Cowpens National Battlefield: Nature Trail (Blog Hike #294)

Trail: Cowpens Nature Trail

Location: Cowpens National Battlefield

Geographic Location: northwest of Gaffney, SC (35.12741, -81.80380)

Length: 2 miles

Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Dates Hiked: January 2010, March 2013

Overview: A fairly flat, easy nature hike through second growth forest.

Battlefield Information: http://www.nps.gov/cowp/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=722545
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: The battlefield is located just off of I-85.  If northbound on I-85, exit onto SR 110 (exit 83) and turn left.  Take SR 110 north 7.5 miles to SR 11.  Turn right on SR 11.  The battlefield entrance is 0.3 miles ahead on the right.  If southbound on I-85, exit onto SR 11 (exit 92) and turn right.  The battlefield entrance is 9.5 miles ahead on the left.  To reach this trailhead, begin driving the tour road beyond the Visitor Center.  1.3 miles past the Visitor Center, angle right to begin the one way road to the group picnic shelter.  Park in the signed “Trail Parking” on the left side of this road just past the group shelter.

The hike: For my general comments on Cowpens National Battlefield, see the Battlefield Trail blog entry.  Unlike the Battlefield Trail, this hike does not pass through any site of historical importance.  However, this trail does give you an idea of what the Revolutionary War soldiers might have seen while they were marching through the woods of upcountry South Carolina.

            I have actually seen this trail twice, once in the summer and again in the winter.  During my summer visit, parts of this trail, especially near the end, were rather overgrown; my hike here in winter was very pleasant.  Also, while land this flat does not make for the best fall leaf peeping, the large number of broadleaf trees in this forest would make this trail better than average in that regard.

Nature Trail trailhead

            The trail starts as a gravel path at a brown sign that says “Nature Trail.”  Very quickly the trail leaves the picnic area and the gravel runs out; henceforth you will be hiking on dirt.  At only 0.1 mile, a brown sign with a horse symbol stands beside a faint trail that exits right.  This nature trail is open to horses, and each of the 5 wooden bridges on this trail has a horse detour to prevent the heavier horse traffic from damaging the bridge.  Other than the detours, I could detect very few signs of horse traffic on my visit.  Of course, it is best for hikers to remain on the main hiking trail at each of these detours.

Bridge on Nature Trail

            After crossing a small stream on a wide bridge, the trail climbs gradually to begin passing through second-growth upland forest.  Soon you will pass the 0.25 mile marker; distances are marked on this trail every 0.25 miles.  Just before the 0.5 mile marker, the trail heads gradually downhill into an area of younger forest with a dense ground covering of ground cedar.  When I hiked this trail, park workers were installing some wooden water bars on this trail in order to prevent trail erosion.  Erosion did not seem to be a problem on this trail, so I guess park management is just trying to keep it that way.

Upon reaching a larger, gurgling creek, the trail reverses course and briefly heads back uphill.  Near the top of this hill, look for some old wolf trees, or trees with branches very close to the ground.  When a cleared area begins reverting to forest, the first trees to grow in the area branch out quickly due to the abundance of sunshine.  As the forest fills in, later trees have to grow tall before they can find enough sunlight to support a branch.  By finding the wolf trees, you will be finding the oldest trees in a particular patch of forest.

Near the midpoint of the hike, the trail descends back to the gurgling creek, this time crossing it on another wooden bridge with another horse detour.  Curving sharply right at the bridge, for the next 0.5 mile the trail parallels the west bank of the creek, heading upstream.  The forest here is younger than in the highlands you passed through earlier.

Park maintenance road

            At 1.25 miles, the trail crosses a wide dirt park maintenance road.  You could shorten this hike by turning right on the road and heading directly back to the picnic area, but the distance savings is only 0.25 miles and you would miss one of the more interesting points on this trail.  Thus, most people should continue straight on the official single track trail.

After another 0.3 miles along the creek, the trail curves right and crosses the creek on the final wooden bridge.  On the other side of the creek, you will enter, of all the oddest things, a small but dense bamboo grove.  The tall woody plants stay green all year, and tapping on any of the stalks will reveal that they are in fact hollow.  Take a minute to observe this grove, an unusual site in South Carolina.

Bamboo grove

            After passing through the heart of the bamboo, the trail climbs gradually to re-intersect the dirt maintenance road.  A trail sign directs you to turn left and begin following the road.  In only about 400 feet, you will need to turn right to leave the road and hike the short connector trail back to the picnic area.  The trail comes out at a pair of picnic tables beside the paved group shelter road.  Turn right on the paved road and walk the short distance back to your car at the trail parking to complete the hike.