Palmetto Trail

Imagine more than 425 miles of hiking and bicycling paths beside lakes, across mountain ridges, through forests and into towns big and small. What better way to explore the natural beauty and local color of South Carolina?



This video was made by a guest of the Palmetto Trail.

Conceived in 1994, South Carolina’s Palmetto Trail is the state’s largest bicycle and pedestrian project and will run from the mountains to the sea.

This federal designated Millennium Legacy Trail is the signature project of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. It is one of only 16 cross-state trails in the United States.

Lake Moultrie Passage of the Palmetto Trail – Opened in 1995, the Lake Moultrie Passage is a 33-mile hiking trail that wraps around Lake Moultrie from the trailhead at the Canal Recreation area off Highway 52 north of Moncks Corner to the Redivision Canal at Cross and passing through some of South Carolina’s most beautiful vistas. When completed the Palmetto Trail will extend from McClellanville on the coast to the Foothills Trail in the Upstate.

Swamp Fox Passage of the Palmetto Trail – A 42-mile trail under development of which the 27-mile Swamp Fox National Recreation Trail is open. The trail spans four distinct ecosystems. The trail is good for hiking, biking, bird watching, nature study, environmental education and photography. The eastern trailhead is located on the left of US Highway 17 just north of Awendaw. The western trailhead is located at the Witherbee Ranger Station in Cordesville. For more information call the Witherbee Ranger Station at (843) 336-3248.

A Million Dollar View

Some people pay millions for waterfront views. On this Ollie Moment, you can glimpse it free.

Don’t miss the Swamp Fox Passage of South Carolina’s Palmetto Trail million dollar view. From the Trail you can get a panoramic view of Santee Cooper’s 70,000 acre Lake Moultrie, with sunsets rivaling those at the beach. If you have time wait for the sun to set. It’s worth it!

The easy three-mile round trip hike is a great outdoor date. The trail passes through a loblolly pine ecosystem, which is quite diverse. In the southern United States, the word loblolly means a “mud hole or a mire” and has become associated with the pine trees that favor wet bottomlands or swamps. Find yourself crossing over bridges to get smaller streams.

In about a mile and a half you will come to a set of steps leading up the face of a large dike. Upon ascending the steps, you will come face to face with the spectacular “Million Dollar View” over Lake Moultrie.