Wildcat Branch Falls

As the Upstate heats up, we head into the mountains to cool down. One of our favorite spots to take guests to is Wildcat Wayside State Park; with three waterfalls and a one-mile hike looping into a beautiful oak-hickory-rhododendron forest, this can be made into a day’s excursion or a first stop on a longer tour of the foothills.

When the automobile became popular in the 1920s a whole new kind of roadside culture was born, one of gas stations, motels and diners. In the late 1930s the National Park Service began experimenting with small wayside parks located along major highways, meant to serve as convenient stopping points for the motoring public and to provide picnic areas, hiking trails and fishing spots to travelers. One of six trial parks in South Carolina was the Greenville Wayside Park, built by workers hired under New Deal emergency relief programs. Although the CCC-constructed picnic shelter is long gone, the foundation and chimney stands testament to almost a hundred years of recreation along Wildcat Branch.

Today the area has been incorporated into a larger area known as the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, which includes Bald Rock Heritage Preserve as well as Jones Gap and Caesars Head State Parks. Wildcat Wayside is located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, and contains a diversity of plant and animal communities adapted to life where the mountains join the Piedmont.

Parking for the trail is just off Geer Highway (scenic Highway 11), close to where 276 cuts north towards Caesars Head. During busier seasons you’ll easily spot it due to the multitude of cars in the pull-off, as well as the boiled peanut vendor that sets up shop there. Lower Wildcat Branch Falls are visible from the road, and the trail heads up alongside the west bank of the creek. Only a few dozen feet past the lower falls are what I call the middle falls, a 10-foot cascade with a nice wading pool at the base and photo opportunity at the top.

The trail crosses over the creek between the lower and middle falls, and then follows the creek north, past the old CCC-built chimney to a fork which marks the beginning of the loop. We often choose to hike this portion clockwise, and cross back over the creek by hopping across stones.

Tunneling through the rhododendron and mountain laurel you’ll soon come to base of the upper falls, featuring a 100-ft drop across a large rock face. This area has been the site of multiple fatal accidents over the years, and it is important to stay on the trail and utilize the designated viewing areas. Depending on rainfall, the falls range from a small trickle to a rushing chute, but the area around the waterfall is always slippery and caution should be exercised to avoid injury. To see how the falls look after a heavy rainfall you can visit Mark’s photo journal here.

Continuing on you’ll come to yet another waterfall (which is more of a slide really) which features a beautiful 30-foot long rush of water just off the trail. On a hot summer’s day we’ve usually worked up a sweat by this point, and are ready to complete the loop and retrace our steps back to the lower falls.

Although the Wildcat Branch Falls hike is perfect in the summer, as the grand finale includes wading in the cool waters below the falls, it really shines during the other seasons as well. While spring brings an abundance of wildflowers and blooming mountain laurel and rhododendron, fall brings a cacophony of color and that crisp mountain air. We’ve hiked in the winter also, the cove somewhat protected from biting wind but exhilarating in the cold air – it’s a year-round paradise only 35 minutes from Greenville!

So pack a picnic and bathing suits, or even just a water bottle and camera, and head to Wildcat Branch. Put the 1-mile trial on your Upstate summer bucket list, and plan a day-long excursion as to fit in a stop at Bald Rock and Caesars Head. Just don’t miss this beautiful attraction, and once you’ve been you’ll want to return again and again!

The Swamp Rabbit - Conestee Nature Park

The southern terminus of the 21-mile GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail could be considered to be in Fountain Inn, although this is actually misleading because the half-mile section there is not connected to the rest of the trail. Although plans to continue the route through Simpsonville and Mauldin have been in the works for the past several years, there is no definite plan/route to link it to the Conestee Nature Park section of the trail.

the historic Conestee mill and dam, view from the Conestee Rd. bridge over the Reedy River

While the Conestee section is also not connected to the main trunk of trail (that winds its way north along the Reedy River all the way to Travelers Rest), the trailhead at the historic Conestee Mill is much more realistic in name of southern terminus, as from this point the trail winds through the park two miles to Chatham Drive and then another two miles to Interstate 85 before the next gap. It’s also a relatively small gap, as there are only two miles missing before the trail picks back up again at Cleveland St. at Greenville Technical College, compared to the roughly 12 miles missing to connect it to Fountain Inn. The two miles to Greenville Tech would necessitate finding an acceptable route around the Greenville Country Club; negotiations have stalled, and attention (and funds) have been diverted to the addition of several connector trails which would link the SRT to even more Greenville neighborhoods.

view of the dam from Spanco Dr.

There was a mill on the Reedy River where the Swamp Rabbit trailhead is now situated as early as the 1790s, but it was small scale until the 1830s when Vardy McBee purchased almost 300 acres in the region and built a larger dam. Over the years ownership changed hands, the dam was rebuilt - it is even thought that material for Confederate Army uniforms was manufactured at the mill during the Civil War. In 1909 Reedy River Manufacturing was renamed Conestee Mill for the Cherokee word for “running waters,” but the mill ceased production in the early 1970s and foreclosed in 1978.The mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. The 8-acre property is currently for sale, and could be yours for $1,800,000.

the kiosk at the trailhead

There is a free parking lot for trail access off Spanco Drive, the trailhead being on the southwest end, and the first tenth of a mile of trail winds from the kiosk around the South Bay (named for the location in relation to Reedy River). Right across from the intersection with the Rusty Link connector (access at South Pine Circle off Conestee Rd.) is the South Bay Observation Deck, a good spot to look for great blue herons and other waterfowl. It was at the next observation deck overlooking Crescent Slough that we caught a glimpse of a muskrat, and altogether in this relatively short stretch we saw an abundance of wildflowers and other miscellaneous stuff exciting to the kiddos: a giant millipede, a vole, wild dewberries and quite a few turtles.

