Colleton County High Point Trip Report
23 spots (40.5-42 meters)
Author: Ron Tagliapietra
Of these 23 spots, 6 cross quad lines so there are actually only 17 areas to visit. The first two are the
easternmost areas. The large area on US 21 (spot elevation 40.9) and the small area to the east behind
Lovely Hill Church. After walking around to your heart's content (especially in the large flat area),
drive west on Buckhead Road from the spot elevation.
The next area west is short walk from the road on a small path. Similar for the next area west if you drive
north a half mile. Next cross Buckhead creek, and go straight onto Berea Road (don't fork left to stay on
Buckhead Road). About 0.1 mile before you reach Tumbleweed Road, you will pass a signed (but not
posted) and gated entrance to the Westvaco-owned area. Enter this area here for the small contour that
splits the Williams and Branchville South quads. You can use this access for others as will be seen presently,
but I think another access is better since there are fewer signs.
Turn left onto Tumbleweed Road, park on the shoulder in about a half a mile,
and hike into the two small areas.
Return to Berea Road and continue west to Starbrook Road, where you will turn right. Drive this almost to
its end at the county line sign and park on the shoulder. From here you can visit the 2 small liners and the
two other small areas.
Drive on to the end of Starbrook, turn right, and drive north briefly to an old road/path with no gate or sign.
This can be used to access the large liner area that crosses the Lodge and Tony Hill Bay quad lines, but it is
mostly open marsh and cannot be the highpoint.
Continue north to a large dirt shoulder at the road shown on the topo that is gated. I parked here, and it
was not posted. The junction comes up sooner than the topo makes it look, but hike to the right as shown
on the Tony Hill Bay quad. From here on you will walk past hunter's tree stands every eighth mile or so;
do not try this in hunting season. Hike for almost a mile along a creek ditch to the sharp right on the topo.
There is a junction here, but go right. Hike another 0.2 mile to a sharp left curve. There is a junction here,
though it doesn't look like it. The main trail beyond this curve follows the county line but is not on the map
(newer road than many of the others). The road south into Colleton County is there, though not obvious at
first glance. Use this road to access the three medium sized areas, two of which are split onto two quads
(Tony Hill Bay and Lodge). The one west of this road is lower by hand-level and by sight, as is the large
liner contour mentioned earlier as lower. The road itself is the higher than anything west in spite of what the
topo shows.
Return to the road along the county line and hike east to the next junction. This junction is where you
would have come out if you had parked where I mentioned earlier on Berea Road. Berea Road is to the
right (beyond some curves and other intersections), left is Bamberg County. You are in the large area that
enters the Tony Hill Bay quad twice from the Branchville South quad. Continue along the county line to get
closer to the last area.