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Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests offering virtual services

The Francis Marion & Sumter National Forests have implemented virtual services to protect the health and safety of employees and members of the public during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Customers needing information, permits and maps are encouraged to call us during regular business hours for prompt, customer service. For a list of contacts for each office and more details, see our news release. 

From mountains to sea

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests has everything to offer from the Appalachian Mountains to the piedmont pine forests to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Find your next adventure

Getting to Know Your Forest

Four ranger districts in South Carolina: the Andrew Pickens, the Enoree and the Long Cane districts on the Sumter National Forest; and the Francis Marion District on the Francis Marion National Forest offer recreational activities as diverse as their terrain--whether you prefer to hike to a mountain waterfall or paddle a lowcountry swamp wilderness.

You might mountain bike the epic Forks Area Trail System on the Long Cane, or paddle and fish the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River on the Andrew Pickens district. Saddle up and explore a horse trail on any district, or unload your ATV or dirt bike and hone your skills on one of four OHV trails.

The Intracoastal Waterway begs to be explored from Buck Hall boat launch on the Francis Marion, or perhaps you’d prefer to paddle, hunt or fish the three rivers on the Enoree Ranger District. Nine rifle ranges will help maintain your aim for hunting season. There are hiking trails, campgrounds and picnic areas, a human-made shell ring built 4,000 years ago, fishing rodeos and waterfowl hunts for youths and disabled visitors, and an environmental education center that sponsors monthly programs for kids and adults to share the wonders of both the national forest and Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.

Where would you like to go first?

Interactive Visitor Map: Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests

Features

Volunteers Collect Trash Across Andrew Pickens in 2022 Spring Sweep

The Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests would like to thank South Carolina DNR, Chattooga River Ranger District and Andrew Pickens Recreation Staff, The Chattooga Conservancy, Rabun County Trout Unlimited, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Southeastern Expeditions, Chattooga Sounds Campground, and Wildwater for participating in the 2022 Spring Sweep on the Andrew Pickens Ranger District.

You can do your part to Leave No Trace by packing out everything you bring with you and picking up any trash you find while out in the forest.

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A conservation plan for the people

The Blueprint, by the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy, is helping to make collaborative conservation a reality across the South.

Perhaps no state uses the Blueprint as much, or as effectively, as South Carolina. Federal, state, regional, and municipal governments, as well as NGOs and universities across the Palmetto State, employ the mapping tool to make sound conservation decisions. The U.S. Forest Service, for example, uses the datasets to acquire the most compatible pieces of property in the Francis Marion and Sumter national forests. In Sumter, the Blueprint helps make a compelling case for land protection in the oft-overlooked Piedmont region. And it assisted the forests in strengthening grant proposals for Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars. More than $16 million has been awarded to acquire and protect 12,000 acres of forested land in South Carolina.

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Alerts & Warnings

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