Wambaw Cycle Trail, S.C.

[Tribal Handyman]

Being new to the field, I have been in search of good trail riding around the south eastern N.C. area. My online searches gave me only a couple of areas close enough to travel to that would not require camping for a couple days. The Wambaw Cycle Trail system, located in the Francis Marion National Forest (located between Georgetown and Charleston) was on the list. It took us about 2.5 hours to drive to it from Southport, N.C. The trails were not too bad, not that I have much to compare it to at this point. The descriptions online say the trails can accomodate atvs up to 50" wide. Trust me in saying they mean that literally. The trails are tight, weaving in and out of trees (I bumped many with the sides of my tires). There is not much flat trail, mostly woops and turns. There are 2 trails, both measuring out to about 20 miles a piece. The course is kind of sandy, which creates alot of dusting when riding, so if you go in a group, stay in front or give a few minutes lag time between riders. I encountered a couple of snakes, but just in the mud areas, which are deceiving. I bottomed out on my 500 Sportsman and had to use the winch. After 3 trips down the trails, I was pretty much worn out. All the woops and turns (and hidden stumps, yeah watch out for them) really give you a workout. Overall, I had a great time on the trails and look forward to going again. Even more so, I look forward to finding more places to ride. I hear the Carolina Adventure World is a great place. I will have to schedule a full weekend for that one though.