Clemson Experimental Forest

Issaqueena Lake Natural Area, Clemson Experimental Forest
PICKENS COUNTY, SC
Issaqueena Lake Rd, parking area
34.741549, -82.863615
Saturday, October 26th, 2024 10:30am to ~4:30pm

The Lake Issaqueena Natural Area was created in the 1930’s with the clearing of land and subsequent construction of Issaqueena dam, trails and picnic areas by the civil conservation corps. Well into the 1940’s the area was largely farmed but, during WWII, the farms were abandoned allowing the area to revegetate naturally. What returned was a mature forest considered to be a “botanist’s treasure trove” with plant diversity unrivaled in most of the United States! (For more information on history and plant diversity go to: https://clemson.world/archive/issaqueena/). For example, there have been 93 species of trees and shrub documented in the forest. Identifying these on your walk could be a challenge for even our best botanist, especially in leaf-off condition due to Hurricane Helene. With plant diversity comes animal diversity. For the herpetologists, there have been 16 species of salamanders along with 19 species of snakes documented. Some notable species of salamander documented include the red-spotted newt, southern Appalachian salamander and northern red salamander. Many of the trails have seeps and small ephemeral streams to be searched. Folks interested in birds will also find this location interesting. There have been 174 bird species documented in the Clemson Experimental Forest. Of those, an amazing 38 species of warblers have been reported. This includes the elusive cerulean warbler along with the vast majority of spring migrants that pass-through South Carolina. Even though most of the birds will have already migrated through, the ones that are still there will be easy to see due to leaf-off conditions. There should still be an abundance of fall nectar available for butterflies and other pollinators. The forest is known to be an important stop-over for monarch butterflies.

There are many trails to explore that range from short-easy to long-difficult. Go to: https://www.clemson.edu/public/experimental-forest/documents/draft_map_trails2012_is_lc.pdf for trail locations, parking and routes. The terrain is hilly as is typical in the foothills/piedmont ecoregions of South Carolina. The trails will lead you to destinations such as waterfalls, mature forest, stream valleys and lake shore habitats. Some notable trails include the Rapids Trail, the Wildcat Trail (note As of October 2024, a road leading to this trailhead is closed indefinitely, but the trail is open), and the Issaquena Lake Trail. For more detailed information on trails go to: https://www.clemson.edu/public/experimental-forest/map/featured-routes.html

If you would like to extend your trip, there are other opportunities for wildlife and plant viewing in other parts of the Clemson Experimental Forest plus a visit to the Clemson Botanical Gardens is always interesting. If you are looking for more hiking, Fant’s Grove WMA is a good choice. So, if you plan to extend your trip to two or more days, you can camp at the recreation sites on Lake Hartwell or find accommodation in Clemson. (FYI there is no Tigers home football game on Oct 26th)
~Ron Ahle

DIRECTIONS:
From Clemson, travel east on Hwy. 123 for about a mile past Lake crossing and turn right onto Old Clemson Highway (State Road S-37-1). In about 2 miles turn right on Lawrence Bridge Road (State Rd S-39-225). Continue north about 3 miles over the Lake Hartwell Bridge and then look for the 1st right turn onto Issaqueena Lake Road/W Dam Rd. In 300 feet, continue straight on W Dam Rd. all the way to the end of the road. To find this location with your gps/navigation system enter W Dam Rd. There are no restrooms or drinking water at picnic areas within Clemson Experimental Forest so plan accordingly. For more information and a printable map on the recreation site, go to: https://www.clemson.edu/public/experimental-forest/map/index.html