Part 20: Poinsett State Park

Tucked away in the "High Hills of the Santee" on the east side of the COWASEE Basin is one of the lesser- known jewels of the state park system, Poinsett State Park. The 1000- acre park is named for diplomat, statesman, and naturalist Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779- 1851), who is buried up the road at the Church of the Holy Cross in Stateburg.

The park's setting is all the more remarkable because the last few miles before you get to it is anything but that. Much of the Manchester State Forest that surrounds the Park is a rather dull mix of pine, scrub oak, and white sand typical of the Fall Line that runs through Columbia. The old- timers use to refer to these sandy pinelands as "pine barrens" in part because they were ill- suited for agriculture.

But as soon as you drop down into a hardwood ravine and arrive at the park's entrance, an entirely different picture greets you. In fact, the winding narrow Park Road, lined with mountain laurel and old rock walls of coquina, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, reminds me of Table Rock, Jones Gap, and other mountain parks.

The blackwater millpond at Poinsett State Park has a long history that dates back to before the Revolution. The scenic drive continues past large specimens of loblolly and short- leaf pine draped with Spanish moss and a hardwood forest of white oak, red oak, sourwood, and beech. The all- too short drive ends at the parking lot and picnic area. The park office and museum is located nearby in front of a beautiful old blackwater millpond.

The office is a rustic structure with a foundation of coquina, a local limestone rock consisting of naturally cemented layers of marine shells. Coquina is Spanish for "cockle," and it was used as a building material when the early Spaniards first came to North America. The presence of this fossilized rock tells us that the Wateree Valley was covered by the ocean 40- 50 million years ago during the Eocene Epoch.

Like many of the early state parks in South Carolina, Poinsett was constructed by the CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps, one of President Roosevelt's alphabet soup creations that actually worked.

Poinsett State Park has a history that dates back to before the Revolution. The old millpond was formerly Singleton's Mill and part of Matthew Singleton's Plantation. In February 1781, after British Major McLeroth reneged on his deal to hold a duel with 20 of Francis Marion's men at Halfway Swamp near Rimini, the Swamp Fox sent Col. Hugh Horry and 100 men after the British and caught up with them at Singleton's Mill. However, the Singleton family, whose home was on top of the bluff above the millpond and near where the park overlook is now located, had come down with smallpox. Horry, a warrior of undisputed bravery, refused to fight near smallpox and quickly retreated.

Poinsett is an outstanding park for the nature lover and naturalist. A trail on the south side of the millpond winds around a steep bluff and features many spring wildflowers, native azaleas, redbud, dogwoods, and other beauties. The trail then crosses the Shanks Creek floodplain, consisting of a scenic blackwater stream of cool, clear running water. It makes a loop and brings you back to the parking lot.

A short drive up the bluff on the north side of the park takes you to the scenic overlook. On a clear day atop this bluff, more than 100 feet above the Wateree Swamp floodplain, you can see as far west as Calhoun County. The campground is also located in this area as are the clean rustic cabins, which can be rented by the weekend or the week.

Although less than an hour's drive from Columbia, Poinsett State Park feels much further away. Whether you visit for the day, the weekend, or the week, you will enjoy your stay and look forward to coming back. One of my favorite times to visit is late April when the mountain laurel is in bloom. For more information, call 803- 494- 8177 or check out the state park's website.

(Next week: Manchester State Forest)