Harbison State Forest


2019 Hiking week 34

Hi all. I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I’ve been busy traveling and celebrating my birthday. It’s been a busy past few weeks. This past weekend the weather was pretty iffy. They were calling for rain but then it ended up not being too bad, even though it was warm. So Friday we headed out to Irmo, just outside of Columbia, to hike in Harbison State Forest. I would guess that most people in Columbia have been to Harbison State Forest, or at least have heard of it. It’s a nice park with over 2,000. There are multiple trails that you can hike or mountain bike on. 

Over the years, we have visited Harbison Forest multiple times. There are lots of different trails we can hike on and they are well marked. Many are 3-4 miles long which is good for an hour or two hike. I like some of the trails that go all the way to the Broad River. The area is mostly pine trees and sandy soil and there are a variety of difficulty levels to pick from. 

This past weekend we hiked some of the inner trails that are around the park offices for about an hour. These trails had some informational signs and one trail had some markers for the types of trees. This was the first time I saw some of the forestry machinery that they had on display around the office. There are a lot of outdoor classrooms as well. It was pretty interesting. The forest is actively managed through prescribe burns and thinning.

Harbison State Forest costs $5.00 per car for entry or you can buy an annual pass for $25.00. There are bathroom facilities, which is nice. It’s a fairly low-key park. They have gate hours of 9:00 - 4:30 p.m. but the outer parking lot stays open later for those who want to stay past 4:30 p.m. Be sure to check what times the gates are open or closed so you don’t end up having your car locked in the park. Some of the gates are closed during the week but are open on the weekends. Another way to find out information about the forest is through the Friends of Harbison State Forest website. They have some helpful information. 

Harbison Boulevard is nearby with many shops and restaurants. Also, the Harbison neighborhood has some paved trails which I’ve checked out a couple times. 

Location: Harbison State Forest, Columbia, SC, USA

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