3/13/08
High Hills Outdoor Center brings eco-tourism to area
By Jerriod Grizzle

JERRIOD GRIZZLE/Manning Times

Palmetto Trail’s Lowcountry Coordinator Ollie Buckles shows off the new High Hills Outdoor Center that opened earlier this March. Buckles said that people have responded well to the center making it a big success.

Since the Palmetto Trail High Hills Outdoor Center opened in Wedgefield, March 1, Lowcountry Coordinator Ollie Buckles said things have been going really well.

“People have been coming in a lot and we have had the chance to add new tours,” he said. “It’s a success.”

The center is such as success that the staff of the center has added eight new tours during the day, even some tours that include lunch. Buckles said that as of now only day trips are provided but overnight trips could become a possibility.

Nestled behind Battens Country Store on Hwy. 261 in Sumter County, the center serves as an eco-tourism headquarters of the Wateree and Santee Rivers as well as our own Lake Marion.

From Friday to Sunday during March through June, the center provides visitors with information and trail maps on many ways to explore the outdoors.

“Our main goal is to educate people; we want people to be aware of their surroundings and have a great time exploring the beauty of South Carolina,” Buckles said.

Buckles said that even though the outdoor center is located in Sumter County, Clarendon County has a rich unique history of its own, including the Santee Indian Mound at Fort Watson.

Thirty-three miles of the Palmetto Trail lays in the “Lake Marion Passage,” which runs through Clarendon County.

“The trail through Clarendon comes over the Orangeburg County line and comes across the old 301 causeway, across Lake Marion and then turns back toward Jack’s Creek and turns again going up toward the Richardson Cemetery,” Buckles explained.

Most of the trail is in remote areas in forests that have not been touched by industry for at least 75 years. It has dense woods and great views of Lake Marion.

Buckles said the new center would draw in visitors from all over to this part of the state.

As an added bonus, visitors can buy a Palmetto Trail Lowcountry Guide that provides updated information about trails, rest stops and information about historic monuments and places along the trail.

Buckles is an avid outdoor enthusiast and a former U.S. Forest Service employee. He assisted in the planning and layout of the trail and often leads natural history tours.

The Palmetto Trail opened in 1996 and was hailed immediately as a triumph with Santee Cooper’s completion of the 26-mile Lake Moultrie Passage. It created widespread access for hikers and bicyclists to the most beautiful scenery around the lakes. Two other passages were opened around Eutawville, S.C.

Reservations are required for all guided trips and can be made by contacting the High Hills Center at (803) 494-5954 or by email at highhillscenter@palmettoconservation.org.