Hike Location: Hickory Knob State Park
Geographic Location: west of McCormick, SC (33.88223, -82.41411)
Length: 7.2 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Dates Hiked: February 2019, December 2022
Overview: A rolling loop with long segments along the shore
of Strom Thurmond Lake.
Park Information: https://southcarolinaparks.com/hickory-knob
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=733151
Photo Highlight:
Hike Video:
Directions to the trailhead: From McCormick, drive US
378 west 5.8 miles to CR 7 and turn right on CR 7. Take CR 7 north 1.6
miles to the signed state park entrance on the left. Turn left to enter
the park, then drive 1.3 miles to the barn-like Long Cane Center the
left. Turn left and park in the Long Cane Center's parking area.
The hike: For my general comments on Hickory Knob
State Park, see either of my previous hikes here: the Turkey Ridge Trail or the Beaver Run Trail. At 7.2 miles, the
Lakeview Trail is the longest of the park’s three trails, and it is the only
one to form a true loop. As its name
suggests, the Lakeview Trail’s main attraction is its route along the east
shore of Strom Thurmond Reservoir, which the trail follows for more than half
of its length. Also, this hike features
decent distance with only a small amount of difficulty, so it is a great
early-season hike for powering up the hiking muscles after a long winter’s nap.
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| Trailhead: Lakeview Trail |
The
Lakeview Trail starts at an information kiosk located on the east side of the
Long Cane Center’s parking area. The
initial segment of trail passes through a nice forest dominated by loblolly
pines. Thus, a thick carpet of pine
needles softens your footsteps. A few
metal diamonds nailed to trees mark the trail, but the more numerous blue
rectangular paint blazes are more helpful in keeping you on track. This trail is also open to mountain bikers,
but I did not pass another single trail user when I hiked here on a cool
Saturday afternoon in early February.
The back
side of the Long Cane Center comes into view on the right before the trail
curves left to head for the lake shore.
Some partially obstructed views of more pine forest open up on the left
as you round a small knob and begin descending.
At 0.7 miles, your first view of Strom Thurmond Reservoir appears
through the trees downhill and to your left.
The trail stays at least 20 feet above the water as it heads out the
east side of a finger peninsula that juts south into the lake.
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| First view across reservoir |
At 1.3
miles, you reach the tip of the finger peninsula and your first view across the
width of the lake. On my visit a fallen
log made a perfect bench to sit, rehydrate, and enjoy the view. This log may have been the victim of a
southern pine beetle infestation that devastated this park a few years
ago. I had to negotiate a few fallen
trees on my hike, but overall the trails at this park are narrow but well-marked
and well-maintained.
For roughly
the next 4.5 miles the trail stays within 500 feet of the lake shore, so
partially obstructed lake views will be nonstop. The lakeside portion of the trail meanders
around 5 different inlets with the general direction being west at first and
then north. Metal diamond mile markers
used to appear at 1 mile intervals; some of them have fallen down
recently. For the most part the forest
is the usual Piedmont mixture of pines and broadleaf trees, but at 2.3 miles a
small stand of red cedar trees surrounds the trail.
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| Trail markers |
Near 4
miles into the hike, the trail curves right to head up the inlet that will take
us away from the lake’s main channel. On
my visit this inlet featured numerous anglers on boats trying their luck and
skill in the waters. Also, piers near
the park’s cabins can be seen across the inlet, and the park’s golf course can
be seen at the head of the inlet.
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| Hiking along the reservoir |
After the
park’s campground comes into view across the lake, the trail curves right and
climbs gradually to leave the lake shore.
Just when you think you might have seen the last of the lake, the trail
curves left and descends to come within sight of the lake one final time. Some steep but usually dry drainage channels
are crossed before the spur trail to the campground exits left at 6.6 miles; a
brown carsonite post marks this intersection.
Continue straight to remain on the main loop.
The trail
begins the home stretch as it climbs gradually to leave the lake behind for
good. Now on an eastbound course, you
join what appears to be an old road just before the red barn-like Long Cane
Center comes into view through the trees uphill and ahead of you. A final pass through the Center’s sewage and
electrical areas returns you to the parking lot to complete the loop. If you want to do more hiking while you are
here, the Turkey Ridge Trail sits directly across the main park road. On the other hand, a nice meal at the park’s
restaurant might be in order if one (fairly long) hike per day is enough.