sweet pea

Once the trail turns west again a boardwalk goes off to the north, to Sparkleberry Island and the Heron Circle Trail (also marked River Otter Way and Froggy Bottom Link). Heron Spur, which leads to the West Bay observation deck is just a short distance from this point, and worth the detour. On our visit we observed great blue herons in the rookery, an American green tree frog, fish and more turtles.

the great blue heron rookery

Once back on the Swamp Rabbit you’ll come to a scenic viewpoint on the opposite side of West Bay, and a short distance later the intersection of Flat Tail Trail which connects to the parking lot at the Belmont Fire Department. From here the SRT makes  a wide loop around Marrow Bone Creek, connecting to the Stone House parking lot with a couple of spur trails and to various observation points and Henderson Farm with a series of trails and boardwalks. The Sparkleberry Connector just opened less than a year ago, paving the way for bicycle traffic from Conestee Park and the bridge over the Reedy River.

American green tree frog

We ended our hike back at Conestee Mill, taking in the view from the picnic table situated overlooking the South Bay. The trail comes in at just under 2 miles within the park, making it a 4-mile round trip there and back, but you can always opt to turn around sooner to tailor the hike to your needs. Pack a picnic to enjoy at one of the overlooks, remember your water bottles & sunscreen, and enjoy summer at Conestee Nature Park!

For a map of Conestee Nature Park, the Conestee section of the Swamp Rabbit Trail, parking, overlooks and all other trails, please click here. 

New exhibit at TCMU: Fun & Games!

There’s another new exhibit at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate! Hot on the heels of the grand opening of the permanent exhibit Bib’s World comes Fun & Games, a STEM-inspired exhibit in which children can play games while learning their rules, origins and historical significance.

Femme au Foyer for the #triplewordscore

The kids had a great time playing giant replicas of Scrabble, checkers and chess, although the biggest hit was an arcade booth stocked with all the classic favorites: Ms Pac Man, Donkey Kong and one of the space shooter games among others.

Some games focused on chance (such as Candyland), while others gravitated towards skill (Skeeball). The strategy games (tic-tac-toe etc.) were popular, but almost all of the games encouraged group learning and play.

Lauris enjoyed the station that allowed guests to create their own game, and while a couple of older children played a rather impressive game of Scrabble we hung out at one of the group activity tables and let the kids explore at their own speed. There are activities suitable to toddlers as well - Vilis stuck mostly to the Tangrams and Ker plunk.

We easily spent several hours exploring. All three boys had a great time, so it’s not a question of if we’ll be returning to the new exhibit for more Fun & Games, but when!

Fun & Games replaces the traveling exhibit Trivial Pursuit, A 50-StateAdventure. It will be open until September 5^th, so make sure to add it to your Upstate summer bucket list! For more information please visit the TCMU website. 

Dodson Dig Co - pickers, Greenville-style

Happy Memorial Day!

In celebration of this uniquely US holiday, here’s a look at the newest novelty in Greenville… It’s American Pickers with an auction house, right here in #yeahTHATgreenville! Thursday saw Dodson Dig Co. Nostalgic Finds & Auction House open to great fanfare in the North Main neighborhood.

Located on the corner of Chick Springs and Wade Hampton just minutes from downtown, the family business has found the perfect space for their storefront and auction house; with a spacious auction room that open to plenty of parking, the back section is perfect for events of all types. During the grand opening folk/rock/bluegrass/Americana My Girl My Whiskey & Me was jamming on the stage while The Hog Hauler (from Henry’s Smokehouse across the street) dished up full plates of barbecue. The tables set up inside and out were full, vintage lanterns and burlap sacks keeping with the pickers theme that was evident in all the vintage signs covering the walls.

In the front “The Shoppe’ spans three rooms and has a little of everything: antiques, collectibles, pottery, gas and oil signs – you name it, they got it. Dodson Dig Co takes consignment and will also handle your estate sale, but store hours are limited so check the website or set up an appointment before heading over.

The first Dodson Dig Co auction is scheduled for September 10^th, 2016, but you’ll find the Dodsons out and about before that – check their calendar for details on appearances in Pickens and Asheville Flea for Y’all.

Moving art outdoors

Taking note of the global trend of outdoor education, one local Greenville public school has taken steps towards a more nature-oriented art program with the installation of an outdoor art studio. Stone Academy, in Greenville’s North Main neighborhood, yesterday hosted the ribbon cutting for their new outdoor art space.

Funded partially by volunteer hours and labor, and partially with funds donated through last fall’s Boosterthon event, the outdoor studio will be fully operational by the start of the 2016-17 school year. Landscaped with slate in lieu of mulch in hopes of eliminating yearly maintenance needs, the space will feature 15-30 wrought iron easels, picnic tables and a bright red shade sail.

During the ribbon cutting for the Outdoor Art Studio, art teacher Mr. Benjamin emphasized the importance of bringing the students outdoors in their studies before longtime Stone Academy principal Mr. Ed Holliday cut the ribbon. Mr. Holliday is retiring at the end of the year after 23 years at Stone Academy, and the Outdoor Art Studio features an inscribed stone in his honor at the entrance to the studio.

The ribbon-cutting was the climax of the first annual Stone Artist’ Sidewalk Sale, proceeds of which will go toward the Stone Academy art program.