These are the trail publications that I authored, or was principal, editor, contributed to, or listed in. Click on the cover page or title for a full text Pdf or Jpeg of the publication.
1983 – South Carolina Bicycle Touring Guide
After two years of volunteering to develop South Carolina’s first bicycle touring map SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism printed the map in December. I wrote up a history of the project.
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1986 – Dave Scott’s Triathlon Training book
In 1982 and 83 I was helping Chris Hardwicke at his new bicycle shop – Outspokin’ located in Columbia, SC. In 1983 I was president of Carolina Cyclers the local bicycle club when Chris asked if I’d file the paperwork to incorporate a new group under the name “Palmetto State Triathlon Association.” So I filed the paperwork on July 7, 1983. I was surprised to see my name and address as the contact for the Association in Dave Scott’s 1986 book.
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1987 – Columbia Bicycle Route brochure map
On December 10 I submitted the brochure to the University of South Carolina‘s map library. This was my Cartography class project. I had seen bike route signs on my daily bike ride to USC and wondered where they would lead. Columbia City Park’s Department didn’t have a map. The route was laid out in the 1970s. So I followed the signs and put together a new brochure map for them.
1988 – South Carolina Bicycle Touring Guide (updated)
It’s been five years and South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism asked if I’d update the Bicycle Touring Guide so they could reprint, which they did in October.
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1989 – South Carolina Rail-Trails: Inventory and Prospect
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link to flipbook https://online.fliphtml5.com/qgcrz/tqsh/
During the six years I was a student at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC I was teaching a weekend bicycle touring class in their P.E. Department. Many of my class projects were bicycle related. I didn’t have a car, I biked everywhere. When it was time to pick a topic for my thesis I was ready to pick another bicycle topic when I spoke with my adviser – Dr. Janiskee. He said I needed to branch out, he said I was to focused on bicycling, especially road bicycling and touring.
I was a life member of Wheel of American Wheelmen, Bikecentennial, and American Youth Hostels. I assume this is how the new organization The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy got my name. They sent me a booklet with all the rail-trails in the US. I saw that the South Carolina map was blank. I knew there were a couple of trails on old railbeds and lots of abandoned rail lines in SC and there must be some potential in converting some of these to trail. I met with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism’s (SCPRT) Recreation Director Ron Carter. He liked the idea of conducting a study of the potential in these abandoned rail lines. I had done an under graduate internship with him up-dating the SC Bicycling Touring Guide that I had put together back in 1982. Now I proposed doing a graduate internship focused on SC rail-trails. Was a great way to get support from his Department for my thesis proposal.
My thesis had a twofold purpose. The first was to provide inventories of South Carolina’s abandoned and soon-to-be-abandoned railroad ROW, existing and planning rail-trails, and ROW segments under consideration for rails-to-trails conversion. The second purpose was to recommend policies, programs, and actions for accelerating the rails-to-trails conversion process in South Carolina.
As part of SCPRT’s support of my research they added a page of rail-trail questions to their annual recreation survey. Here’s the letter that Janet Whisennant mailed out with the survey.
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I made a rail-trail presentation at the June, 1989 meeting of the Central South Carolina Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The group was very helpful in my research of abandonments. In fact Sandra and I joined the group on walks along different rights-of-way. From them I learned about “date nails” and even found a few.
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1991 February – Rails-to-Trails brochure – Based on my Thesis and research South Caroline Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism published this brochure to highlight existing rail-trails in the State and to promote a few under development (used my photos and map).
1991 February 14-16 – Proceedings of the Southeastern Recreation Research Conference Volume 13 – Rails-Trails in South Carolina: Inventory and Prospect. This is a paper submitted by Robert Janiskee, my Geography Professor at the University of South Carolina. The paper is based on my 1989 rail-trail thesis. The Proceedings were published in December of 1994.
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1991 – July-August – South Carolina Wildlife magazine 38(4): 44-49. Bill Hilton Trails from Rails article.
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Bill joined us on a bike ride along an abandoned rail corridor in York County in 1990. At the time of this article he wrote Sandra and I were living in Tucson, AZ and I was working for the Coronado National Forest as there first trails coordinator. Bill use info from my 1989 Rail-Trail thesis and he was kind enough to mail me a copy of the magazine article.
1992 – Public Trail Access: A Guide to the Protection of Arizona’s Trails
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In 1990 and 1991 Sandra and I were living in Phoenix, AZ and I was volunteering at State Parks. Ken Mahoney was the State Trails Coordinator and I helped him on projects. The 1989 Arizona Trails Plan identified a need for trail protection information. Ken and members of the State Trails Committee had been gathering trail protection information for the last couple of years. I took on the task of pulling it all together into one publication. Among the variety of options covered were: trail access and corridors issues, trail protection methods, organizing a trail protection group, funding, and information sources. In July, 1991 Sandra and I moved to Tucson, AZ were I started working for the Coronado National Forest as their first Forest Trails Coordinator. I continued to help with the Protection Guide and one August 10, 1992 State Parks printed 2,500 copies. Ken had gone back to work for BLM and I had gone to work for the Forest Service, but we both believed in this Guide and wanted to see it in print.
