54 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ShemCreekRestaurants.com directly off Highway 17 on the way up to Santee Coastal Reserve, should you feel ambitious enough to tackle two hikes in one day. This 2.4-mile loop trail provides a haven for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts. The path winds through a range of ecosystems encompassing hardwood bottomlands, pine uplands, tidal marsh, freshwater ponds and managed wetlands. It’s a prime spot to see gators, deer, songbirds, waterfowl and shorebirds. A word of caution: South Tibwin also provides a haven for mosquitoes, which can be particularly relentless here during warmer months. For more info: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/scnfs/ recarea/?recid=47279 Fort Palmetto Park- Fort Palmetto Park, located off Six Mile Road abutting the Oyster Point neighborhood, offers a 1.5-mile round trip jaunt with a side of history. Formerly the site of a three-gun battery erected in 1861 as part of Charleston’s coastal defenses during the Civil War, the path passes by stately oaks and small ponds where you might see herons, egrets and turtles. As you amble along past longleaf pine and more Spanish moss-blanketed oaks, you encounter historical markers chronicling the strategic role coastal defenses like Fort Palmetto played during the Civil War and how slave labor was exploited to expeditiously build them. Remnants of the three gun positions and the powder magazines are still visible. The trail ends at an elevated observation platform providing expansive views toward Dewees Inlet and the inland waterway. For more info: alltrails.com/trail/us/south-carolina/fortpalmetto-park-trail Whichever of these hikes you undertake, along with toting water and a first aid kit, it cannot be emphasized enough that you bring bug spray. Each trail mentioned on this list features a lot of standing water and the kind of generally swampy environments that attract hordes of mosquitoes. And it’s hard to enjoy picturesque settings or patiently scan for wildlife when you’re under constant assault from flying bloodsucking insects. Happy hiking! our town 280 WEST COLEMAN BLVD. MT PLEASANT, SC INTERIORMOTIVESMP@GMAIL.COM 843.936.6997
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