Friday, Aug. 29, 2008

Get Out: Welcome to Hell Hole

IF YOU GO

The grand opening of the Hell Hole Outdoor Center is scheduled for Sept. 6.

WHERE: St. Stephen, at the intersection of S.C. 45 and Main Street.

WHEN: 10 a.m.

GUIDED TOURS: After the opening ceremony, several canoe-kayak and hiking trips will leave from the outdoor center.

INFORMATION: (843) 567-4880 or www.palmettoconservation.org

When considering a hiking or paddling trip, would you jump at the chance to go to a place called Hell Hole?

The Palmetto Conservation Foundation considered that question when naming its new outdoor center in Berkeley County, near Hell Hole Swamp. In the end, the foundation decided outdoor-oriented people would be intrigued rather than turned off, said executive director Ken Driggers.

So the Hell Hole Outdoor Center will welcome people to one of the under-appreciated sections of the Lowcountry, starting with a grand opening event on Sept. 6.

Anyone who has ventured into the swampy area along the Santee River at the height of the heat and humidity of summer would understand the “Hell Hole” moniker. But even through the sweat and mosquitoes, the beauty of the cypress-tupelo forest and the black-water creeks is startling. And with insect repellent and temperatures below 90, it’s a fun region to explore.

Even as the Charleston suburbs stretch northeast, huge swaths of undeveloped land remain in the Francis Marion National Forest in eastern Berkeley County. Well-maintained and well-marked dirt roads make exploration easy, but newcomers might want to head out onto the foot trails and creeks for the first time with locals.

That’s where the outdoor center comes in. PCF opened its first such facility last year in Wedgefield to encourage exploration of the High Hills region of Sumter County and the Wateree River floodplain. Guided tours leaving from the center were a big hit.

The new Hell Hole center will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from September through December. Visitors can stop by for maps and advice any of those days. Most weekends, some kind of guided trip will be offered.

The preliminary schedule includes canoe/kayak trips to The Jungle or Russellville Flats and a hiking trip in Wadboo Swamp on Sept. 6; hiking trips to Old Santee Canal on Sept. 6 and Sept. 27; canoe/kayak trips in Wee Tee State forest on Sept. 13 and Sept. 20; a canoe/kayak trip on Lake Marion on Sept. 20; and a driving tour with stops on national forest roads on Sept. 20.

All leave from the outdoor center on S.C. 45 and Main Street at the railroad track in St. Stephen. The center is sponsored by Santee Cooper, as is the new “Lowcountry Guide to the Palmetto Trail,” on sale at the Hell Hole and High Hills outdoor centers.

If you want to explore the area on your own, there are several informative Web sites —www.berkeleyblueways.com for paddlers; www.palmettoconservation.org for Palmetto Trail hikers; and www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/ for details on the national forest roads and trails.

Reach Holleman at (803) 771-8366.