Part 2 of an 8 part series
Hiking near Charlotte @ Anne Springs Close Greenway
Just minutes south of Charlotte is Anne Springs Close Greenway, a 2,100 acre natural preserve in Fort Mill, South Carolina. More than twice the size of Central Park, this preserve offers a wide-open space for countless activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, fishing, and more. With over 100 species of wildflowers and a great variety of birds, the Greenway is home to 28-acre Lake Haigler, as well as four other fishing ponds, mixed hardwood forests, prairies, and vistas that are truly breathtaking.
Why Hiking?
Our family trip this summer takes us to Montana. We’re headed to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and everything in between. Unlike most of our family trips, this one is going to involve a lot of exercise. To really experience these beautiful parks, it sounds like you have to do some hiking! In addition to some of the gear we need to buy, we also need to get into some serious hiking shape. Lucky for us, we live in Charlotte where there are a ton of hiking options all within 2 hours. During the next 8 weeks my husband and I will be taking on a different hiking adventure each weekend. For our first week we took on one of the most popular trail locations- Crowders Mountain.
Which trail should we hike?
The Anne springs Close Greenway operates a trail system that is 36 miles long. Trail markers are placed every 1/4 mile, and whether you are considering difficulty level or length, there is something for everyone!
Based on our very uphill hike last week, this week we went for longer and flatter. After checking into the welcome center (without a membership the charge is $12 an adult), we decided to start on the Blue Star Trail and loop onto a different trail to loop us back to the car.
The Blue Star Trail
The Blue Star Trail starts behind the info center and home to the Gateway Canteen. After crossing the swinging bridge (which I loved) you walked through pastures passing horses, cows, the historic cabins, and the Dairy Barn. With kids, I’m sure we would have stopped at each but Garret and I were on a hiking mission! The path was mostly flat with gravel and in some spots got thinner. The scenery changed from pastures to wooded areas and periodically you had a little bridge to cross. Strangely enough, on a Sunday afternoon we were almost completely by ourselves. During the entire hike, I think we only passed about 6 people!
Along the Blue Star Trail
The Blue Star trail is dubbed the “main thoroughfare through the Greenway” and stretches more than seven miles from one end to the other. The scenery is constantly changing but certain points of interest are worth noting. The land has ties to the Catawba Indians and the Civil War so there are some great historical landmarks.
- The Faires-Cotharp Cabin- the home to two civil war veterans
- The Dairy Barn- built in 1947 provides a unique venue for indoor/outdoor events
- Railroad Trestle-part of the Southern Railroad
the Muscadine Trail
After hiking on the Blue Star Trail for several miles which went along the Blue Steele Creek, we decided we should loop back toward the car. We pulled out our trusty map (which I highly recommend carrying with you) and searched for our connecting trail back. The Muscadine looked to be the closest, and on the map, looked like it would connect by the railroad trestle. Here’s where the fun began because clearly we are both helpless without a navigation system. We wandered onto another connection and were probably a mile off by the time we figured it out. Oh well! It’s all part of the adventure, right? And had we not taken the detour we would have never run into the best point of interest… a SNAKE!
Trust me. After the snake sighting every grass rustle made us jump. At one point we came across some wild turkeys which were too far away for a picture. I had no idea how loud a “turkey call” really is!
we did it!
Back at the Greenway Gateway, after a couple of wrong turns we realized we walked 6.36 miles! It’s worth mentioning that the Canteen offers food and a great selection of craft beer. That day they were having a strawberry brunch with reservations only so we were off to find our local brewery!
Time To Hydrate
Brewery #1 -1873 Brewing
Lucky for us this was a two for one brewery day. My first choice was 1873 Brewing in Fort Mill. It had a great atmosphere and outside seating but unfortunately no food! Another customer said they do have food Thursday through Saturday and it’s amazing! They also usually have food trucks on Sunday. We felt obliged to try a couple and promised to be back. Favorite beer here was the Springs Blonde.
Brewery #2- Lore Brewing Company
Lore Brewing Company was a little further south and promised good food and a large selection of craft beer. Located in a shopping center in Indian Land it had a full taproom and outdoor seating. After doing a little research, I realized it is the only brewery in Indian Land. The concept comes from a husband and wife team and the name is short for “folklore” with the tagline “Share your lore”. The beer was good and I was surprised to find I could order a Greek salad! Of course that didn’t make my favorite food pic when there were pretzels and pigs in the blanket on the menu!
Top Pick Beer: Guess My Name
Top pick: Pigs in a blanket
The Vibe
Pingback: Hiking at Morrow Mountain - The Downsized Life