SOUTH CAROLINA – ASHMORE HERITAGE PRESERVE

Notes: This location is a part of the extensive Mountain Bridge Wilderness in upstate South Carolina. To get to this location – From the eastern intersection of US 276 and SC 11, go approximately 3.6 miles west on US 276/SC11. Turn north (right, using the above direction) onto Persimmon Ridge Road. Go approximately 0.8 mile to a parking area on the right. (After a short distance, Persimmon Ridge Road goes from asphalt to well-graded gravel.) The parking area will be just before a large wooden sign off the road. This sign marks the beginning of the “standard” trail into the Preserve. However, my recommendation is to go back down Persimmon Ridge Road about 50 yards or so to another trail that slopes down from the road. (If you see a red gate across the trail, you’ve found the right place.) I’ve found this alternate trail to be both a more pleasant walk and more scenic, especially with respect to mid-spring wildflowers. (Keep reading.) Follow this trail downhill. Just after the bridge over a creek are some fine specimens of Catesby’s trillium. Their bloom time is somewhat variable, from mid-April through the first part of May. A little further along the trail, on the left side, is a nice stand of pink lady slippers. I’ve found their bloom cycle to be more consistent, from the last week of April through the first ten days or so of May. A close-up lens will serve you well here.

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