Sugarloaf Mountain: Great Place to Enjoy Nature
When is the last time you were so far away from other humans…. with their noise, radios and cars…. that you heard nothing? Nothing but pure quiet except for the gentle breeze, an occasional bird, the buzz of insects?
A few young people and I experienced this on Sunday early evening at one of my favorite places in the area, Sugarloaf Mountain in the Sand Hills State Forest between Darlington and Chesterfield Counties.
The site is full of soft, white sand- a hint of the history of the area as 46,000 acres of a prehistoric sea. There are campground sites available (no facilities or running water) and lots of equine trails for horse owners. A Boy Scout trail takes adventures on a “short” and “long” version through the woods.
The elevation called Sugarloaf is not really a mountain, more like a steep hill- the steps leading up are better than any exercise machine invented.
At the top, you can see clear to Cheraw. Trees that were clear cut and re-planted by the Forestry Commission fill the once bald area with young trees.
The elevation is perfect for a picnic, and chance to slow down and enjoy the quiet.
I urged the kids to find a place, a “circle of quiet” at the elevation to stare off and pray, taking care to not make a sound. Just as Jesus sought peace and clarity by praying alone in nature without distraction, we can find great solace in finding our own special place outside to worship in the world God created.
After our time of prayer, the kids raced down the steep steps and over to “The Rock”;
If you haven’t been here before, you’ll know what I mean when you see it- it is huge! Full of holes and looking like a meteor or a hunk of cooled lava, “The Rock” is made up of iron ore, and was dragged to this area during the Ice Age. (I do hope my memory is correct, I learned that from Dr. Fred Edinger of Coker College on our Geology 101 Field Trip back in 2000… Great class with a great professor!)
Across from the tall elevation and “The Rock” is what I have heard called “Horseshoe”- up some more steps and through mounds and mounds of pink mountain laurel. Up there, we saw tons of varied species of butterflies and a small black snake. That was enough warning to me to stay on the path- this is their environment, not ours.
On the way out as it neared sunset, we drove back and stopped at the pond. Tons of trees and large branches were down from the recent storms and high wind; that didn’t deter the kids from skipping stones and spotting beavers, a turtle, and a small frog.
If you haven’t been to Sugarloaf in a while, take a drive. Follow Ruby Road past the ball field, past Timberchase, way up until you get to Route 1 - keep driving straight and look for the signs to the Sugarloaf Observatory, it'll be on your right. If it’s new to you, you are in for a treat.
I asked the kids in the van on the way home what they liked the best, and one young man said, “The praying. That was cool.”
Thanks for Sharing
I visited Sugarloaf about 3 weeks ago. A great place to "get back to nature" and you certainly can't beat the admission price.
Thanks for taking us along.
The photos and story made me feel like I was there, too.
Sugarloaf is a great place to visit. Troop 523 usually does a weekend camping trip there once a year. They say Horseshoe is the best place for playing 'capture the flag'.
If you continue on up the Ruby Road, & turn right at Angeles Road, there is a motocross park that makes for an exciting outing. SandHills Motorsports is owned by Jack Hurst and holds races several times each year.
There is also a big flea market that operates every Sunday in Mount Croghan, just above Ruby. Its a very nice little rural area less than an hour's drive from Hartsville.
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