Originally built for a high-school cross country team, the woodsy walk offers an even treadway and delightful doses of nature.
Leonard M. And Laurie Adkins
Laurie and I had finished a walk at Stumphouse Park (Good Walk column, Jan/Feb ‘24) outside of Walhalla, South Carolina, much earlier than we had expected. This gave us several hours before we were to meet friends for dinner in nearby Seneca. We asked a passerby about walking opportunities in that town and he suggested the 2.3-mile Seneca Adventure Trail at the Shaver Recreation Complex, saying it was “just a walk in the woods.”
Leonard M. And Laurie Adkins
Part of the trail is through a pine tunnel.
Seneca is a small town of about 9,000 people, so it’s pretty impressive that the recreation complex, which started out with just a couple of ball fields in the 1980s, has grown to include seven recreation fields, a couple of gyms, climbing wall, playgrounds, a paved circular walking route and a disc golf course.
The recreation director informed us that the Seneca Adventure Trail is a fairly new addition and was originally built as a place for the high school cross-country team to practice. It was constructed with earth moving equipment, which means, by and large, many of the roots and rocks have been removed, making for a smooth and even treadway.
Viper’s bugloss has gained a foothold in the disturbed soil along the trail’s edges. When its buds first appear, they are often a pleasing shade of pink. Spreading outward, the petals become a vivid purplish blue, accented by long stamens of a rich red hue.
In a wooded area with a mixture of young hardwoods, we were fascinated by the industry of a spider weaving an intricate orb web. (Bring a magnifying glass with you on your next walk and you can discover how a spider can move along its own web without getting stuck. The spiral lines of the web have tiny drops of sticky fluid strung along them, while the spokes, framework and centerlines do not. Knowing this, the spider travels along the latter routes.)
Swinging around the openness of a powerline, we became aware of the birding opportunities by catching glimpses of a bluebird, wrens and an indigo bunting. Passing through the tunnel created by the towering branches of an even-aged pine plantation, we heard the repeated yank yank of a nuthatch and watched both red-headed and red-bellied woodpeckers search for food in the trees’ rough bark. A picnic table enabled us to sit and observe squirrels and deer go about their daily lives near the baskets of the disc golf course.
There were no soaring vistas or grand waterfalls, but as I have been reminded time and again, it almost always comes down to your attitude and how you approach something that determines the experience you will have.
When You Go
Leonard M. And Laurie Adkins
The secret to this spider’s intricate web is that the spiral lines have tiny drops of sticky fluid along them while the center lines do not, making for successful web creation and navigation.
The Walk: An easy 2.3-mile circuit through the woods on city property in Seneca, South Carolina.
Getting There: From the intersection of US 123 and SC 130 (6 miles west of Clemson), turn southward on East North First Street, go 1.5 miles, turn left onto North Oak Street, continue another .4 mile, make a right onto West South Fourth Street and turn into the parking area in an additional .5 mile.
More Information: A map of the trail is on caltopo.com/map.html#ll=34.68339,-82.96244&z=15&b=mbt (although the pond shown does not exist).
An Unexpected Pleasure
Leonard M. And Laurie Adkins
Scallops over creamy lobster pappardelle at Vangeli’s Bistro.
Our friends brought us to Vangeli’s (vangelisbistro.com) for dinner. Presented Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, the bistro started our meal with creamy wine and garlic escargot in puff pastry, followed by seared diver (more environmentally-friendly than dragged) scallops over creamy lobster pappardelle and finished everything off with caramel orange crème brûlée. A true gastronomic pleasure! (The menu frequently changes based on regional ingredients availability.)
Leonard has written 20 books on the outdoors and travel. Find out more at www.habitualhiker.com. He also writes Mountain Wildflowers, found on blueridgecountry.com.
The story above first appeared in our July / August 2025 issue. For more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!