Croft State Park is another state park that I wish I could spend more time at, but I never seem to have enough time to explore it. I am always in a hurry when I am there, so I never take the time I need to enjoy it. However, for a brief morning last year, I did take the time to actually walk a trail while I was there.

I was in search of the Advance America Bridge at Croft. I had never heard of the bridge or even knew that it existed previously to receiving an Ultimate Outsider challenge from the state parks service. After a few minutes on the website for Croft, I had located the trail I needed to get on. I left home rather early so I could get to the park before it got crowded. Croft has a huge equestrian facility, so I wanted to make sure I could get in and out before everybody showed up with their horses. I know that it can get a little crowded there on Saturday’s.

I stopped by the ranger station and asked where the trail was at for the bridge. I had never hiked there before, so I was given a pamphlet that gave information about the different trails at the park. I can honestly say that if I was a hiker and I lived closer, I would be in those woods every chance I had. There is so much history in the woods at the park. It was originally a farming community and a few of the old farmsteads can still be found in different areas of the park. I personally love the fact that old ruins of a hotel that burned down in 1930, old cemeteries, and old bridges can still be found on the trails today. Apparently at one time there was a bottling company that was located on the land. You can still have a drink from the spring today that once was the wildly popular Whitestone Springs.

During World War II, the land that once was home to cotton and tobacco fields was transformed into a military camp. 19,000 acres of land was turned into a camp that would eventually house 250,000 soldiers that would work on the firing ranges, grenade courts, and gas obstacle training courses. Camp Croft came into existence as it was named in honor of a South Carolina native that had passed away in 1938, Major General Edward Croft. Even though construction began on Camp Croft in 1940, the first troops that would call it home didn’t start training until March 7, 1941. Camp Croft housed German prisoner of war during the last year and a half that it was in existence. Once the war ended, Camp Croft was deactivated, so the government sold 7,000 acres of land to the state of South Carolina, and in 1949 it became the state park that it is known as today.

Getting back to the Advance America Bridge, the very informative man at the ranger station told me exactly where to park and how to get on the trail that would lead me to the bridge. The bridge was built in 2008 from a grant from Advance America and the Palmetto Conversation Foundation. It was a 65 foot long fiberglass bridge that made it the longest footbridge in the state parks service. I had to get on part of the Palmetto Trail to get to my destination. I truly do love walking in the woods, so I was up for the challenge. I made sure I had my camera out so I could take pictures of trees and the trail blazes that were painted on them. I was in unfamiliar territory, so I didn’t want to get lost. Eventually the bridge came into view, and it was absolutely gorgeous. I believe the thing that made it stand out even more was the beautiful water from Fairforest Creek that was flowing underneath it. The water didn’t look like the water that we have in my area. It looked more like the water that you read about in fairytales.

I had to walk across the bridge for the challenge, so I did just that. It was very shaky. I was praying that it wouldn’t fall down while I was on it, but at the same time, I stood there to take several pictures of the gorgeous water. I couldn’t get over how beautiful the spot was where the bridge located. I did eventually get off the bridge, which was a good thing, because moments later people flew across the bridge on their mountain bikes. The trail that the bridge is on is very popular.

Unfortunately in early 2020 the bridge was washed away in some powerful floodwaters that were passing through the area. The bridge was later located, but as of the writing of this blog, I don’t know if it has been reinstalled in its location yet or not. I am just thankful that it didn’t fall on the day that I was on it.

Croft State Park is located at 450 Croft State Park Road in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It is open daily from 7am-9pm during daylight savings time, and 7am-6pm during standard time. There is a $3 admission fee for adults, $1.50 for seniors, $1 for children age 6-15, and free for children under the age of 5. The park is known for its miles and miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. In addition to all of the trails, Lake Craig is a favorite among the many visitors to the park each year. I wish that I had enough time and energy to experience all this park has to offer. I highly suggest that if you do decide to hike any of the trails to go to hikecroft.com. You can turn the GPS on for the trails and it will let you know if you are heading in the right direction, plus the website has very interesting information about the park and the trails.

Published by travelingthesoutheast

My name is Donna. At an early age I had a love for photography. There was nothing more fun than taking film to a store and then having to wait several days to get the photographs back, sometimes only to find out that none of the pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. Quite a few years ago digital came out, and the rest is history. I can always be found with a camera around my neck, on my arm, or in my hand. I have always had a love for telling stories and sharing them with others. My imagination has always been a little on the wild side. About ten years ago, I decided one day that I wanted to start traveling, and I have never looked back. There is nothing in the world that I enjoy more than traveling and taking photographs. View all posts by travelingthesoutheast