Final Stroll in South Carolina
My last hike as a citizen of South Carolina was just a small walk through Town Creek Park in Pickens. Maybe not the best marked hike, but it allowed me one last walk in the woods of the Golden Corner.
The transition from South Carolina to Tennessee is proceeding apace, but I figured I’d toss in this last South Carolina “hike”. It was really just a brief stroll through Town Creek Park’s series of trails. According to SCTrails, part of this series of trails follows the route of a train system used by the Appalachian Lumber Company, in the ’20s. Town Creek Park is in Pickens, SC, not far from the main part of the city itself, but it still provides a “walk in the woods” type feel.
It was difficult to locate the park, at first, because I missed the turn off onto Homestead Road, so keep a sharp eye. And then, it was difficult to tell where the trailhead was, because mostly what you see is a playground and a picnic pavilion. But, I parked in the lot near the pavilion, and saw the sign for the trail. The trail starts out surfaced, passing by the playground and over a bridge. After that, there are small dirt paths that branch off from the main trunk.
I wasn’t entirely sure what was what, or what connected where, but I decided to just explore, trusting that I’d eventually get back to the trunk. It’s not like the park was huge, so I wasn’t worried about getting lost. The trail went down towards the creek, where there are some rustic benches to sit and watch the water flowing over the rocks. I then followed it as it looped back up to the main trunk, and I followed the trunk for a while. Towards the end of the trunk, I saw another trail branching off, so I set off to explore that one, as well.
This one followed the creek closely. Very closely, indeed, at some points, and I had to swing around some of the undergrowth to proceed. This trail was clearly not very well traveled, and it was difficult to see if I was on a trail, or just a less overgrown area. Eventually, I found a spur that headed back up to the trunk, so I took it, and headed back to the car.
I’m very much going to miss hiking in this area of South Carolina, as I’ve been traipsing around these foothills for a good number of years. But, Tennessee offers its own hiking opportunities, and perhaps it’s time to start trying out some new paths.
