Jew's Harp Spring
Trail Activities: t
- Walk
- Hike
Length:
Type:
Surface:
Difficulty: Easy
Trail Features: t
- Parking
- Point of Interest
- Pets
- No Fee
- Camping
Summary:
The Jew’s Harp Spring was used to provide water for Orange Hall, a nearby plantation, in the 1800s. Scattered bricks are the only remains of the house. The name of the spring is derived from its shape–that of a Jew’s harp. It was carved from a solid piece of granite by J. E. Sherman in the 1860s.
A carved fountain, in a natural spring that once provided water for the Orange Hill Plantation, is the highlight of this easy walking 0.7-mile, out-and-back trail. In the 1860’s, J. E. Sherman carved the shape of a Jew's harp into a solid piece of granite. Water flows through a hole into a bowl, which is always full, but never overflowing. To see this unusual carving, begin at the trailhead in the Collins Creek Campground and cross Union County S 45. On the far side of the road, a trail sign provides the history of the area. From the sign, you will walk amid pine trees marked with white paint and then descend into a predominantly hardwood forest. At the bottom of the trail, steps lead to the creek, where several benches provide a good spot to watch for deer, snakes, and other wildlife. Wear bright clothing during hunting season. Insect repellant is also recommended. Wooden steps along the trail may be slippery when wet. The spring and creek water are NOT safe for drinking. Pets are allowed on leashes.
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Camping: Available during hunting seasons in April and from mid-September to late December.
Directions:From Whitmire: Drive east on SC 72 and bear right where it branches off US 176. Drive 1.2 miles and turn right onto Union County S-44-45. Drive 4.5 miles and turn right (at the Hunt Camp sign) onto Forest Service Road 393. Continue 0.4 mile to Collins Creek Campground. The trailhead is at the seasonal campground where parking is only available in April and in the fall.
1 Comment
Sumter National Forest | Enoree Ranger District | 20 Work Center Road, Whitmire, SC 29178 | (803) 276-4810 | Email
Download | Coordinates | |
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Trail Segments (Paths) Trail Features (Points of Interest) |
Lat: 34.47628980021479 Long: -81.52220627260095 |
From our perspective, this was not an easy trail. We paid $5 to park at the camp. Someone had positioned their camper right across the start of the trail. We saw the white blazes beyond it so we made our way past. The first few blazes were well marked. We were having to cross downed trees and such but I made a comment about the blazes being easy to follow and then "famous last words" because after that the blazes were extremely faded or just plain missing. There was no recognizable trail. I noticed some triple orange blazes on what looked like a firebreak. It wasn't "easy" to walk there but it was possible. We were trying to find our way through thigh high smilax. There were lots of tree grasshoppers. Occasionally we would see what could be a white blaze but only one and the trail was impassable there. When we got back to Maybinton Road, we were on a high ledge and had to hike back parallel to Maybinton to get to a low place to cross the road. On the other side we could see no trail but we had seen the forest sign for the trail. We hiked back there. The boy scouts take care of this side of the trail. It was well marked. Blazes bright white and easy to see. The trail winds down a steep hill and then you have to make your way back up it. If you want to hike all .7 we'd rate this at least 2 stars. We decided to take the roads back to where we had parked vs. plowing through the smilax again.