Thursday, Apr. 10, 2008

The great outdoors

If outdoor recreation enthusiasts in South Carolina stick to the mountains or the coast, they’ll miss a spot with amazing diversity in a condensed area — the central Savannah River basin.

From mountain biking to hiking to paddling, you can find it all in the expansive public lands of Aiken, Edgefield and McCormick counties. You can make it a day trip, a weekend excursion or a full week.

• Mountain biking: More than 100 miles of trails roll along the creeks and lakes, including the world-class Forks Area Trail System in Edgefield County. The International Mountain Bicycling Association selected FATS, as it’s called, as one of its Epic Rides, a designation given to only 44 trails in North America. For details on the trails in the area, go to www.sorbacsra.org.

• Hiking: Along the border of McCormick and Edgefield counties, the trails at the 434-acre Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve snake through moist bluffs with a mountainous feel. You might spot some of the 15 rare plant species on the property. For a completely different feel, try the loop trail through the sand hills and longleaf pine of Henderson Heritage Preserve in Aiken County. www.sctrails.net

• Paddling: The Turkey/Stevens Creek Canoe Trail provides a few white-water ripples through a diverse forest with both mountain laurel and Spanish moss. In drier months, paddlers can explore the coves and banks of the mostly undeveloped Lake Thurmond. www.sctrails.net

• Accommodations: The local state parks offer quite a variety. Try Hickory Knob State Resort Park for hotel-like rooms or Baker Creek State Park or Hamilton Branch State Recreation Area for recreational vehicles and tent camping. www.southcarolinaparks.com

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