We parked at the trail head at USC Upstate. I attended college here, but at the time this trail did not exist. In fact the majority of building and even the road didn't exist. I did many ecology field labs in the area, but none of the field remain. I am happy that this little piece of nature remains for exploration.
The trail leading to the passage is gently slopped in the woodlands. It is a nice little hike and soon you forget you are near a bustling campus. As you near the bottom of the trail you can hear the rushing water of Lawson's Fork Creek.
At the bottom of the trail, the passage begins. You can choose left or right and continue the hike. The passage follows the water system's right of way. The paths are large and surrounded by woods on both sides. There were many rutted out sections from maintenance vehicles that evidently were stuck in the mud. These areas had standing water and created perfect habitats for tadpoles, frogs, and water insects. They also were great areas for looking for animal tracks. We saw racoon and dog or coyote tracks.
Our adventure today was only along the south side of the passage. We will come back and explore the north side of the passage. I'm happy we finally took the time to explore this site.
