Hell Hole heaven

Why would you want to go to any place named "Hell Hole"?

Well, if you're into hiking, kayaking or canoeing, biking on trails, bird-watching and/or visiting historic sites, you may want to head to the new Palmetto Trail Hell Hole Outdoor Center at St. Stephen and find out about those activities that are available in one of the most overlooked places in the Lowcountry: upper Berkeley County.

Besides more than 100 miles of the Palmetto Trail, the area is host to a beautiful, relatively remote section of the Santee River, the swamps on the edge of Lake Moultrie (such as an area called "The Jungle"), Wadboo Creek and its swamps, the more developed Old Santee Canal Park and the relatively new, 12,000-acre Wee Tee State Forest.

The center also will help expose people to Berkeley County's Blueways system, which includes 175 miles of designated "paddling trails."

But why name the center Hell Hole? It pays homage to nearby Hell Hole Swamp, which is appropriate because the swamp and the area around it intertwine rich historical and natural resources. While most associate Hell Hole with the American Revolution because Patriot leader Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion and his men used to hide from the British in that "hell of a hole," it's a subject of some debate.

"The exact origin of the name is lost," says Oliver "Ollie" Buckles, the Palmetto Conservation Foundation's coordinator for the Lowcountry portion of the Palmetto Trail. "Long-held tradition has it that it was named during the American Revolution, but there are maps before the war showing it named Hell Hole."

Buckles adds that colonists who lived in the area may have given it the notorious moniker because it once contained a mysterious clearing — measuring from hundreds of acres to up to perhaps even a thousand — where only grasses grew. They thought the "hole" in the forest was the work of the devil.

The outdoor center, the second of its kind to open on the Palmetto Trail this year, hopes to draw people into the area to better appreciate the resources of upper Berkeley. The center is part of the St. Stephen Community Visitor Center, which opened earlier this year at 1174 N. Main St. It's just a block or so from U.S. Highway 52 and S.C. Highway 45.

Organizers will celebrate its grand opening with a brief ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Afterward, the celebration will continue with guided paddling trips on the upper and lower Wadboo Creek and easy hikes on the Palmetto Trail through Wadboo Swamp and along Old Santee Canal. (Earlier planned paddling trips had to be postponed because of low water levels on Lake Moultrie.)

Last week, The Post and Courier tasted a sample of what was in store for future visitors. An hour-and-a-half round trip on the Wadboo offered a small group of kayakers and canoeists a quiet, fairly easy paddle through cypress and tupelo woods. Perhaps one of most interesting parts was a limestone outcropping that is a habitat for tree and fern species typically found in the mountains and northern climates close to Canada.

Buckles noted that the bluff used to be home to a rectory for St. John's Parish and that a well inside the house led to a cave in the limestone, which was used as a escape route in case of Indian attacks or slave uprisings. (Higher water levels sometimes can cover up the cave opening.)

An hour hike along the Palmetto Trail near and over the Wadboo, meanwhile, still shows distinct signs of former rice dikes built by slaves centuries ago. Buckles notes that, as wild as the area is, the thumbprints of man, from developing rice fields to clear-cutting of ancient longleaf pine and current man-made water-level changes, are all over the place.

"It's not pristine," says Buckles. "It's been monkeyed with several times."

Hell Hole Center Outings

The Palmetto Trail Hell Hole Outdoor Center at St. Stephen already has scheduled paddling and hiking trips for the next two months. Unless otherwise mentioned below, all trips meet at the center, 1174 N. Main St., St. Stephen. All paddling trips require that you supply your own kayak or canoe. Reservations for all trips are required by contacting the center at 567-4480 or hellholecenter@palmettoconservation.org.

Please note that originally scheduled events for Saturday for "the Jungle" and "Russellville Flats" have been canceled because of the low water level in Lake Moultrie. They will be rescheduled when the water level in the lake rises.

SATURDAY: Upper Wadboo Creek Paddle. 10 a.m. The upper section of Wadboo Creek from the S.C. Highway 402 bridge offers the paddler a chance to experience a true cypress swamp much like it was over two centuries ago when Francis Marion and his men frequented the area. The creek is narrow, and the water is the color of strong tea from the tannins from the trees.

SATURDAY: Lower Wadboo Creek Paddle. 10 a.m. The lower section of Wadboo Creek from the S.C. Highway 402 bridge to the Tailrace Canal is generally of a swampy nature, with many cypress and tupelo trees. The area is interlaced with inlets into the creek from the rice farming that was once common on the creek.

SATURDAY: A Hike in the Swamp. 10 a.m. A chance to hike a freshwater swamp and keep your feet dry. The Palmetto Trail crosses Wadboo Swamp on a series of old rice dikes. Once an agricultural site, it's now a hardwood swamp.

SATURDAY AND SEPT. 27: Hike the Canal. 10 a.m. A leisurely stroll along the Old Santee Canal on the Palmetto Trail. History abounds where a transportation canal connected the Santee and Cooper rivers in the early 19th century.

SEPT. 13 AND 20: Kayak Wee Tee Paddle. 10 a.m. A rare opportunity to explore S.C.'s newest state forest. Considered by many to be the most significant tract of bottomland swamp in Santee River floodplain, an outdoor paradise awaits. The area teems with wildlife surrounded by huge bottomland hardwood trees.

SEPT. 20: A Driving Tour of the Forest. 10 a.m. Car trip stops at points of interest in the forest. Learn about red cockaded woodpecker colonies, see some forest products harvested, including how pinestraw mulch is gathered, and see an outstanding wildlife management program.

SEPT. 27: Explore the shore of Lake Marion. 10 a.m. Paddle the shoreline, which is a maze of waterways, islands, sandbars and creeks. The water plants, trees and beaches offer tremendous opportunities to kick back and enjoy the water.

OCT. 4: The Longleaf Ecosystem Hike. 10 a.m. The longleaf pine ecosystem is the most endangered plant community in the Southeast. Once covering thousands of acres, the area has been reduced to a fraction of the original acres. The Palmetto Trail traverses much of the system on the Francis Marion National Forest.

OCT. 4: Paddlefest '08. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Old Santee Canal Park, Moncks Corner. Sponsored by the Berkeley Blueways. Come join in the fun, games, prizes and network with fellow paddlers. Visit the displays and Hell Hole Outdoor Center booth and find out about upcoming outings.

OCT. 11: Canady Branch Hike. 10 a.m. Canady Branch is a freshwater creek that drains water from a large area of the Francis Marion National Forest. The soils are water logged and the Palmetto Trail at times can be damp. Many of the understory plants are evergreen and grow in dense thickets.

OCT. 18: Santee River Paddle. 10 a.m. The river, which was named for the tribe of Santee Indians, offers miles of wilderness solitude. Stops will be made on some of the most beautiful sandbars along the river.

Reach David Quick at 937-5516 or dquick@postandcourier.com.