In recognition of the South Carolina Forestry Commission’s 90th anniversary, Harbison State Forest created a geocaching course in 2017. Geocaching is a great family-friendly activity for all ages to get outside and explore our beautiful forests. The purpose of this course is to educate the public about the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) and the importance of forestry in our state. Join us in celebrating nearly a century of forest protection, management and development for the citizens of South Carolina.
The course follows the established 0.7 mile “Learning Trail” and 0.5 mile “Discovery Trail” which both start at the Harbison Environmental Education Center. These trails have several educational kiosks and outdoor classrooms located along them. The terrain difficulty level is rated as “Easy” on these hike-only trails. Harbison State Forest is also dog-friendly, but please remember to keep your pets on a leash! There is a $5 parking fee to access the trails at Harbison.
There are seven individual geocaches hidden along this trail, which can be found in 50-cal ammo cans. Each cache contains a logbook and information regarding the divisions and duties within the Forestry Commission. There is an accompanying set of seven questions (1 for each cache) that can be completed and turned into the Education Center. If you answer all seven questions correctly, you will receive a commemorative SCFC coin!
The coordinates for the caches can be found on Geocaching.com or on the downloadable answer sheet. The questions/answer sheet can be found http://www.state.sc.us/forest/docs/hsfgeocachinganswersheet.pdf or picked up from Education Center (log cabin building) in Harbison State Forest. Please print off your answer sheet, and bring the completed form to the front desk in the Education Center to receive your prize. The education center is open Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. If you have any questions or would like more information, please call Beth Foley at 803-896-8855 or email at BFoley@scfc.gov.