Clear Fork Gorge consists of 1294 acres in Southern Richland County. The gorge was created by stream reversal where two rivers originated from the same elevation and flowed in opposite directions. The plateau acted like a divide between the two currents. Hikers can enjoy over five miles of riverfront. The formations of Clear fork consist of Black Hand sandstone.
For all of the dendrologists out there, there are plenty of trees to view. In the cool, shady lower portion of the gorge, hemlocks, Canadian yews and red maple abound with some yellow birch, mountain maple and black ash mixed in. At the top of the gorge, oaks, pines, black cherry and white ash dominate the landscape. At the sunny north bank observers can find red oaks, white oaks, tulip, beech, maple and sycamore trees. In the floodplain, sycamore, hawthorn, willow, buckeye and dogwood trees are the norm.
For the fans of wildflowers, some of the flowers you will find include mountain laurel, trailing arbutus and partridgeberry. The hillsiders include shinleaf, wood lily, rattlesnake plaintain and round-leaved orchid. There are also 15 kinds of fern including the rare walking fern.
If stationary wildlife is not for you, several species of amphibian and reptiles can be found including box turtles, dusky salamanders, toads, black rat snakes and copperheads. For the bird watchers in the family, look for turkeys, great blue herons, kingfishers and one of the 15 species of warblers that nest in the gorge.
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