Here’s a sidebar from Arizona State Parks website in 2020. Nice to see they are proud of the publication.
“ASCOT produced The Public Trail Access Manual: A Guide to the Protection of Arizona’s Trails. Arizona was the first state to prepare a manual on saving public trail access and many other states have modeled their manuals after ours.”
1992, May 1 – Mountain Biking the Old Pueblo: Rides in the Tucson Area by Jim Porter and Michael Jimmerson
As the Trails Coordinator for the Coronado National Forest I met with Jim to provide information on our mtn bike trail efforts especially the Elephant Head Trail. I’ve included the pages that pertain to Forest trails.
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1992 – Southern Arizona Fat Tire Guide: 25 mountain bike rides within an hour of Tucson by David Vick, Russ Conway, and Tim Fischer.
Sandra and I moved to Tucson, AZ as mtn biking was getting popular. Here’s another book I was able to help the authors with. As the trails coordinator for the Coronado National Forest and someone who liked to mtn bike I wanted our trails known so folks could enjoy them. I spent many a day helping authors and enjoyed it very much.
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1992 October – Pima Tucson Trails: The Next Five Years by Pima County, City of Tucson, and Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance, National Park Service, Western Region
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Sandra and I moved to Tucson, AZ in July, 1991 where I worked as Trails Coordinator for the Coronado National Forest until 1995. Pima County was well underway with development of their Five Year Plan. I was able to review and add comments to trails on and connected to the National Forest.
1993 Feb – Coronado National Forest Recreation Opportunity Guide (ROG)
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Sandra and I moved to Tucson, AZ in July, 1991 where I worked as Trails Coordinator for the Coronado National Forest until 1995. I was hired on for three months to conduct the Forest’s first-ever trails inventory in preparation to put together a Recreation Opportunity Guide (ROG). The ROG was a three ring binder with Forest information that was at our visitor centers. Neat idea before the internet came along. I got lucky and Forest found plenty of work for me the next four years. In 2021 I visited the Forest Office and found they still had an old copy of the ROG. They were kind enough to scan a few of the pages. I wanted a trail from each of the five Districts to represent some of the work I did in putting together the information and maps.
1993 – Trails of the Tucson Basin poster produced by the Pima Trails Association
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I was the Trails Coordinator for the Coronado National Forest and assisted Pima Trails Association with edits and trail alignment. The water color map is just beautiful. Today (2021) Sandra and I are living in Columbia, SC and thanks to Steve Anderson we have a copy on our living room wall.
1993 – March – Noticias De Anza Volume 2 Number 1 – newsletter of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.
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Sandra and I helped GPS segments of the Anza Trail in southern Arizona . We also hiked segments and attended meetings.
1994 – Conflicts on Multiple-Use Trails: Synthesis of the Literature and State of the Practice by Roger L. Moore
I met Roger at many trail conferences in the 1990s and always enjoyed our talks. As a professor at North Carolina State University her authored many trail user studies. I provided input for Conflicts study.
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1994 – Conflicts on Multiple-Use Trails: Synthesis of the Literature and State of the Practice by The Federal Highway Administration and The National Trails Committee.
As the Trails Coordinator for the Coronado National Forest I was sent a draft of this report and offered comments and examples.
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1994 – Horse Trails in Arizona by Jan Hancock
In the early 1990s I was the Arizona Trail Steward and worked on many of the Passages in Southern Arizona that Jan included in her book. Nice of her to list me in her Acknowledgements.
In 2021 I was visiting with Steve Anderson in Tucson, AZ. He loaned me Jan’s book to scan. I was surprised to see the below sticker. I made up the sticker back in the 1990s and added to all my publications I collected while working for the Coronado National Forest as their first Trails Coordinator.
1994 November 4 – Arizona Trail Enhancement Plan for Segments on the Coronado National Forest, AZ by Kathy Makansi, William B. Gillespie, and Jim Schmid
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Developing the Arizona Trail across three Districts of the Coronado National Forest was a big part of my job as the Forest Trails Coordinator (1991-95). With this Plan Kathy, William, and I wanted to establish standards for the planned thirteen trailhead facilities along with interpretive sign designs and interpretive themes.
I found a copy of the Plan on my 2021 visit to the Coronado National Forest office in downtown Tucson, AZ. The staff was kind enough to scan a copy for me.
1995 – First brochure produced for the Arizona Trail used a couple of my photos.
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1995 – Arizona Trail Management Plan
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I worked with Holly Van Houten (of the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program) on the initial draft when I served as the Arizona Trail Steward from November 1993 to May 1994. Holly and Eric Smith (Arizona Trail Steward) produced the final document.
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1995 – South Carolina State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan – Executive Summary
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I started my job as South Carolina’s first Trails Coordinator in 1995. Four of my trail photos were included on pages 8, 19, 23, and 28.
