[EsperanzaCat]

I will be in Charleston through February on a deployment. Would like to go through Francis Marion National Forest with another Jeep. I left all of my recovery gear in Kentucky so hopefully someone else can bring some.

 

[Mbagnal]

Not sure if you’re still in the area. Check out holy city jeep club on Facebook and instagram. They do group rides.

 

[EsperanzaCat]

Thanks for the tip. I will be sure to check them out.

 

[AK4wheeler]

Not much in the Charleston area for 4x4 trails. Most property here is privately owned. Francis Marion is mostly comprised of improved dirt/gravel roads with a few logging trails. Need to be careful when exploring Francis Marion for gravel bikers and hunters running dogs (shouldn't running dogs during this time, but some still do).

There is Gulches ORP in Waterloo (near Anderson). It is about 2.5 hours northwest of Charleston.

AK4wheeler

 

[rumrunner]

fwiw, here's somebody's video from December 2020

 

[EsperanzaCat]

Looks like fun . . . Does the area drain well?

Any particular routes on Gaia GPS to avoid or take on?

What are the worst obstacles/hazards (other than that mudhole) in the Francis Marion National Forest?

 

[Mbagnal]

Some areas drain fine, some don’t. I don’t know of many places that have more than mud holes like that. It’s flat. I’ve never driven through the “harder” roads. Just dual sport or bike. Check out Home | South Carolina Adventure Route (SCAR) they have a route through Francis Marion there.

 

[EsperanzaCat]

I ended up doing a solo drive through the forest using the Gaia app as a tool. It did really well and was very helpful for navigating through the forest. Unfortunately, I didnt come across anything that interesting road wise but a coworker had told me that forest management had recently put fresh gravel on all the roads and trails after hunting season.