Visit to Barnwell State Park, South Carolina. Part Three: A Walk on the Nature Trail

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A beautiful day today. Cool, but not cold, with just the right amount of sun. Ideal for a walk along Barnwell State Park’s nature trail.

So, camera around neck and camcorder in hand, off I went for a closer look at the woods here in Barnwell County. Click below for some video of the first half of the walk.

As you can see, this is a well maintained, comfortable trail. Designed, it seems, for those of us who aren’t quite as athletic or mobile as we once were. Much of it, in fact, would be fine for wheeled vehicles, as noted in the video.

These plant and tree identification posts are nice to see along the trail. Some of the trees and plants here are quite common. But others aren’t. These signs help us to remember. Traveling the woods without a proper knowledge of the plant life is like visiting a foreign country without speaking the language. We miss a lot! They are simple enough, and inexpensive enough, to become a scout project, or a project for Park volunteers. Or so it seems to me. Now, really, would you have known this was “horse sugar”? I wouldn’t.

This CCC-built picnic shelter, Shelter # 1, is in great shape. A fine example of the CCC’s work, beautifully preserved and ready for another few generations of Park visitors. Even if you’re not picnicking, be sure to stop for a closer look at this and the other CCC buildings here at Barnwell.

There’s much more to see here, including the Solomon Blatt Community Center. Quite a place, with facilities for fairly large conferences, and even barbeque cooking! And, of course the five “roundette” cabins. But you’ll just have to come for a visit to see it all. In the meantime, here’s some more video taken during the second half of the walk.

That’s all for now. But stay tuned, since tomorrow we’ll have an interview with Park Manager, Mr. Eddy Richburg. He’s a park manager’s park manager, well known throughout the Park System. It will be a pleasure to meet him.

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