Live Oaks, Palmettos, and Pines Amid Scenic Coastal Marsh and Maritime Forest
We thought the coastal trail along the salt marsh would be dry by the time we started our bike ride. Well…it wasn’t quite dry. In some places, we walked our bikes through large patches of clear tannin colored water. Our shoes sank a few inches, soaking our feet. In other places our bikes jerked this way and that as our wheels hit the roots of trees.
The serene beauty of this trail made these small inconveniences insignificant.
Awendaw Passage is the perfect day-trip getaway. Located off Highway 17 between Georgetown and Charleston, S.C., it forms the terminus of the Palmetto Trail that runs from mountains-to-sea. A diverse nature lover’s paradise, some pieces of the trail run alongside placid salt marsh scenes and others among serene maritime forests.
Palmetto trees, live oaks, and pines converge at the water in places to form a lovely South Carolina low country setting.
Eddie and I set out on the perfect day to enjoy the bike ride, a pleasant 66°F. We started the seven mile passage from the Buck Hall Recreation Area in the Frances Marion National Forest. Our average speed was 3.8 miles an hour. Typically we’d be much faster, even with stops for picture taking. Between the standing water and tree roots, we walked our bikes at least two of the seven miles. Even so, the passage is categorized as easy for biking and walking and its certain to be easier with a dry trail. The slower pace was no problem for us. It gave us more time to enjoy what we came for, the incredible beauty.
The Palmetto Trail is a product of Palmetto Conservation, established in 1994. Once complete the trail will extend 500 miles across South Carolina from the mountains in the upstate, across the Piedmont, and to the shore.
The Trail is open now! What are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy the beauty of South Carolina!
- 350 miles of trail are complete, 26 passages ranging from 1.3 to 47 miles.
- Entry points are everywhere, within at least 2 hours from anywhere in the State; maybe at you backdoor.
- The passages go through city, country, salt march, swamps, maritime forests, and mountains.
“The Palmetto Trail, is a gift to South Carolina to encourage and inspire active, outdoor recreation, land conservation, and preservation of historical and cultural landmarks.” ~Palmetto Conservation