1995, January – Palmetto Trails first newsletter.
In July, 1994 I attended the kick off of the Palmetto Trail. Sandra and I were living in Tucson, AZ where I was working as the Trails Coordinator for the Coronado National Forest when I was invited to make a presentation at South Carolina’s first trails conference and kick off of their mountains to sea trail. That’s why they mailed me their first newsletter. Later in 1995 Sandra and I moved back to South Carolina so I could take on the job as the State’s first Trails Coordinator and for the next six years I worked on many Palmetto Trail projects as well as other projects. Sandra and I moved back to Columbia, SC in 2018. I visited the Palmetto Trail office and they were kind enough to let me look through their old files. Was surprised to find this newsletter addressed to me when we lived in Tucson, AZ. I must have left it with them when Sandra and I moved away in 2001. A few things stand out in the newsletter. First is the announcement that there’s an “s” on the end of Palmetto Trail. They planned to be a stand alone organization within a year. An organization that would advocate for trails and greenways statewide. Didn’t happen. The Trail is still a project of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. The other surprise was the announcement that the upstate Foothills Trail would be part of the Palmetto Trail. The Foothills Trail folks (today known as the Foothills Trail Conservancy) were very upset when they heard about this announcement – no one from Palmetto Trails had talked with them. Today their are two trails in the upstate. The best announcement was the possibility of railbanking an abandoned 11-mile rail line in Newberry County. This would become the Peak to Prosperity Passage. I was involved with lots of meetings and walks along the right-of-way. I helped save the rail bridge across the Broad River which today is a major attraction. Great to read the old newsletter and reminisce.
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1996 – Basic Trail Maintenance video by USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology and Development Center
Project leader was Brian Vachowski. I helped edit the script and provide video of mtn bikers.
1997 & 1998 – Palmetto Trails Guide Series
I came up with the idea of a Favorite Trails guide series and worked with Palmetto Trails and other organizations to print five guides. The Sierra Club helped with Favorite Day Hikes, South Carolina Horsemen’s Council helped with Favorite Horse Trails, National Audubon Society helped with Favorite Birding Trails, Scenic Rivers Program helped with Favorite Canoe & Kayak Trails, and the Palmetto Cycling Coalition helped with Favorite Mountain Bike Trails. I wanted to not only promote the trails in the State, but give the organizations a guide they could sell.
Palmetto Trails thanked me on the inside cover of the Guides.
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Click to view PDF Mountain Bike Guide
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Click to view PDF Horse Trails Guide
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Click to view PDF Day Hikes Guide
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Click to view PDF Birding Trails Guide
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Click to view PDF Canoe & Kayak Guide
1998 – Trails Resource Bibliography
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I got involved with American Trails while working for the US Forest Service in Arizona in the early 1990s. I attended one of their Symposiums then started teaching GPS workshops at future Symposiums and then I got on the Board. When I moved to South Carolina in 1995 to be the State’s first Trails Coordinator I was already heavily involved with American Trails. At one of our Board meetings having a bibliography of trail publications was brought up. Turns out people had been talking about it for years. I had been collecting publications for years so I volunteered to work up a bibliography. I bought a software package called Procite that was used by small libraries. And got to work. For the 1998 International Trails & Greenways Conference in San Diego, CA I printed out a Bibliography of over 900 publications as a handout. I handed them out at the January 31 Board meeting. We also put the Bibliography up on the American Trails website. By the time I left South Carolina at the end of 2001 I had collected over 3,000 trail publications.
1998 – Hiking South Carolina by John Clark and John Dantzler
In 1998 I was the State Trails Coordinator for South Carolina when I met John Clark and John Dantzler who were putting together a guide book to hiking trails in South Carolina. I helped provide information and contacts for their research. Nice of them to thank me in their Acknowledgments.
1998 – Mountain Biking South Carolina by Nicole Blouin
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Nicole contacted me in 1997 when she was researching South Carolina mtn bike trails. I helped her with trails that I knew and provided her photos. Nice of her to thank me and to use ten of my photos in her book.
1998 – On the Arizona Trail: A Guide for Hikers, Cyclists, & Equestrians by Kelly Tighe and Susan Moran.
In the early 1990s while serving as the first Arizona Trail Steward I provided information and support to Kelly and Susan. As the trails coordinator for the Coronado National Forest I was most familiar with the Trail in southern Arizona.
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1998 – Southern Arizona Trails Resource Guide – John Dell and Steve Anderson
While living in Tucson, AZ in early 1990s I was the Trails Coordinator for the Coronado National Forest. I had the pleasure of being the first Steward for the Arizona Trail. I also helped with GPSing the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail in southern Arizona. I knew both John and Steve and I helped provide information for their resource guide.
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1998, October – Off-Highway Vehicle Trail and Road Grading Equipment – Brian Vachowski and Neal Maier with US Forest Service’s Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC).
