Keowee-Toxaway State Park

Date: Sunday, October 17, 2010
Map: Link
Trails: Natural Bridge
Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 3 out of 5

On a cool fall afternoon, I decided to do a quick hike while the kids were napping / having quiet time. The leaves are just on the verge of changing colors. It was a nice drive up Hwy 133 to the park.

I arrived about 2:40pm (it is only a 30 minute drive) and started on the Natural Bridge loop trail from the parking lot. I saw a couple of other groups, but it was definitely not crowded on the trail. I took the loop in a clockwise direction, which allows you to take the steepest part of the trail going downhill rather than uphill.

I got back to the car in only 30 minutes! I wasn't trying to race through the trail, but I kept a pretty quick pace, and only stopped for a couple of minutes at the river crossing. A nice hike overall.

Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge

Date: Friday, October 1, 2010
Map: Link
Trails: Pinckney Island
Distance: 5.2 miles
Time: 2 hours
Rating: 4 out of 5

Kerri and I were on vacation for our anniversary at Hilton Head Island. I tried not to put too much on the itinerary :-), but I did want to try a hike at Pinckney Island. You can't miss it when you go to Hilton Head...it is right off of US-278, as soon as you cross the bridge over to the the island.

It was a beatiful sunny day, with the temperature around 75 degrees. Perfect for hiking, really. I arrived and parked about 2:45 pm. The trail leaves from the parking lot on a gravel road. There is a nice posted trail map, and they have some maps to take with you as well. There are also lots of nice interpretive signs along the way.

Right after getting on the trail, you'll notice the wildlife. There are TONS of white ibis here. The trail comes quickly out of the trees and there is marshland on both sides. A lot of other people were out hiking here as well. The trail is so flat; I saw a few bikes, too.

I continued past the Ibis Pond. After 0.9 miles there is a turnoff on the right, which is a grass trail. I stayed on the gravel road past the Starr Pond ("Wood Stork Pond"), and then past Osprey Pond. I can't say I was able to identify any birds other than White Ibis, though.

Somewhere in this area, I saw an armadillo. They are hard to miss, actually. They make a lot of noise rooting around in the brush, and don't seem the slightest bit wary of humans. I took a picture; and yes, I really was that close to the armadillo!

Past the Osprey Pond, there was a 4-way junction, with a bench. I stopped there and had a snack, then turned right (south) onto the grass trail, toward Shell Point. I stayed on this path, past one turnoff on the right, all the way until it ended on a very small island. This trail passed through some pretty dense palmetto / pine forest.

Returning the way I had come, I passed a low point in the trail with a pond on each side. I noticed an alligator sitting there in the pond, and got a (quick!) picture before moving along.

At the next junction, I turned left onto another grass trail, and soon spotted my second armadillo of the day. Really, I didn't know that armadillos lived this far east. I passed Starr Pond (on my right), and finally returned to the junction with the main gravel road. I turned left and returned to the parking lot. A great hike, and a fantastic place for viewing wildlife!