Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site (Blog Hike #1099)

Trail: Walking Trail
Hike Location: Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site
Geographic Location: southeast of North Augusta, SC (33.41997, -81.86847)
Length: 2.4 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: January 2026
Overview: A loop hike around the grounds of the 1859 Redcliffe Plantation.
Park Information: https://southcarolinaparks.com/redcliffe
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming April 6, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: On the South Carolina side of Augusta, take I-520 to US 278 (exit 17).  Exit and go east on US 278.  Drive US 278 east 7.4 miles to SR 580 and turn right on SR 580.  Drive SR 580 south 0.2 miles to Redcliffe Road, a good dirt road that is passable by all vehicles except in the wettest of conditions.  Turn right on Redcliffe Rd.  Drive Redcliffe Rd. southwest 0.2 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, and drive the gravel park road to the parking lot near the historic mansion.  Park here.

The hike: The deep south is dotted with old plantations turned tourist attractions and historic sites, but few of them have the raw authenticity of Redcliffe Plantation.  The main house was built in 1859 by James H. Hammond, a former governor of South Carolina, United States Senator, rapist, and slave-owner who is most famous for coining the phrase "cotton is king."  Hammond bought the plantation in 1855 for use as a country estate, and he named it Redcliffe after a red bluff near the front of the property.  Some of the property's support buildings have succumbed to the ages, and only the slave quarters and stable remain standing around the mansion.

            The mansion remains the center of the property today, and guided tours are offered several times on most days for a fee.  The grounds are open 9am-6pm daily free of charge, and the grounds include a single hiking trail that loops through the woods north and west of the house.  That trail is the one described here, and it offers a pleasant hike through rolling Piedmont forest.

Start of Walking Trail near park entrance

            The trail forms a true loop; I chose to save the mansion for last by hiking the loop counter-clockwise.  To execute such a plan, start by walking back out the gravel entrance road.  Just before you get to the entrance gate, look left to find the signed start of the Walking Trail.  The trail heads into the dense woods, which are dominated by pines, holly, and magnolia.  The wide dirt trail is unblazed, but distance markers appear at 0.25-mile increments.

Passing the 0.5 mile marker

            The trail heads north before curving left to begin a gradual descent at 0.5 miles.  On one hand the historic buildings and dirt road you drove in on make this site feel remote, but near-constant traffic noise from US 278 to the right and airplanes flying overhead from Augusta Regional Airport remind you that civilization is nearby.  Just past 1 mile, the trail curves left and descends as the old farm pond comes into view downhill and to the right.

Old farm pond

            After curving right to cross the stream that feeds the old farm pond, you reach a pair of benches that offer pondside views at 1.2 miles.  South Carolina is dotted with old farm ponds like this one, but this pond occupies a ravine that is steeper than you might expect for this part of the state.  Past the pondside benches, the trail climbs on a moderate grade through more of the same forest.  A tornado in 2009 did major damage to this forest, and parts of this trail were closed for several years.  Yet a local boy scout troop did an excellent job of repairing the damage and improving the trail in 2019, and today this is a very pleasant trail to hike.

Redcliffe Mansion

Magnolia Lane

            Just past 2 miles, you reach the end of the walking trail as you exit the woods and enter the mowed-grass historic area.  Turn left and climb gradually to reach the mansion.  My favorite feature of these old mansions is the porches, and approaching the mansion from this direction gives a great view of the steps leading up to the broad, expansive porch.  Looking east from the mansion gives a view down Magnolia Lane, this mansion's original driveway.  Walking past the stable and the slave quarters returns you to the parking area to complete the hike.