Palmetto Trail - Swamp Fox Trail Passage

/

Sewee Shell Ring, located south of Awendaw, South Carolina in Francis Marion National Forest. Photo by Ammodramus/wiki.

Palmetto Conservation Corps members lay groundwork for a new puncheon near Cordesville. Photo by Kylie Sheahan.

• 
• 

 Upload a Photo

This NRT is a combination of trail #260A, Swamp Fox Passage (51.4 miles), and trail #260B, Awendaw Passage (6.65 miles). The combined trails form a section of the Palmetto Trail.

The Palmetto Trail was started in 1994 by the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, in partnership with many private landowners, conservation groups, outdoor recreation organizations, and government agencies across the state. When completed it will span 500 miles from Enoree in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Upstate, through the state capital of Columbia, and terminating near Awendaw on the Intracoastal Waterway. With this designation, a full 58.05 miles of South Carolina's iconic Palmetto Trail pass through the Francis Marion National Forest

The Swamp Fox Trail was originally 22 miles in length and designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1979. It was named after General Francis Marion. General Marion and his volunteer soldiers used the swamps of the area to hide and fight against the British during the Revolutionary War and thus earned the General the nickname Swamp Fox. In 1997, additional miles were added and designated as a National Recreation Trail bringing the mileage up to our current total of 51.5.

The Awendaw and Swamp Fox Passages of the Palmetto Trail were established within Francis Marion National Forest by US Forest Service staff in partnership with the Palmetto Conservation Foundation in 1994. The trail was constructed as a natural surface trail on federal land, extending from US-52/Canal Recreation Area near Bonneau to the Intracoastal Waterway near Awendaw (see attached location map). For the past 25 years, the trail has been used by thousands of hikers and mountain bikers, including those on nature walks, bird-watching trips, cross-country runs, camping trips, and mountain bike rides. A western portion of the trail has been used for horseback riding, and an eastern portion allows for canoe access to Awendaw Creek. The attached letter from the Forest Supervisor for Sumter and Francis Marion National Forests expresses support and recommendation for the National Recreation Trail designation, with concurrence from the District Ranger and Outdoor Recreation Program Manager.

The Palmetto Trail was started in 1994 by the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, in partnership with many private landowners, conservation groups, outdoor recreation organizations, and government agencies across the state. When completed it will span 500 miles from Enoree in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Upstate, through the state capital of Columbia, and terminating near Awendaw on the Intracoastal Waterway. With this designation, a full 58.05 miles of South Carolina's iconic Palmetto Trail pass through the Francis Marion National Forest.

Allowed Uses:

Other Activities

• Camping
• Wildlife viewing / observation

• Certified as an NRT
  Oct 19, 2020