MTDC brought lightweight drags and rakes and SWECO dozer to South Carolina to test maintaining OHV trails in the sandy conditions on the Francis Marion National Forest. As the State Trails Coordinator I helped with logistics. Was nice of them to thank me. [from 2005 to 2014 I was the Trails Coordinator on the National Forests in Florida and we used rakes and SWECO dozer to maintain our sandy OHV trails]
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1998 – South Carolina Trails Resource Guide: Enjoy South Carolina’s Trails… For Exercise & Better Health – South Carolina Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and South Carolina Trails Program
We used education funds from the Recreational Trails Program to pay for the brochure. Steve Anderson had sent me a copy of the Southern Arizona Trails Resource Guide he had published with John Dell. I thought it was a great idea so I proposed it to Jim Testor who headed up the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness.
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1999 – Waterfalls of South Carolina by Benjamin Brooks and Tim Cook
In 1999 I was the State Trails Coordinator for South Carolina when I met Benjamin Brooks and Tim Cook who were putting together a guide book to the waterfalls in upstate South Carolina. They came to me and the Palmetto Conservation Foundation for help. My wife, Sandra and I spent a couple of months traveling to upstate and walking in to seven of the waterfalls to check directions, maps, and writeups. It was nice of Ben and Tim to highlight my help. Click here to see the waterfalls we hiked to.
Sunday, Nov 21 – Falling for nature article by Joey Holleman in State newspaper – Columbia, SC
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2000 – The Palmetto Trail Lowcountry Guide
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2001 – Trail Quotes; From Advocacy to Wilderness
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Collecting trail publications was quite an education in itself as I read every one of them. From the beginning I collected quotes, terms, and acronyms from these publications. During 2000 I worked with the Palmetto Conservation Foundation and their graphic artist Sandy Husmann on many publications for the cross-state Palmetto Trail. She did such great work that I asked her to put together a book of quotations for me. At this time I had about 1,000 trail-related quotes. We gave them out free to promote the South Carolina State Trails Program. I added the quotes to the http://www.sctrails.com website that I created for the SC State Trails Program and also added the quotes to the American Trails website. Today, on my website I have over 3,000 quotes. I add new quotes weekly.
2001 – Trails Primer: A Glossary of Trails, Greenway, and Outdoor Recreation Terms and Acronyms
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Collecting trail publications was quite an education in itself as I read every one of them. From the beginning I collected quotes, terms, and acronyms from these publications. During 2000 I worked with the Palmetto Conservation Foundation and their graphic artist Sandy Husmann on many publications for the cross-state Palmetto Trail. She did such great work that I asked her to put together a book of terms for me. At this time I had about 800 terms and 200 acronyms. We gave them out free to promote the South Carolina State Trails Program. I added the terms to the http://www.sctrails.com website that I created for the SC State Trails Program and also added them to the American Trails website. Today, on my website I have over 3,000 terms and acronyms. I add new terms weekly.
2001 – Trails for the Twenty-First Century by Charles A. Flink, Kristine Olka, and Robert M. Searns
I contributed the Glossary to 2001 second edition of Trails for the Twenty-First Century
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2001 – Four South Carolina Regional Trails Plans
In 1999 to 2001 as the South Carolina State Trails Coordinator I partnered with Palmetto Conservation Foundation to conduct regional trail meetings and we put together four plans. Our first we called the Mecca Trails Plan, then the Upstate Trails Plan, Lowcountry Trails Plan, and the Pee Dee Trails Plan. The meetings and research led to PFC putting together a statewide trails plan in 2002 (I had left South Carolina at the end of 2001 and was working in DC).
I was involved with forming the Mecca Trails Association in 1998 and this was the brochure and map we put together. In 1999 we worked with them to produce the first of the regional trails plans.
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The Mecca Regional Trails Plan included McCormick, Edgefield, Abbeville, and Greenwood Counties.
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Thursday, July 15, 1999- Group turns rails to trails article by Joey Holleman in State newspaper – Columbia, SC
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The Upstate Trails Plan included Greenville, Pickens, and Oconee counties.
On August 18, 2000 Yon Lambert with Palmetto Trails and I hosted a meeting in the Upstate to get public input.
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The Lowcountry Regional Trails Plan included Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties
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The Pee Dee Trail Plan included Chesterfield, Marlboro, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, and Marion counties.
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Pee Dee Trail Plan
OVERVIEW
Chesterfield, Marlboro, Darlington, Dillon, Florence and Marion Counties (the Pee Dee Region) in the upper coastal plain and sand hills of South Carolina offer a unique opportunity for the outdoors recreational enthusiast. The burgeoning urban areas of the Pee Dee are surrounded by rich agricultural lands to the north and deep, dark swamps and bays of productive timberlands in the south.
The Great Pee Dee River bisects the region and gives the area identity by providing a scenic backdrop for both natural beauty and recreation. Magnificent black water rivers and creeks can be found to the north and the south of the Great Pee Dee River. These areas offer outstanding potential for developing a network of trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, motorcycle and ATV use and canoeing or kayaking. Networking the rural areas with the rapidly growing urban areas offer a unique opportunity for moving people from residential areas to rural countryside with little impact on highway transportation systems.
