To the Tolling of the Bells
The Oconee Bells Trail is a short loop in Devil’s Fork State Park in upstate South Carolina where you can get a glimpse of a very rare wildflower.
This week I had taken a few days off, and my in-laws had gotten into town the weekend before. On the last day of their visit, they joined me for a short hike in Devil’s Fork State Park in upstate South Carolina. The trail we took is the Oconee Bells Trail, which is a 1-mile loop through the park. The trail is named for the Oconee Bell, one of the rarest wildflowers in the United States.
The trail itself is not particularly strenuous, although there are a few moments of elevation change that might get your heart rate up. The trail winds in and around a nice little creek with some lush greenery along its banks. And along some of those banks are examples of the Oconee Bell (Shortia galacifolia) . This rare small white flower appears in patches right near the creek, and the best patch we saw was just downstream from a small but pretty cascade. I couldn’t help but get right down on the ground to get close shots of the flowers, which appeared to be in full bloom.
Another scene along this trail is a marshy area, with a pond. It’s attractive in a swampy way, and we saw birdhouses along the far side of the pond. We saw no real wildlife, although the last time I was on this trail, I had heard the frogs echoing around the area.
It was a quick hike, but I enjoyed the time with family. If you’re looking for a hike that won’t take a lot of time, but would let you see an extremely rare wildflower, it’s worth a little of your time.
