Hey there! Today we visit Kings Mountain State Park. This park is close to the historic revolutionary battlefield (and national park) of the same name. Aside from the standard campground this park has a few trails, small lake and a "Living Farm" historic area. We started off at the lake and took the trail to the Living Farm. The start of the trail is a little confusing so pay attention or you'll end up on the long trail. You can get your ultimate outsider stamp from the park ranger at the front gate or at the hiking station by the lake. We decided to try the Farm Trail today since it covers a good bit of the park and takes you to the "Living Farm." This trail starts at the lake, where you can rent paddle-boats or go fishing. There's a building here and some picnic tables. The trail starts down by the old dam, be careful as several trails start here. The old dam is pretty cool, there's a small island at the base and an old valve on one side.
Here's the where it can get confusing, the sign points to the different areas and trails however to get to the farm trail you actually go left and then forward from here - not forward!! You'll come around by the other side of the dam and then the trail splits - the lake trail will go left from this split and follow the shoreline. This trail was in a little dis-repair, there were several spots where trees blocked the path and the markers weren't very clear. At least most of the trail was worn enough to where you could follow the path easy on the spots with no markers. It was a pretty easy trail, it is a little over a mile one way so plan on at least 2 miles of walking, then the extra form walking around the farm. We logged 2.5 miles. You cross two of the park roads on this trail, one of them is the main road so be careful. After crossing the second road you're almost at the farm. The first building you see, as you cross the second road, has bathrooms if you need them. The living farm was neat, there are learning signs at each area you can check out. I was a little disappointed hoping they had times where maybe a ranger would be there to talk about the farm and history but there isn't. I will post all the pictures from the farm on my website, however, I didn't stop to get a property release form (Required for this part of this park) so they won't be available to purchase. Here are just a few of the pictures as a sample of what it's like. Overall this is a nice park with plenty to do, having the national park right next door makes for a great excursion - stay tuned as I cover that park and the rest of the SC Nation Parks at the end of the state park series !! I would like to see the trails kept up in better condition but overall they're not in real bad shape. There's a lot of history to be had here and the park next door, go learn and enjoy the great outdoors! As always, be sure to read the rest of this blog to see our other state park adventures and then visit our website to see the higher resolution pictures and the ones that didn't make it into the blog! Fine art prints are available for purchase at my site also. Be sure to connect with us on social media! All this can be found at our site: http://www.centerlightstudios.com.
Hey there! How many state parks have you been to so far? Today we visit #15, Dreher Island State Park, and true to it's name - it's an island! You'll have to check out my website to see all the pictures, this park just has too much to put them all in the blog. This state park has something for everyone, there's a lot to see and do here, so let's dive right in! As you can see on the map there are several trails and spots on the island, the boat ramp area is the new ranger station and store, the old one has been closed down. Our first stop was the Billy Dreher Trail, this is a small trail that starts at a nice pavilion, there's an outside basketball court and a playground. The trail runs through the woods and down to the old home site of Billy Dreher, all that's left is a pile of bricks and this fireplace, a nice piece of history, he picked a great spot for his home! From here you can continue on the trail as it runs along the lake or you can branch off on another short trail that leads to lake and a nice beach spot. We came to the beach and saw some Osprey fishing! One of the great things about this park is the amount and variety of wildlife you'll find here! Remember to check out my website to see more - higher quality - pictures of them. After hanging out at the beach we headed back and continued the trail back to the parking area. We headed to the old ranger building, there is a boardwalk out to a small island with a short trail. You can fish out here or enjoy the wildlife, we saw more Osprey and a buzzard. Don't forget to enjoy the wide variety of cool foliage and trees in this park!! After enjoying this area we headed down to the longer trail, this trail runs down a peninsula and then loops back, there is a lot to see on this trail and some good ups and downs, so be prepared. Make a wish?! The trail doesn't always run along side the lake but there are a few parts that do and there's a few small offshoots that will take you to small beach areas. There are plenty of great scenic views along the trail! There are also "Indian Guide Trees" or "Indian Marker Trees" along the trail and in different spots in the park, these are really cool and have a lot of history to them. When you finish reading this blog, Google it and read about them!! Be on the lookout and see if you can spot any! There is an area on the loop where an old house stood, like the Billy Dreher house, all that's left is some bricks and a fireplace. What's the story behind this one? Can you find the ruins? All the trails in this park are very well maintained, there was one tree down but it looked pretty fresh, I would guess from the recent storms we had in the area. We had a special treat coming back from the loop... Deer! We heard some noises up ahead on the trail, we thought another hiker with a dog, came around a corner and there looking at us were four deer. We froze and waited to see if they would run, they just continued grazing and walking away, so we carefully and quietly followed them! With all the boats and the noise from them it was easy to close the distance and follow them good. Be on the lookout everywhere you go, you never know what you could come across!! Be sure to check out my video, I was able to get the Osprey fishing some and a little of the deer we ran into!
There's so much to do and see at this park, it is one of our favorites. With the lake, many trails, very nice campground, several playgrounds, shelters, history and all the great wildlife you'll love this park. You'll be hard pressed to be bored here. As with all the parks we've visited the rangers here are very nice and informative. The ranger I spoke with educated me about the guide trees and also helped me locate where they were! As always, be sure to read the rest of this blog to see our other state park adventures and then visit our website to see the higher resolution pictures - and the ones that didn't make it into the blog! Fine art prints are available for purchase at my site also. Be sure to connect with us on social media! All this can be found at our site: http://www.centerlightstudios.com.
Hey there! Today we visit Sadlers Creek State Park. This park reminded us of Lake Hartwell State Park. It sites lower on the lake, the only thing that would differentiate this park from Hartwell is it does have a large Bike trail you can ride - or hike. There is also a short hiking trail. We checked out the hiking and some of the bike trail. The trail starts at the pavilion/park headquarters. It's a pretty level trail that has a few spots that go by the lake. There are some benches and learning stations, however, the trail is not well maintained we even found one of the learning stations knocked over.
After a short walk you come to a cross in one of the park roads, you can cross or head a short walk down to a parking/dock area on the lake. This little dock and area is really nice and would be a great spot to fish from. There's even a handicap ramp down from the parking lot. Continuing on the trail loops back and around to the main area. There was a tree down and we had to blaze our own trail around it! As you can see here the pavilion sits right by the lake, there's also a small playground and some picnic tables. And finally we hit the bike trail, it is a 6 mile loop around the park and is nice at parts, but some parts you're riding over just tree roots. The bike trail "officially" starts at a parking spot right before you get to the campground. Be sure to check out my lake and bike videos below!
Overall this is a nice park, there's a little more to do than Hartwell, but not much.. I have to admit with it being on Lake Hartwell and the other high quality parks on the lake I expected a little more from this park and Hartwell State Park. They're still not bad parks and you can still enjoy a nice camping and lake experience. Be sure to check back soon for our next state park visit, while you're waiting check out the state parks we've visited already in this blog! Be sure to check out my website to see these pictures and more from this hike, and the rest from my other adventures and to purchase prints! http://www.centerlightstudios.com/