Opportunities abound because of the region’s deep forests (pine and hardwood) agricultural lands, waterways, wetlands, historic sites and a bounty of wildlife. An abundance of abandoned railroad beds, left from the earlier railroad industry, line the area offering great opportunities to convert to recreational trails with little impact on the resource. The diversity of plant life, meadows of wildflowers and broad river swamps attract many viewers to natural areas.
The abundance of natural beauty and the broad expanse of undeveloped land in the region offer a wonderful opportunity to build a trail destination. Opportunity for outdoor recreational diversity is a definite positive for the area. People today are looking for outdoor opportunities. Building a system of trails and connecting the many wonders of the South Carolina’s Pee Dee Region together can develop a new element to the attraction of nature based recreation. This trail system would be a low cost, high impact economic development project.
SCOPE
This plan describes a network of existing and proposed trails within the Pee Dee Region that will provide recreational opportunities for many people. Trails and greenway corridors provide a unique means of enjoying outdoor activities and protecting natural, historic and recreational resources. By implementing a region wide network of trails, opportunities to experience the history and natural environment of the area will grow, and the overall economy and health of the region will be enhanced.
No comprehensive trail and bikeway plan has ever been proposed for the area. However, a number of individuals have proposed plans to connect cities with communities for recreation and alternative transportation.
Recent efforts are encouraging as seen in cities and towns that are actively working for the addition of hike or bike trails. The Pee Dee Council of Governments encourages the inclusion of bikeway and pedestrian access on local road widening and resurfacing projects. Planners are now looking at places that can be linked. The urban/rural linkage offers outstanding opportunities for trails.
The scope of the Pee Dee Regional Trail Plan encompasses the six counties along the upper Great Pee Dee River Region. No long distance trail connecting places in the region exists; however, the SC Department of Transportation is proposing several bike paths for future development.
PLAN GOALS & OBJECTIVES
The idea of developing a Pee Dee Regional Trails System is to form working partnerships among various trail interest groups, community groups, local committees, and land management entities in order to focus more attention on trails as a means of promoting the rural and natural attributes of the Pee Dee Region of the state. Trails and greenways can help stimulate nature-based tourism. Existing trails that serve a variety of recreational interests form the framework of the proposed regional trail system. Development of additional trails will provide access to recreation sites, points of interest, community facilities and services, and linkages from one area to another.
Goals
- By the end of 2010, develop a regional network of trails utilizing appropriate public and private lands, and establish greenways to create recreational opportunities and help conserve natural, historical and recreational resources.
- Form partnerships among the various interest groups and land managing agencies to implement the plan.
- Enhance economic development opportunities through the promotion of nature-based tourism.
- Improve quality of life by using the abundance of rural undeveloped land available in the area for trail related recreational activities
Objectives
- Improve existing trails to make them more accessible, usable, and enjoyable. Improved maintenance, Promotion, Trail signing
- Promote shared use of resources by using public lands in the best manner possible. Shared trailheads, Multiple purpose trails, Trails use etiquette education
- Develop new trails to enhance recreational opportunities. Link to existing trails, Create loop trails, Connections between communities, parks, and other key facilities
- Provide trail access to scenic vistas, historic sites, points of interest, and support facilities at recreation sites.
- Provide for viewing platforms, interpretative signs and side or spur trails.
- Utilize existing disturbed corridors to minimize resource damage and maximize ease of construction. Utility rights-of-way, Old logging roads, Fire breaks, Abandoned rail lines, Canals and canal banks
- Provide information so people are more aware of trails in the area. Proper road signing, Posting maps at trailhead bulletin boards
- Publishing individual trail guides and planning trail events
- Identify major corporate and private landowners and solicit private sector participation in the trail development process.
- Generate funding for trails.Agency budgets, Grants-in-aid projects, Donations/trail sponsors. Adopt-a-trail programs and volunteer workdays
- Incorporate trails into regional tourism marketing and promotion. Chambers of Commerce, Trade Shows, Convention & Visitors Bureaus
TRAIL LINKAGES PROVIDE REGIONAL IDENTITY
A regional network of trails will help to provide an identity for the Pee Dee Region. Just as roads do, trails provide links from one place to another and consequently create a sense of place. As people begin to use trails close to home, they will branch out to discover new places and experience different and perhaps greater trail challenges. Recreation sites, public lands, parks, and historic sites are made more accessible with the development of trails. Thus, trails serve to build better understanding of and appreciation of the region’s history and natural assets.
This plan identifies 41 existing trails and 25 proposed trails. These routes are trail linkages to places of interest, communities, parks and recreation sites with support facilities, and other trails.
