The Savannah Valley Railroad Trail (SVRRT) is a hiking trail built on an unused railroad line near McCormick, South Carolina. These types of projects are called “rails-to-trails.” This over 9-mile trail, which opened in 2011, begins at the Barksdale Ferry trailhead and ends in Willington, South Carolina.
Savannah Valley Railroad Trail
The trail is relatively flat and made of dirt and grass. There is a 2-mile section of the original railroad route which was incorporated into the Huguenot Parkway and connects the SVRRT hiking paths. Mile markers are posted every half mile for reference with several benches to rest on.
The Barksdale Ferry end of the trail is well maintained. When I visited the Willington end in late 2019, there were more obstacles like downed trees and thorn bushes.
In 1764, the town of New Bordeaux (in present-day McCormick Country) was founded by Rev. Jean Louis Gibert as the last French Huguenot colony in South Carolina before the American Revolution.
The Savannah Valley Railroad started in the 1870s. By the 1940s, approximately 360 additional miles were added. Whistle posts and railroad ties are still scattered near the route.
Over multiple trips, I have visited the major historical sites along the line.
Barksdale Ferry
A small parking lot for the trailhead with an information board and map is situated off Barksdale Ferry Road. An ironwork bird perched near the board is used for collecting recyclables. First, visitors cross the road on a small crosswalk into the woods to start the hike. The crosswalk is set slightly beyond the parking lot.
Petigru Plantation Site and Springhouse
Next is the Petigru springhouse. The Petigru (also spelled Pettigrew) family were Huguenots that settled in New Bordeaux with Rev. Gibert. Gibert established the Badwell Plantation which his grandson, James Louis Petigru, inherited. Petigru was a lawyer and state attorney general who opposed slavery and secession.
The plantation site is 1.8 miles up the trail from Barksdale Ferry. A fire destroyed the plantation in the 1920s and all that remains are some stones.
The Petigru stone springhouse (used as cold storage) is still standing. It is located a tenth of a mile past the planation site and slightly off the trail.
Visitors can also drive down Badwell Cemetery Road to reach the springhouse. Here, the road dead ends at the trail, with the springhouse to the right and Badwell Cemetery to the left.
Badwell Cemetery
Half a mile opposite the Petigru springhouse is the Badwell Cemetery. The cemetery is the final resting place for approximately 20 members of the Gibert, Petigru, North, and Allston families. You can hike up the gravel road or drive to the turnaround by the cemetery. The walls are made of stacked stone although there was a section missing when I visited.
Many of the graves were vandalized in the 20th century and great pains have been taken to restore and reassemble them. Once, the gate portrayed an image of the grim reaper which was stolen. Now the door is painted black.
Some headstones lie outside the cemetery walls. One Badwell slave, “Daddy Tom”, is buried to the right of the graveyard indicated by a memorial marker. In the woods along the path to the cemetery, there are several markers for graves that were moved across the river from Georgia to this site. These graves would have been submerged in water due to the creation of the dam.
Huguenot Worship Site Monument
From the cemetery, visitors will need to drive the Huguenot Parkway to the next trailheads. Huguenot Worship Site Monument is next on the Savannah Valley Railroad Trail. The monument is well concealed from Huguenot Parkway and visitors may miss it if they don’t know where to look. Turn down a winding road (called “1764 Worship Site”) off Huguenot Parkway.
The road dead ends with a small area to park your car. Wooden posts serve as a barrier for the space around the monument. A sign on a post reads “foot travel invited” and “closed to vehicles.”
The stone monument marks the site of the original Huguenot church.
This stone cross includes the phase “Site of the place of worship of the French Protestant congregation of New Bordeaux organized in 1764.” Beyond the monument you can see views of the Savannah River.
The Mill Creek Trestle
After the monument, there are a couple trailheads along the Parkway to pick the path back up through the woods.
The next delight is the over 120-year-old train trestle bridge overlooking Mill Creek. A picnic area is available just before the bridge. This is a beautiful spot, especially in autumn.
In its early days the SVRRT ended at this bridge. Visitors can now walk across the bridge and continue on the trail toward Willington.
Guillebeau Cemetery
Guillebeau Cemetery is the next spot after the trestle bridge. If you follow the trail, it doesn’t directly lead you there. The trail runs parallel to the cemetery and its road. You have to cut through the woods or walk to the main road and double-back.
Visitors can also choose to drive a few miles from the bridge rather than walk it. Guillebeau Cemetery Road is off Moss Ave. (State Road S-33-196). The cemetery is at the end of the road. This small cemetery is surrounded by an iron fence and gate.
Eighteen members of the Guillebeau family are buried here including Andre Guillebeau who was an American Revolutionary soldier. He was a member of the original Huguenot group led by Rev. Gibert.
Willington Gazebo
Finally, a gazebo acts as the current endpoint for the SVRRT; however, there are plans to continue the trail up to the county line. The gazebo sits on a grass section between Moss Ave. and SC-81 across from the History Center.
An information board and ironwork bird mark the trailhead here as well.
All in all, I really enjoy the Savannah Valley Railroad Trail as it is an easy hike that also provides history for the region … Exercise for the body and mind!