Poinsett State Park near Wedgefield is one of my favorite state parks in the Midlands.

The park is home to a wealth of trails and other amenities all while sitting on one of the most unique regions in the state.

The 1,000-acre park is located right on the line where the Great Wateree Swamp and the High Hills of Santee clash together forming 1 of the most unique geological areas in the Midlands.

Over 25 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails traverse the park, including the Palmetto Trail.

Poinsett has quickly become a mountain biking hub. Over the past 6 years, around 10 new miles of trail have been built for mountain biking by the State Park Service and Midlands SORBA.

While I have hiked in the park before, I’ve yet to bike here. In a spur-of-the-moment decision, I hopped in my car and made the hour drive to Poinsett on a rare 80 degree August afternoon.

I parked by the park office where many of the trails start. I didn’t know which trails to do so I checked out the office.

No one was working, but I got a chance to look around.

THE OFFICE IS a beautiful rustic building built from Coquina stone, a natural stone formed from seashells. A patio overlooks the 10-acre Levi Mill Pond. I saw a few people swimming, some fishing, and a handful of others just walking around the pond. The building, lake, cabins, shelters, and much of the park’s infrastructure was built in the mid-1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

I met a fellow mountain biker who recommended a route.

I hopped on my bike and headed into the woods. I was starting out on Scout Trail, a mostly easy 2-mile loop that connects you to the more challenging singletrack trails.

The wide trail begins by following the base of the steep hill that separates the High Hills from the Wateree Swamp.

Around me was a blend of hardwoods and pines draped with Spanish moss and a few Palmetto Bushes, a typical sight throughout the park.

The loop splits off up the hill, and I decided to take the steep route up to shave a mile off my ride. The short hill is a leg-burning exercise. Even in the lowest gear, my bike struggled to keep a grip. Sure I could have walked up, but that’s no fun.

After less than a quarter-mile, I made it to the Overlook Shelter where I stopped and looked out over the magnificent Wateree Swamp I had just climbed above.

Next time I will park there so I don’t have to climb up the bluff.

About 150 feet above the swamp, the terrain has much more gradual grades.

I continued along Scout across the Overlook Area and into the woods again. The wide trail let me relax and enjoy the scenery for the next mile.

I turned off the wide connector trail and onto Whippoorwill, a 5.6-mile tight singletrack trail added in 2014.

The trail climbs slightly before coming to the edge of a valley. Around that point I turned onto Swamp Fox Trail, the park’s newest trail 2.8-mile trail that encircles the Campbell Creek valley. One of the highlights is the bench cut section that hugs the side of the valley.

SHORT YET EASY climbs and descents keep the trail fun, and the tight turns around trees had me on my toes. Eventually, I crossed the mostly dry valley and started up the other side.

At the top of the ridge on the far side, the trail is wider but still very enjoyable.

Open mixed hardwood forests are my favorite, and this trail has plenty of them.

Soon I finished the loop and made it back to Whippoorwill Trail. I climbed up away from the creek. I turned once again onto Scout Trail for a quarter-mile to shave 2 miles off Whippoorwill Trail.

Back on Whippoorwill, I started descending out of the High Hills and back to the lower elevation where my car was. This time, I passed some camping areas and the park’s cabins.

Whippoorwill crosses a powerline clearing where I could see a creek down below and the trail further up the other side. The tight technical trail around the valley has short, steep drops and hard climbs while avoiding small trees.

After a mile, I made it around the creek and to the trail I saw from the clearing.

The remaining half-mile is a steep but narrow bench-cut trail down the valley to the 1.4-mile Splice trail that runs parallel to the Park Road and back to the Main Parking area.

I had a blast on my 7-mile loop in the park.

I only scratched the surface of what Poinsett had to offer. From what I saw, Poinsett has great easy and moderate trails that are perfect for a fun leisurely ride in the woods and for new riders.

Mountain Biking might not be your thing, but Poinsett State Park is still a great getaway for a day or for the weekend. Pack a picnic, swim, fish, rent a boat, and hike while you’re there.

Maybe even stay in one of the park’s rustic cabins or camp in the campground.