Story:
This was a 3-day backpacking trip on the Lake Moultrie Passage of the Palmetto Trail and finishing up on a portion of the Swamp Fox Passage of the Palmetto Trail. There were three of us on the hike. We selected our route to hike our way backwards towards Charleston to ensure access to water at the end of each day. We started our hike with ~35-40lbs backpacks. On Day 1, we hiked 10.2 miles away from Diversion Canal starting at Sandy Beach Road section of the trail and camped at a primitive campsite with water. The campsite was OK and had a well that had water. The water smelled of sulfur, but was good enough for cooking and cleaning. Would not recommend drinking it without treating with iodine. On Day 2, we hiked 9.5 miles from our campsite to the canal recreation area trailhead off highway 52. Even though the map showed that there was water at the trailhead, we found out to our dismay that the taps were shutoff and there was no water. Luckily for us, we had enough water left over from the day to cook and still had enough for our hike the next day. On Day 3, we hiked 7.6 miles from the trailhead off Highway 52 on the Swamp Fox Passage and exited at Cane Gully Road. On Day 3, the trail was flooded in several sections, so we had to bushwack quite a bit. Otherwise the trails were in good condition. We ran into 2 backpackers on the third day who had hiked from the opposite direction and were planning to exit the trail at the highway we had crossed a mile earlier because of the condition of the trail. We had a lot of fun and great pictures.
This was a 3-day backpacking trip on the Lake Moultrie Passage of the Palmetto Trail and finishing up on a portion of the Swamp Fox Passage of the Palmetto Trail. There were three of us on the hike. We selected our route to hike our way backwards towards Charleston to ensure access to water at the end of each day. We started our hike with ~35-40lbs backpacks. On Day 1, we hiked 10.2 miles away from Diversion Canal starting at Sandy Beach Road section of the trail and camped at a primitive campsite with water. The campsite was OK and had a well that had water. The water smelled of sulfur, but was good enough for cooking and cleaning. Would not recommend drinking it without treating with iodine. On Day 2, we hiked 9.5 miles from our campsite to the canal recreation area trailhead off highway 52. Even though the map showed that there was water at the trailhead, we found out to our dismay that the taps were shutoff and there was no water. Luckily for us, we had enough water left over from the day to cook and still had enough for our hike the next day. On Day 3, we hiked 7.6 miles from the trailhead off Highway 52 on the Swamp Fox Passage and exited at Cane Gully Road. On Day 3, the trail was flooded in several sections, so we had to bushwack quite a bit. Otherwise the trails were in good condition. We ran into 2 backpackers on the third day who had hiked from the opposite direction and were planning to exit the trail at the highway we had crossed a mile earlier because of the condition of the trail. We had a lot of fun and great pictures.
Tips:
The best times to backpack the Palmetto Trail is from November through April. The weather is cooler and there are few bugs. Based on experience, always check coordinates on your map with your gps and compas every few miles to make sure you are still on the trail. The trail blazes can sometimes be confusing and there are large sections where you can easily miss the blazes. Carry enough water and do not count of finding water at designated primitive camping sites.
The best times to backpack the Palmetto Trail is from November through April. The weather is cooler and there are few bugs. Based on experience, always check coordinates on your map with your gps and compas every few miles to make sure you are still on the trail. The trail blazes can sometimes be confusing and there are large sections where you can easily miss the blazes. Carry enough water and do not count of finding water at designated primitive camping sites.
Tags:
Palmetto Trail, South Carolina, Lake Moultrie
Palmetto Trail, South Carolina, Lake Moultrie
Comments (0)
Facebook
