creatures at the Seewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center in Awendaw.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
You never know what surprises await at this hands-on interpretive center. This photo of a young alligator was taken in May of 2018. (Maybe it’s still there!) (More.)
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The Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina is steeped in history and has so very much to discover! Learn more about the forest at this link on the official website of the U.S. Forest Service.
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TripAdvisor/Bob19512014
alltrails/Adrianne Jarvis
alltrails/Benjamin Benjamin Postell
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alltrails/Cameron Rooney
Facebook/Hell Hole Inc
TripAdvisor/Angeles
Google Maps/Robert Ditch
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
TripAdvisor/Kim B
Here’s another South Carolina forest you’ll love exploring. It’s a little like stepping into a fairy tale.
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