South Carolina · Trail 284A

Forks Trail

Forks Trail is a 32.8-mile trail in Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, South Carolina. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end33.6232° N, 82.1165° W · Directions ↗
Other end33.5952° N, 82.0769° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 8 segments.

The trail

Length32.8 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade10-12 percent
Typical tread width24-36 inches
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers284A, 284B, 284C, 284D, 284E, 284F, 284G, 284H
ForestFrancis Marion and Sumter National Forests (unit 0812)
StatesSouth Carolina
Detail publishedbasic characteristics

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Forks Trail40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 4.03 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.91 inches of precipitationMarch: 4.32 inches of precipitationApril: 3.08 inches of precipitationMay: 3.43 inches of precipitationJune: 4.72 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.74 inches of precipitationAugust: 4.46 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.67 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.04 inches of precipitationNovember: 3.30 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.21 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 45.7°F averageFebruary: 48.5°F averageMarch: 55.5°F averageApril: 63.5°F averageMay: 71.3°F averageJune: 78.4°F averageJuly: 82.0°F averageAugust: 80.6°F averageSeptember: 75.2°F averageOctober: 65.3°F averageNovember: 54.6°F averageDecember: 48.0°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Clarks Hill 1 W, 7 miles from the trail midpoint at 400 feet, station USC00381726 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 47 inches a year.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    C-12 Rx Burn

    31 mi from the trail midpoint · 25 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rcw Pile Burn Csp Rx

    44 mi from the trail midpoint

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for South Carolina

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Five-Star Trails: South Carolina Upstate
    Sherry Jackson, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Dog Hikes South Carolina
    Melissa Watson, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes Charleston, South Carolina
    Johnny Molloy, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Forks Trail?

The Forest Service records 32.8 miles under this name in Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, the sum of 8 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Forks Trail?

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.

Source: Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests official page

Where does the Forks Trail start?

The line begins at 33.6232° N, 82.1165° W and ends at 33.5952° N, 82.0769° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Forks Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Forks Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.

Source: Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests official page

How developed is the Forks Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Forks Trail?

The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is 24-36 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Forks Trail?

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, Forest Service unit 0812. The trail is in South Carolina.

Source: Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests official page

Is there a fire near the Forks Trail?

The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest C-12 Rx Burn at 31 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 8 segments named Forks Trail in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0812. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.