I'll be the first to admit that with this recent heat wave I've been spending my time enjoying the air-conditioned comforts of the couch. However mom is determined that we are not going to spend our summer locked up in the house. So we try to get up early and head out. Here are the first three short hikes in the Swamp Fox Passage in Francis Marion National Forest. They took us about three hours each-round trip.

The first section of the Swamp Fox starts at the trailhead on 17 (just past Steed Creek Road on the left). A mailbox sits beside the info board that has a notebook inside, so you read what other travelers have written, and they sign for their dogs too! I made mom put Zeke the Lab in there for me. As you head onto the trail it connects up with the Awendaw trail which we haven’t checked out yet. Then there is a really big bridge going across Steed Creek. The trail is well marked but watch out for the stop signs, particularly where the trail crosses over Steed Creek Road because cars sometimes go really fast so you need to pay attention to mom and dad.

This will get you to a parking area on Willow Hall Road. From here we started out another day and came across some cyclists and another group of hikers who were all pretty nice (I don't expect every one to carry biscuits like the meter reader, I'm quite content with a friendly petting). There are a couple of spots to stop and read the signage that tells you about the history and terrain of the land that the trail cuts through. Some parts of this section of trail connect up with a forest road then break off again. We walked this trail up to the next parking area on Halfway Creek Road.

At Halfway Creek the parking area also has a primitive campground and a water pump setup with a drinking fountain which Sadie and I thought was pretty useful; especially after laying in the puddle. At the campsite we met some folks with their dogs. On this section of the trail you can hike to another spot on Halfway creek road where it crosses over. If you want to park there you need to look for the sign for Forest Road 5138.

If you like maps check out the website for Palmetto Conservation. It has a nice set of maps and information about the Swamp Fox Passage and the entire Palmetto trail. Here is a link to the first section that includes all the hikes I've mentioned above. Another good place to see a map of the trail is on Google maps, they have it listed now so you can see it in satellite mode.