Harbison State Forest: Midlands Mountain Trail (Blog Hike #251)

Trail: Midlands Mountain Trail

Hike Location: Harbison State Forest

Geographic Location: northeast of Irmo, SC (34.09636, -81.12468)

Length: 4.2 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: October 2008, December 2014

Overview: An easy to moderate forest hike featuring the Harbison Bluffs overlooking the Broad River.

Forest Information: https://www.scfc.gov/state-forests/harbison-state-forest/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=721793
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the northwest side of Columbia, take I-26 to Harbison Road (exit 103).  Exit and go north/east on Harbison Rd.  Take Harbison Rd. to its end at US 176 and turn right on US 176.  The signed forest entrance is 0.5 miles ahead on the left.  Turn left to enter the forest.  Where the paved road turns right, angle left on the gravel road and pass through the forest gate, noting the time when the gate will close.  Continue along the excellent gravel forest road 1.6 miles to parking area #5 on the right.  Park here.

The hike: Located within the Columbia city limits, Harbison State Forest represents an undeveloped green oasis surrounded by rapidly growing northwest Columbia.  While the suburban development is new to this area, human habitation is definitely not.  Thousands of years ago, Catawba and Cherokee Indians would traverse the surrounding forests to this spot in order to ford the Broad River.

            The state forest was created in 1951 when the South Carolina Forestry Commission purchased these 2200 acres from a Presbyterian Church organization.  The name Harbison comes from a major benefactor of the Church.  In 1981, the Commission developed a master plan that led to the trails we walk today.  Unlike other tracts of land under the Commission’s management, no commercial timber operations take place at Harbison; the land is managed almost solely for recreational purposes.

            Today 18 miles of trails allow visitors to access every part of the forest on foot or on bike.  Several of the forest’s trails are noteworthy, but the Midlands Mountain Trail described here is thought by many to offer the best hiking experience in the forest.  Besides, since parking area #5 is located in the very center of the forest, you can access the forest’s other trails after you have hiked this one, if you so desire.

Trailhead: Midlands Mountain Trail

            Begin at a wooden sign that says “Midlands Mountain Trail” and contains a blue diamond and a letter “Q.”  Trails at Harbison State Forest are marked by these color-coded diamonds (our trail is blue, of course), and major intersections are denoted by letters.  The trail immediately heads into the young forest and angles left.  After only 500 feet, you reach an unsigned intersection.  The trail going left leads to the Eagle Trail, and the trail going straight leads to the Stewardship Trail, which is probably the second-best trail in the forest and is described elsewhere in this blog.  To continue on the Midlands Mountain Trail, angle right and continue following the blue blazes.

            After crossing a small stream on a footbridge, the trail begins to snake its way up the mountain that gives this trail its name.  Since this trail is also open to mountain bikes, you will likely have company on this trail.  Should you come upon a biker (or, more likely, have a biker come upon you), just step to the side, wave “hi,” and let them pass.  Bike traffic is a bit of a nuisance to hikers, but it also helps keep the trail in good condition.  The slope and curves on this part of the trail pose somewhat of a challenge to bikers but not to hikers.

Climbing the Midlands mountain

            After 0.5 miles of climbing, the unusually named Spider Woman II Trail, the hardest trail in the forest, exits to the left.  100 feet later, you arrive at the top of the hill and point G where the Midlands Mountain Trail splits to form its loop.  In order to take the shortest route to the bluffs, I chose to continue straight and use the trail going right as the return loop.

Hiking through young pines

            A recently rerouted portion of the trail begins descending the other side of the ridge through an area with lots of young pine trees.  The pines grow so close together that their needles form an almost continuous green curtain to the left of the trail.  While the curtain effect looks nice now, the trees here are growing way too close together to have them all or even most of them survive.  Thus, this area will have lots of dead trees in a few years unless the forest is thinned.  Another area further along the trail is marked as having been thinned in June 2000, demonstrating the effects of good forest management techniques.

            Near the bottom of the hill, the trail splits with the bike route turning right and the hiking route continuing straight.  Unless water tables are high, you should continue straight on the hiking route, which leads into the Broad River floodplain.  Although the river never comes in sight, you will know when you reach the floodplain because grasses and paw paw bushes heavily populate the understory.  Also, parts of the trail are uneven having recently been muddy spots.

Hiking through the floodplain

            After 0.4 miles in the floodplain, the trail angles right, heads uphill, and rejoins with the bike route.  From here the trail climbs moderately toward Harbison Bluffs over a series of gravel waterbars, an erosion-control device.  At 1.9 miles, you arrive at point H where the spur trail to the bluffs exits left.  Of course, you should turn left and hike the 0.1 miles to the bluffs.  The view from the bluffs will be best in the winter, for during the rest of the year leaves will almost completely obstruct your view of the river.  At any time of year, a bench makes a good place to stop for a rest or a snack near the midpoint of the hike.

Overlook at Harbison Bluffs

            Back on the main loop, about 500 feet past point H, an unmarked fire road exits to the right where the Midlands Mountain Trail angles left to begin following a wide two-track dirt trail.  The following 0.6 miles to Point J feature this wide dirt path through young forest; this is definitely not one of the more scenic trails in the park.  Point J marks the intersection of the Firebreak Trail, which continues straight.  This hike turns right to follow the combined Firebreak and Midlands Mountain trails.

            Still on wide and fairly unattractive trail, in 0.2 miles you reach point PP where the much narrower Crooked Pine Trail exits to the left.  In another 0.1 mile, the fire road exits to the right, and the trail begins to look more like a trail again, albeit still in young forest.  3 miles into the hike, you reach point F where the ugly Firebreak Trail (finally!) exits left.  Going straight will continue your journey around the Midlands Mountain Trail loop.

Hiking along the ridgetop

            The last section of trail features some of the best fall colors in late October.  In another 0.3 miles past point F, you reach point G where the loop is closed.  Turning left, retracing your steps downhill to the unmarked intersection, then taking another left will return you to your car and complete the hike.