Nature's gym - perfect for walkers, runners, and bikers
By Ben Higgins Higginsb2@yahoo.com

Photo by Elizabeth Bailey Johnson The longest and most picturesque boardwalk along the sandhills trail.

Sesquicentennial State Park, one of South Carolina's 47 parks in the state park system, provides the ideal setting for health conscious individuals and nature lovers alike.

Located in Northeast Richland County at 9564 Two Notch Road, Sesqui, as it is commonly known, provides a unique opportunity to experience South Carolina wildlife in a pristine setting with easy access to downtown Columbia.

According to the park's website, www.southcarolinap arks.com/park- finder/state- park/469.aspx, Sesqui was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal Program by President Franklin Roosevelt designed to provide employment in the Great Depression and protect the country's natural environment.

While the park offers many attractions, from its playground to its camping area, one of the best ways to experience Sesqui is to take its two- mile Sandhills Hiking Trail.

One of four hiking trails offered at the park, the Sandhills Hiking Trail provides a chance for park goers to get vigorous exercise, while enjoying the park's natural landscape.

Photo by Elizabeth Bailey Johnson A caterpiller climbs a tree in the heart of Sesqui's sandhills trail.

Visitors enter the trail along the park's 30- acre lake near the park's field and several of its picnic shelters. The lake is filled with lily pads and insects flutter along the shorefront.

After crossing a small bridge into an area of tall pines, the trail winds deep into the woods. Visitors are surrounded on all sides by lush lob- lolly pines, ferns, and other trees.

The path is generally wide but narrows significantly at points throughout the trail. Roots jut out sharply along the path, a minor inconvenience heading through the trail. As a visitor walks further into the woods, the sound of insects is often the only audible noise.

The next mile and a half of the trail offers some of the most beautiful sights on the journey. A wide variety of plant life lines the side of the path, giving visitors a sense they are far away from city life.

Tall trees offer shade from the sun, and caterpillars, butterflies, and other creatures roam free. The yellow jasmine, South Carolina's state flower, can be found here and throughout the trail in the early spring. If visitors are lucky, they might spot a deer along the path.

The final half- mile of the Sandhills Trail goes through a small portion of the Mountain Bike Trail. This portion of the hike leads visitors back to Sesqui's lakefront and the beginning of the trail.

As with any outdoor excursion, it is always a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected. "Let someone know your plans," says Stacy Jensen, park interpreter.

The Sandhills Hiking Trail can be walked in an hour or less going at a moderate pace, but visitors are encouraged to use the trail at the speed that is best for them.

The Sandhills Hiking Trail is only a small part of the experience at Sesquicentennial State Park. As Columbia residents have known for generations, Sesqui is an escape right in their own backyard.