Beidler Forest

The weekend of September 25 I visited the Beidler Forest near Harleyville, SC, about 60 miles south of Columbia. It is run by the National Audobon Society and is an old-growth swamp forest. It is inhabited mainly by bald cypress and tupelo gum trees; the big cypresses are around 1000 years old, with the oldest being around 1500 years old - the second oldest in the world!

There is a 1.75 mile boardwalk that meanders through the forest.


Lots of wildlife live in the area and are often spotted, but I didn't see much more than a few small birds, a couple of spiders, and a couple of turkeys. But the trees, swamp, and solitude and serenity were plenty enough to make it a very worthwhile trip.









This one looks like an animal's foot to me








Several downed trees are out there as a result of Hurricane Hugo in 1989.




On my way home I drove through Holly Hill and had dinner at Sweatman's Barbecue, a joint featured in a barbecue book of mine as well as on hollyeats.com. Their pork was very, very good, their slaw was pretty good, their hash wasn't all that great ... and that was about it! No sides other than hash and slaw. So, though their pork was excellent, I was pretty disappointed overall, with so little to choose from. But, it was still a decent stop, and I left full. On my way home from there I was treated to a beautiful sunset and pulled over for a final photo for the day.