Essential to any trail plan is the identification of existing trails open to the public from which a larger network of trails can be developed. An early outgrowth of this plan should be the publication of a brochure of trails in the Pee Dee Region. A variety of trails totaling 383 miles exist providing opportunities for horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, walking, canoeing and auto tour. Old logging roads on public lands in Chesterfield County provide many miles of enjoyable hiking, biking and horseback riding. For the water enthusiast, the region is a paradise with the many rivers, lakes, streams, creeks, and flooded wetlands.
Trail Planning And Development Guidelines
- Design, layout, and construct trails in a manner that will minimize long-term maintenance.
- Provide a variety of different experiences by routing trails to take advantage of scenic vistas, open fields, closed forest canopy, swamps, water corridors, and river bluffs. Trails with variety and a sense of discovery provide interest and promote successful trail use.
- Recognize that there are both casual and experienced trail users. Create a system of trails that will provide opportunity for various levels of ability, and provide adequate information.
- To the extent possible, trails should be constructed for year-round use in all types of weather.
- Avoid developing trails in known sensitive natural or cultural resource sites such as areas containing rare or endangered species.
- Concern for safety should be evident in all phases of trail development. Establish and post rules for safe trail use.
HOW TO USE THIS PLAN
#1: As a Blueprint for Trail Planning and Development
Trailhead facilities, signing, trail rehabilitation and maintenance, new trail construction, and trail brochures and guidebooks are all part of planning and developing a functional trails network. This plan provides a blueprint for creating the Pee Dee Regional Trails System. It should serve as the basis for trail initiatives by everyone interested and involved in using and developing trails in the Pee Dee. Corporate and private land owners as well as local, state and federal government agencies can benefit by seeing how their holdings and programs could play a role in making a quality trails system a reality.
#2: As Justification For Funding Requests
Federal, state and local government agencies should use the plan to support annual budget requests for operation and maintenance and line-item construction funds related to trails as part of their land management role. Administrators of grant-in-aid programs, foundations, philanthropic organizations and other funding sources look favorably on projects that are part of a published and adopted plan. Trail advocacy groups should therefore use the plan as they seek support and assistance in their trail development and improvement efforts.
#3: For Building a Relationship To the State Trails Plan
This plan is similar in size and scope to other plans created across South Carolina. Such plans will complement a State Trails Plan soon to be completed by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The State Trails Plan will recommend that regional trail plans be completed, so that local decisions determine where trails should be. The Pee Dee Trail Plan should be viewed as a part of a larger statewide framework for coordinated trail planning and development. It supports the concept of having trail linkages across the state interconnecting with major trail routes such as the Carolina Connector Bike Trail, which will eventually extend from the North Carolina State line through Marlboro and Darlington Counties in a southerly direction through the state and the Northern Crescent Bike Trail, which will be along the northern boundary of South Carolina through Chesterfield, Marlboro, Dillon and Marion Counties.
#4: To Create A Proposed 10-Year Action Plan
By the end of 2010, a fully developed and well-publicized Pee Dee Trails System in the region should be in place. This will require a concerted effort by individual volunteers; trail interest groups, landowners and public agencies working in partnership with a local umbrella group. With ample volunteer help, much can be accomplished with a relatively minimal amount of community and government investment.
YEARS 1 & 2
- Form a steering committee to explore the possibility of organizing a Pee Dee Trails Association.
- Using GPS technology, map all existing trails.
- Determine which existing trails need improvement and begin trail maintenance.
- Upgrade existing trailheads with appropriate signage and information.
- Identify existing corridors with potential for immediate trail development.
- Complete at least two proposed trails.
- Begin marketing existing trails as a part of the eco-tourism industry.
YEARS 3 – 5
- If feasible, develop the Pee Dee Trails Association and explore funding sources.
- Energize a cadre of trail volunteers.
- Assist land managers in determining trail usage.
- Develop a regional trail brochure.
- Explore the possible need for a part-time trail manager.
- Continue trail and trailhead development.
- Aggressively promote trail usage.
YEARS 6 – 10
The long-range plan is ambitious in scope for the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina. If reasonable success is accomplished during the first five years of the plan, then additional funding should be pursued to complete all remaining trails determined to be feasible. Successful implementation of the Pee Dee Regional Trails Plan will depend on adequate funding from many sources, augmented by a dedicated and well-organized volunteer effort by the various interest groups.
Acknowledgements
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Heritage Trust Program
Plan Sponsors:
Palmetto Conservation Foundation and South Carolina Trails Program
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2002 Expanding the Experience: Trails for South Carolina – State Trails Plan by South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Palmetto Conservation Foundation
I was the South Carolina Trails Coordinator from 1995 to 2001. During that time I under took a inventory of trails in the state along with needs. I convened the State Trails Committee to help with the Recreational Trails Grant Program. I worked with Palmetto Conservation Foundation on the cross state Palmetto Trail. And I put together the sctrails.net website. These efforts formed the backbone of information needed to put together the four regional plans and the State Trails Plan. It was heartening to see that all my work helped with these efforts and trails are thriving in South Carolina.
2003 – Guide to Trail Management – Fairfax County Park Authority
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The glossary is from my 2001 Trail Quote book.
