Shame on me for not knowing that Spartanburg has a nature preserve! Similar, yet different from…read moreConestee Nature Preserve in Greenville. I used to live in Spartanburg County back from 2009 - 2011 and never knew this place existed. Edwin M. Griffin NP has a couple of entry points from Snydor Rd./Beechwood Dr. As per Google: [It is a] 115-acre urban preserve featuring over 5 mi[les] of wooded trails, wetlands & a variety of wildlife. We chose it as our 5th family hike. There is no significant elevation change, just some ups and downs; my parents handled the 4.2 mile walk (minus the boardwalk part) fine. Google will also state that the hours are from 7 am - 9 pm, however, it is more accurately from sunrise-sunset or according to the website from dawn to dusk. There is wheelchair accessibility on some parts of the trail, but there are no restroom facilities, so make sure you go before you visit (at least not from our entry point). We mainly traversed the Cottonwood trail. On the western part of the trail you pass underneath the bridge where Fernwood Drive passes overhead and there's evidence from graffiti artists left behind; at one picnic area we saw that someone had somehow managed to draw an owl into a dead tree that has fallen over; that was pretty cool. Cottonwood Trail does loop back to the east via the Loblolly Trail where there is another entry and parking area from what I read for water access (kayaks, etc.). I'm not sure how navigable Lawson's Fork Creek is though, because we saw a lot of tree debris in the creek, which I think would make it difficult to go the water route. My favorite part was definitely having the creek to one side where birds were flitting to and fro; we even saw a crane or heron type bird, which reminded me of birds in Florida. That was neat! My parents decided to take a break on a bench as we checked out the boardwalk, which I read was renovated and looks very nice. It leads to Highlands Trail, which is definitely the more elevated part of the preserve and is NOT stroller-friendly (the rest of the trails weren't so bad). Other highlights from the "hike" were that we ate mulberries straight from the trees and saw elderberry bushes growing (they were not fruiting yet, but their flowers are so pretty). We did not check out the Powerline Trail (yes, there are powerlines), which leads to another entry point with parking on Woodburn Rd. - have to save something for another time, right. There are a few other, shorter trails as well. We definitely enjoyed this hike even though it was longer than the other ones we have done before. The boys did really well and our toddler had it easiest being chauffeured in a stroller (can I be young again, please?). Be aware that the parking area leading to the middle of Cottonwood Trail is not an actual parking lot, but just a gravely few spots where cars park across from residential homes. We saw a lawn care company taking advantage of a spot as they serviced one of those homes. We did take pictures at the butterfly/flower sculpture to memorialize our newest adventure (it could do with some retouches of bright and vibrant paint). I'm really glad to have checked it out and would like to return in the foreseeable future. I'm sure the scenery changes based on the seasons and brings something different every 3 - 4 months. By the way, dogs are allowed to join humans, but must be leashed; we also saw a couple of cyclists (not quite mountain biking, but a good intro for it). Again, love these types of nature preserves in urban cities and wish there were more of them. Happy yelping!
