Croft State Park: Nature Trail (Blog Hike #553)

Trail: Nature Trail

Hike Location: Croft State Park

Geographic Location: southeast of Spartanburg, SC (34.86247, -81.83941)

Length: 1.5 miles

Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Date Hiked: November 2015

Overview: A short lollipop loop featuring ridgetop and creekside segments.

Park Information: https://southcarolinaparks.com/croft

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=478738
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Near Spartanburg, take I-26 to SR 296 (exit 22).  Exit and go east on SR 296.  Drive SR 296 east 1 mile to SR 295 and turn right on SR 295.  Drive SR 295 6 miles to SR 56 and turn right on SR 56.  Drive SR 56 south 2.3 miles to Dairy Ridge Road and turn left on Dairy Ridge Road; there is a sign for Croft State Park at this intersection.  The park entrance is 0.3 miles ahead on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the nominal entrance fee, and follow the main park road 3 miles to the park office.  Park in any of the large gravel/dirt parking lots behind the park office.

The hike: Consisting of 7054 acres in rapidly developing suburban Spartanburg, Croft State Park (also known as Croft State Natural Area) is one of the largest state parks in South Carolina.  Human habitation on this land dates to the late 1800’s when several farming communities relied on the current park’s Whitestone Springs as a water source.  A four-story hotel and bottling business on this property also used water from the spring.

            During World War II the land was used as a US Army training camp.  Over 250,000 soldiers trained here.  After the war, the camp was closed, and the area opened as a state park in 1949.  The park today features a 50-site campground, two small lakes, several picnic areas, and 37.5 miles of trails.

            For outdoor enthusiasts, Croft State Park is mainly known as an equestrian and mountain bike destination.  12.6 miles of the multi-use Palmetto Trail, the 500+ mile master path of South Carolina, lie within the park.  While hiking is allowed on all of the park’s trails, only 2.5 miles of trails are designated as hiking-only.  Among the hiking-only trails, the park’s best option is the short Nature Trail described here.  Though not long, this trail has a rolling foothills feel reminiscent of places deeper in the mountains.

Nature Trail trailhead

            The Nature Trail does not leave directly from the parking area.  To find the start of the Nature Trail, keep walking southeast down the gravel road toward the equestrian center.  First you pass the signed Palmetto Trail entrance on the right, then you pass the signed Fairforest Loop Trail (a bridle trail) entrance on the right.  After 0.2 miles of walking along the gravel road, you reach the signed Nature Trail entrance on the right.  Turn right to leave the gravel park road and begin the Nature Trail.

            The Nature Trail passes through a wooden entrance stile and heads slightly downhill.  Metal diamonds nailed to trees mark the trail, and interpretive signs identify and describe common trees of the forest.  Thus, this trail makes for a good introduction to the habitats of upstate South Carolina.

Hiking the Nature Trail

            0.3 miles from the parking area, the trail splits to form its loop.  As directed by a black arrow on another metal diamond, this description turns left and uses the trail going right as a return route, thus hiking the loop clockwise.  The trail undulates somewhat as it heads east through open ridgetop forest.  Some red cedars appear in the tree mix up here.  The atmosphere is serene except for one factor: you may be able to hear gun shots from the park’s rifle range located across the ravine to your right.

            Just past 0.6 miles, you pass a very new wooden bench before descending moderately.  At 0.8 miles, you reach the bottom of the hill and the site of the Foster Mill ruins.  A small town centered around a grist mill stood here in the late 1800’s.  The mill was powered by falling water from Fairforest Creek, and the shoals upstream provided the elevation change needed to make the water fall.  Only foundations of town structures remain today.

Departing the mill area

            From the mill area, the trail curves right and begins heading upstream with Fairforest Creek downhill to your left.  The creek is not in full view, but you can hear water rushing over the rocky shoals when stream flow is sufficiently high.  The rushing creek and sidehill trail give this area more of a mountain feel than a Piedmont feel.

Fairforest Creek

            At 1.1 miles, the trail descends to reach a streamside bench beside the last shoal.  As evidenced by the soft sand underfoot, this bench was built in the creek’s floodplain, so hopefully it still will be here when you arrive.  After a brief stint of creekside hiking, the trail curves right to head out of the floodplain and close the loop.  Turn left on the entrance trail and then left again on the gravel park road to return to the parking area and complete the hike.

Tims Ford State Park: Lost Creek Overlook and Marble Plains Trails (Blog Hike #552)

Trails: Lost Creek Overlook and Marble Plains Loop Trails

Hike Location: Tims Ford State Park

Geographic Location: west of Winchester, TN (35.22028, -86.25531)

Length: 3.5 miles

Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: November 2015

Overview: A double loop featuring two swinging bridges and nice lake views.

Park Information: https://www.tnstateparks.com/parks/tims-ford

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=940798
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Winchester, drive SR 50 west 5.3 miles to Mansford Road and turn right on Mansford Rd.  Drive Mansford Rd. north 4.8 miles to the signed park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park and park in the large blacktop lot in front of the Visitors Center.

