Lake Wateree and the Carolina Thread Trails

2019 Hiking week 18

This weekend was pretty busy so I didn't get a chance to go hike anywhere. But last weekend, besides walking the Three Rivers Greenway, we also visited the Lake Wateree State Park. We had never been to this state park and I had never been to Lake Wateree (that I remember). The lake is about 40 miles north of downtown Columbia. It's a popular place for people in the area to boat and cool off in the summer. Some also have lake homes in the area.

Lake Wateree State Park is primarily a place for people to camp and be on the lake. There's a small nature trail and a playground area but not much else. Admission is $2.00 per person which is paid at a collection post. There is a nice drive to the park which cuts across the lake. It was a pretty view and we even spotted a turtle trying to cross the road. Or maybe he was just warming up in the sunshine. But it's a nice park that I imagine gets pretty busy during peak boating times. It would be nice to take some kayaks or paddle boards up there to paddle on the lake and have a picnic in the park. I'm not sure how difficult or easy it is to paddle up there but it seemed like there were some coves that would be good for exploring. Also, the lake didn't look too developed so it still has a natural feel to it.




Why did the turtle cross the road?

While we were exploring the area, and driving the backroads, we came across a trail that is part of the Carolina Thread Trail network. I've seen these trails around the Charlotte area and I think it's a great program. The website is helpful for finding trails to hike or bike on. This trail, the Rocky Creek Trail, was outside the town of Great Falls. We decided to walk a bit of it to check it out. It looks like it's part of an access road for utilities. After a short walk downhill, we came to this sandy beach on a wide, shallow river. A trail goes to the right and left. We decided to go to the right where the sign said there were rapids and mill ruins. We didn't go too far since we were wearing our flip flops, but it was pretty and went under the road above. I could tell that this area probably floods easily when there are heavy rains. We didn't see the ruins or rapids but it was a fun, unexpected exploration. After looking up this trail online, I found out that if we would have gone the other direction, there should have been some small rapids not far that way. We might go back sometime to hike more when we're better prepared.
Rocky Creek

It was a fun, spontaneous trip that only took a few hours on a Friday afternoon. It would be a fun stop, especially on the way to Landsford Canal State Park. I'll be writing about that park soon since the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies should be blooming soon and I want to go see them. It's a neat park that we visited last year and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you. Hopefully they'll be blooming!

Location: Lake Wateree State Park, 881 State Park Rd, Winnsboro, SC 29180, USA

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