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2004 – Trail Solutions by International Mountain Bicycling Association
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I contributed the Tools and Glossary chapters for this 2004 IMBA book on trail building.
2004 Trail Solutions: IMBA’s Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack – (Tools and Glossary chapters only)
In 2005 I was working for the Bureau of Land Management in Boise, ID. I had put together a glossary of trail terms in 2001 when working for the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism as the State Trails Coordinator. I was still adding terms every year. The Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative contacted me about sharing my terms with them for a web-based glossary they were doing. I sent them my file. They were kind enough to give me a special thanks in their introduction.
Recommended Standardized Trail Terminology for Use in Colorado
2005 – Compiled by Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative
This document: Recommended Standardized Trail Terminology for Use in Colorado, was compiled by a committee of representatives from all trail user groups in Colorado with the intent to provide a comprehensive but not exhaustive list of trail terms and tools specific to trail work. All trail user groups can use this document as a method for increasing communication through the use of common terms.
The committee consciously selected terms and tools that would be used in a typical trail construction, maintenance, or teaching situation. Related terms are in parenthesis following the term’s definition. The tool list is separate and follows the terms.
The committee relied heavily on existing sources, with special thanks to Jim Schmid, Bureau of Land Management for providing the majority of the terms. Other significant sources for information came from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism; International Mountain Bicycling Association; Off Highway Motorcycle & ATV Trails Guidelines for Design, Construction, Maintenance and User Satisfaction, 2nd Ed. by Joe Wernex; and Crew Leader Manual, 5th Ed., Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado.
2005 – The Joy of Hiking by John McKinney
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Was nice of John to use quotes and terms from my books and thank me.
2006 – Cultural Landscape Report For Eisenhower National Historic Site, Volume 2: Treatment – Appendix C . Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation. National Park Service, Boston, MA
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Useful Websites
South Carolina State Trails Program.
“Trails Bibliography.” and Jim Schmid, 2001,
“Trail Quotes: From Advocacy to Wilderness.”
http://www.sctrails. net/trails/LIBRARY /Quotes.pdf
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2007 – Recreational Horse Trails in Rural and Wildland Areas by Gene W. Wood
I first met Gene in 1997 when I was the South Carolina Trails Coordinator and Gene as a Clemson University professor was very involved with improving the horse trails on the Clemson Experimental Forest. In 1998 I helped him put together the National Symposium on Horse Trails in Forest Ecosystems which was held in Clemson. That led to helping with the Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference in 2000. We talked about the need for a Horse Trails book. Really nice of him to thank me in the Acknowledgements and to use my Trail Terms Glossary as a jumping off point for his glossary.
2007 – A Citizens Guide to Rail Trail Conversion by A. Wyeth Ruthven for Palmetto Conservation Foundation
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2009 November – Trail Assessment for Munson Mountain Bike Trail System
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I was the Trails Coordinator for the National Forests in Florida and we wanted to improve the Munson Mountain Bike Trail. Valerie Naylor was working for Trail Dynamics at the time and we hired to conduct an assessment and get buy-in from local mtn bikers. She did a wonderful job. She used some of my photos.
2012 – Florida National Scenic Trail – State of the Trail Report
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My last three years with the US Forest Service in Florida I was the administrator for the Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST). I retired in January of 2014. The first task I undertook was to get a snap shot of the Trail. We had some really great people working on the Trail from the Forest Service and Florida Trail Association. We put together a FNST website, a 5-year strategic plan, and yearly Symposiums to keep everyone updated.
The big undertaking was GPSing the entire Trail and putting together this 2012 State of the Trail (SOT) Report to be presented at the 2013 FNST Symposium. Our interns did a fantastic job of taking the info and photos and putting it all together in a very comprehensive report that can be updated each year to keep the project on track. One of my weekend under takings was to get out on every foot of the trail which I did by the time I retired.
This first-edition State of the Trail (SOT) Report was designed to provide a “snap shot” of the current conditions and resources available for each segment of the FNST. The SOT divides the state into four regions and further divides each region by Trail segment. Each FNST segment page contains a map and description with photo typical of that portion of the Trail as well as information regarding the segment’s ownership, mileage, volunteer support, trail class, infrastructure, condition, and management priorities. The goals behind the SOT were to better understand the current condition of the FNST and create a template for information and updates to be added as they become available.
Behind this effort we loaded a GIS map of FNST to our website that shows type of surfaces – are you hiking on a footpath, dirt road, paved road, or levee. There were always lots of people wanting to know how many miles of roadwalk they would have to undertake. We considered the roadwalks gaps in the FNST. We now know how many mile of FNST are on the ground and the big questions – how many gaps need to be converted to trail. The goal is to have a footpath from southern end of Florida to the northern end.
2012 – Hiking Through by Paul Stutzman
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Nice of Paul to acknowledge my trail quotes and trail terms that are on the American Trails website.
