Fork Swamp Trail

Fork Swamp is a 0.6-mile loop from its separate U.S. 601 trailhead to Bates Old River and back. Plan about 20–30 minutes. The route is mostly flat; choose it for a close look at an old river channel and floodplain rather than a long hike or a big climb.

Start at the interpretive panels beside the small lot. One side begins as a narrow path; the other follows a road-width track. The river is about 100 yards from parking, and the waterside stretch runs for a little over a tenth of a mile before turning inland. The return follows an old road or mowed-grass path. At the clearing, take the established right-hand loop and follow the white #9 markers; the straight-ahead spur is unfinished.

This was once the Congaree's main channel. A hurricane and flood in 1852 shifted the river and left Bates Old River as an oxbow. The water is the walk's payoff: frame it through the trees to show how enclosed the channel is. A short bank section is steep and can be slippery when water is high, so stay on the path. Sycamores and a large bald cypress grow along this reach.

The return opens into a wet meadow. The Kingville Hunt Club once planted cover crops here to draw game; multi-trunk regrowth near the panels points to earlier logging. In some springs, butterweed can carpet the forest floor. The clearing sits near the Congaree–Wateree river junction, where raptors and wading birds may pass. Possible sightings include kites, eagles, osprey, herons, egrets and white ibis, but none are guaranteed.

Use Fork Swamp's own small parking area on the short side road off U.S. 601 near Bates Ferry; it is separate from the Bates Ferry Trail access. No toilet or drinking-water facility could be confirmed at this outlying lot. Pets are allowed on park trails on a leash no longer than six feet.