Nature Flourishes Again at Lake Conestee Nature Park

In the spirit of an era of staycations, daycations, and naycations, it's still possible to get away from it all – for a few hours, at absolutely no cost. Where? Lake Conestee Nature Park. Nearly 400 acres of preserve, and hidden history, await exploration just six miles south of downtown Greenville off Mauldin Road.

A turn onto Lake Conestee Road leads through a bedroom community that grew up alongside mills that harnessed the water power of the Reedy River. Many of the newer homes and small churches along this stretch belie the fact that from the late 18th century up until the 1920s, this area played a major role in the development of Greenville as a manufacturing center.

History buffs will love this: The first mill was established here during the 1790s, followed by the Carruth Armory, which produced guns circa 1815. The Patterson / Dunham Paper Mill and the McBee Manufacturing / Reedy River Factory complex both came along just before the Civil War, and in 1892, the construction of a rock dam created a 130-acre lake.

The dam is still there. However, time and the elements have taken their toll on the lake. Today, over 90 percent of it is filled with sediments and soil. The good news is that lush bottomland forest with large wetlands has taken its place.

You won't see any of this from the road. In fact, even the sign placed by the County Recreation District is small enough to miss. Just look for the fire station and pull around to the back. There, you'll find the information board and a trail map. Since they're not replenished often, you may want to print out a map in advance (http://www.conesteepark.com/park/aboutpark.html).

A few steps down and the sounds of traffic give way to the rustle of leaves. The trail starts as smoothed earth and turns to a section of boardwalk farther on. Several lookouts are scattered along the way. If you pay attention and walk softly, you may spy deer, beaver, fox, or river otter. Easier to see are the turtles, sunning themselves on rocks along the edges of the river or paddling about in the water. Frogs and toads are plentiful. Now and again, a black water snake will hurry on its way to gain cover in the reeds. Birdsong and insects humming are layered into the medley of sound. The Greenville County Bird Club has counted over 150 species flying and nesting among the hardwoods and evergreens.

With minimal elevation change and broad paths, the trails are perfect for younger hikers and for visitors who would rather observe nature alongside and overhead and forgo the challenge of climbing and scrambling. Those who pay attention will also be rewarded with an abundance of native wildflowers that cluster along the river's banks and in the underbrush.

The park is generally sparsely populated, even on weekends, partly due to the fact that the river and the surrounding area are still in transition. First brought to the public's attention in 1925, a lawsuit brought by Conestee Mills against the City of Greenville for polluting the Reedy River was "an early landmark in the fight to restore South Carolina's rivers from the damage done by discharge of municipal and industrial wastes," according to the current Conestee Foundation.

It has taken many years and many resources to stem the tide of that damage, but in 2000, the Conestee Foundation entered into a Voluntary Cleanup Contract with the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to "safely manage the legacy contaminants in place, while creating a public wildlife and educational park for the citizens of Greenville County."

They've achieved much in less than a decade, officially opening Lake Conestee Nature Park in 2006 and continuing to improve and expand the trail system. The park will eventually be the southern hub of the Swamp Rabbit Trail, but that is still a future plan. Right now, you can go walk among the trees and along the river and enjoy the stillness.