The hike: Completed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1970, the Tims Ford Dam on the Elk River produces 36 megawatts of hydroelectric power for residents of south-central Tennessee.  The dam forms 10,700 acre Tims Ford Lake, which provides flood control and water recreation.  Although Tims Ford Dam stands a respectable 175 feet high and 1580 feet long, it is only medium-sized by TVA standards.

            As you would expect, Tennessee’s Tims Ford State Park sits on the shore of its namesake lake.  The rural 2200 acre park features many amenities, including a 52-site campground, 20 cabins, a marina, and a lakeside restaurant.  The park’s most famous attraction is Bear Trace at Tims Ford, one in the Tennessee State Parks’ collection of Jack Nicklaus designed signature golf courses.

            For hikers, the park offers several trails that total 27 miles, some of which are shared with mountain bikes.  Many of the trails make for excellent walks, but most experts appraise the Lost Cove Overlook Trail to be the park’s best trail.  The Lost Cove Overlook Trail leads 1.3 miles from the Visitors Center to its namesake lake overlook.  Combining this trail with the adjacent Marble Plains Loop and the paved ADA-accessible Overlook Trail forms the 3.5 mile double loop described here.

Trailhead: Lost Creek Overlook Trail

            From the Visitors Center, head west to find the signed Lost Cove Overlook Trail where the somewhat narrow dirt trail enters the woods.  The trail undulates slightly as it passes behind the old Visitors Center (now closed) and under a powerline.  In about 700 feet, you come to the first of two suspension bridges.  The long, high bridge takes you over one of the steep, narrow ravines that characterize this part of Tennessee.  The bridge sways quite a bit, but the metal cables holding it in place are sturdy, so persistent forward stepping will get you across.

First suspension bridge

            The young but nice forest that surrounds the trail features some maple, oak, and beech trees with some pine trees mixed in along the higher areas.  The lake remains a constant presence through the trees on the left, but no clear lake views emerge.  Red aluminum disks mark the trail, and they come in handy occasionally even though most of the trail is easy to follow.  Numerous small but occasionally steep ups and downs need to be negotiated.  The vertical elevation change between high and low points is less than 100 feet, but that vertical distance will be covered many times.

At 0.7 miles, you cross the second of the two suspension bridges.  This bridge seems to be a near-twin of the first.  More ups and downs bring you to the wooden overlook platform at 1.3 miles.  While the view from here was probably quite good at one time, trees have since grown up to almost completely block the view.  Use some nearby benches to enjoy what view there is.

Lost Creek Overlook

The overlook also serves as a major trail intersection.  The Lost Creek Overlook Trail you have been following ends here.  The asphalt ADA-accessible Overlook Trail leading away from the lake will be our eventual route back to the Visitors Center.  The two arms of the Marble Plains Loop Trail, which is marked by orange aluminum disks, continue further west.  This description will take the left (south) arm of the Marble Plains Loop Trail now and use the right arm as its return route, thus hiking the loop clockwise.

The Marble Plains Loop Trail is narrower and less-traveled than the Lost Creek Overlook Trail, as evidenced by the deeper cover of leaf-litter that I had to negotiate on my early November hike.  However, the terrain is generally flatter than the previous trail, and therefore the overall going is somewhat easier.  After a gradual descent, the trail curves right to head briefly uphill into younger, shrubbier forest before descending again. 

Tims Ford Lake

At 1.9 miles, you reach lake level where the best lake views of the hike emerge.  This point sits at the head of a narrow inlet that empties west into the main lake.  The trail next curves right to join an old dirt road as it climbs away from the lake.  2 miles into the hike, you reach another signed trail intersection just below the ridge crest.  The Ray Branch Shoreline Trail exits left and continues another 6 miles down the lake shore, so you need to turn right to stay on the Marble Plains Loop Trail.  More orange aluminum disks mark this turn.

The remainder of the Marble Plains Loop Trail stays in the young shrubby ridgetop forest.  The solid white building of Marble Plains Baptist Church sits through the trees to the left.  Minor undulations and a final left turn return you to the overlook area to close the Marble Plains Loop.  To begin the final leg back to the Visitors Center, turn left on the asphalt ADA-accessible Overlook Trail.

ADA-accessible Overlook Trail

Asphalt trails never make for the best hiking, but since this trail stays in the woods or prairie for its entire length, the scenery is better than you might expect.  The nearly flat Overlook Trail stays on the ridgetop, thus by-passing all of the up-and-down you did on the Lost Creek Overlook Trail.  Rest areas with benches appear roughly at 400 foot intervals.  First you pass Marble Plains Baptist Church again, then Marble Plains Road comes into view, then you pass the park entrance gate.  1 mile after leaving the overlook, you come out at the north end of the Visitors Center parking lot, thus completing the hike.