2016 – Palmetto Trail – link to South Carolina Encyclopedia
1994 –
Along the Palmetto Trail users visit South Carolina’s forests, parks, historic sites, wildlife refuges, the State House, a military base, and a variety of private and corporate lands. Highlights of the trail include open vistas of the Intracoastal Waterway, Lake Moultrie, the Wateree River, and landscapes ranging from rolling farmlands to mountaintops.
The Palmetto Trail is South Carolina’s first cross-state recreational trail. It is designed as an easy to moderate hiking and mountain-biking trail. When complete, the more than four-hundred-mile mountains-to the-sea trail will link Oconee State Park, near Walhalla, with the Intracoastal Waterway at Buck Hall Recreation Area, near Awendaw. Enthusiasts may choose to hike or bike the entire trail or accomplish one or two “passages” at a time.
Along the Palmetto Trail users visit South Carolina’s forests, parks, historic sites, wildlife refuges, the State House, a military base, and a variety of private and corporate lands. Highlights of the trail include open vistas of the Intracoastal Waterway, Lake Moultrie, the Wateree River, and landscapes ranging from rolling farmlands to mountaintops. There are waterfalls, boardwalks, historic sites, small towns, and barbeque restaurants. Hikers and bikers may see ospreys, eagles, deer, turkeys, alligators, and a variety of warblers, herons, snakes, turtles, butterflies, dragonflies, trees, and wildflowers.
The vision for the Palmetto Trail began in 1994 through the efforts of the nonprofit Palmetto Conservation Foundation, working with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. The trail is supported by the General Assembly, numerous public and private landowners and land managers, and corporate and private contributions. Trail construction has been aided by the many land managers, the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, the South Carolina National Guard, Santee Cooper, Boy Scouts of America, and many volunteer groups and individuals.
Lambert, Yon, Jim Schmid, and Oliver Buckles. The Palmetto Trail Lowcountry Guide. Columbia, S.C.: Palmetto Conservation Foundation, 2000.
Citation Information
Title: Palmetto Trail
Coverage: 1994 –
Author: Tony Bebber
Keywords: South Carolina’s first cross-state recreational trail, open vistas of the Intracoastal Waterway, Lake Moultrie, the Wateree River, and landscapes ranging from rolling farmlands to mountaintops. There are waterfalls, boardwalks, historic sites, small towns, and barbeque restaurants, efforts of the nonprofit Palmetto Conservation Foundation,
Website Name: South Carolina Encyclopedia
Publisher: University of South Carolina, Institute for Southern Studies
URL: https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/palmetto-trail/
Original Published Date: June 20, 2016
2017 – Trail Building Tools and Resources – Portland Pathways a program of Portland Bureau of Transportation
link to Portland Pathways website
Portland added to their website the Trail Safety and Tools pages I put together in 2000 and American Trails posted it on their website. Nice of Portland to acknowledge me and American Trails.
Overview text courtesy of Jim Schmid and American Trails, with modifications by Portland Parks & Recreation. More resources are online at www.AmericanTrails.org
2017 – NRT Database by American Trails – New River Trail State Park
They used a few of my photos from a 2017 bike camping trip.
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2017 – Jim’s a National Recreation Trails Photo Contest winner in category of Innovative Facilities taken along the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in Iowa.
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2018 – A Grand Experiment: The National Trails System at 50 by Steve Elkinton
Included is a picture of Jim Schmid hiking with Gary Werner on the Florida National Scenic Trail near White Springs, Florida.
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2018 – Coronado National Forest pocket guide that used one of my old 1994 trail photos from when I worked there.
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2020 American Trails Annual Report
The Research and Data photo is me on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in Iowa on May 17, 2017.
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2021 – Slope Reporting Measurement Tools – California Irrigated Lands Program
In September I was contacted by Paula Richter a Senior Environmental Scientist for the Irrigated Lands Program – Central Coast Regional Quality Control Board in California. They require farms and ranches to report their maximum slope. She asked if OK to us my drawings and descriptions of abney, clinometer, and measuring wheel they she saw on the American Trails website. Was nice of her to ask and great to see we could help.
Link to reporting instructions
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2021 – Trail Building Tools and Resources – Portland Parks & Recreation, Urban Trails Program, Portland, OR
They contacted me to ask if they could use my trail tool write-up and I said sure. They were kind enough to add the following blurb to their website: Overview text courtesy of Jim Schmid and American Trails.
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Spring 2017 – book reviews in American Trails magazine
Fall 2017 – book review in American Trails magazine
Winter 2017-18 – book review in American Trails magazine
Spring 2018 – book review in American Trails magazine
Summer 2018 – book review in American Trails magazine
Spring 2019 – book review in American Trails magazine
October 2019 – book review on American Trails website
February 2020 – book review on American Trails website
February 2021 – book review on American Trails website
August 2021 – book review on American Trails website
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January 2022 – book review on American Trails website
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January 2023 – book review on American Trails website
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- Book Review of From Rails to Trails
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Jim's Trail Resources 