Avid hiker Matthew Kelly has encountered a grizzly bear, a mountain lion, and a wolverine on the many trails he's trekked across the United States.
In his lifetime, he estimates he's hiked at least 10,000 miles, even conquering the Triple Crown of thru-hiking—the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail — the three big national scenic trails of the continental United States.
Kelly also has the perfect job for someone who lives and breathes hiking. He's the general manager of The Local Hiker in downtown Spartanburg, where T-shirts and bumper stickers have slogans like "Trail Yeah!," "Enjoy Your Local Wild Places," and "Get Lost."
Kelly's dad was an outdoorsman, so he started hiking when he was 7. He continued hiking through Scouts and fell in love with it again when he was 20.
Kelly hiked the Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles) in 2013 when he was 22. “At the time, I was dealing with major depression, and I wasn't sure what to do in the world,” he said. “And at the end of the trail, it really created a new mindset for me. I was able to talk to folks again, so it really helped to show me that there's still a lot of humanity in the world.”
His passion for hiking continued, and he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (2,650 miles) in 2015 and the Continental Divide Trail (3,100 miles) in 2021.
“That’s about 7,940 miles, roughly, of hiking,” he said.
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Kelly, who loves talking about hiking with his customers at The Local Hiker, has hiked a majority of the trails in South Carolina and North Carolina, as well as El Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Benton MacKaye Trail, which is part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Art Loeb Trail in North Carolina.
He’s even paddled and biked on a lot of the Palmetto Trail.
In Spartanburg, he enjoys being out at Croft State Park. But Burrells Ford on the Chattooga River is the hiking trail closest to his heart. “It is in conjunction with Ellicott Rock, which is where the dividing marker is between Georgia and South Carolina.
“If I were to combine all of those different trails, it would probably be close to 10,000 miles,” he said with a smile.
Kelly describes why he loves hiking, saying it is an “active form of meditation” and “a way to decompress.
“Just getting out in the woods to walk in nature ... just kind of helps me to clear my head,” he said.
Over the years, he's made lifelong friends with fellow hikers who understand what it's like to "hike 20 miles with blisters on your feet" from hiking hundreds of miles or eating Ramen noodles on the trail.
In his hiking adventures, he has returned with many stories to share.
“I've come across a grizzly bear and a mountain lion, but the coolest thing I've ever come across was a wolverine,” Kelly said. "I was in Montana inthe Bob Marshall Wilderness, and there was a wolverine as we were going around a corner that was coming down the trail. Luckily, there were three of us and one of them, so it didn't charge us but instead turned around and ran back up the trail. I just never thought in my entire life that I'd ever see a wolverine in real life."
But for those who want a more effortless hiking experience, The Local Hiker has two upcoming White Squirrel Hiking challenges in June.
On June 8, from 10 a.m. until noon, The Local Hiker will lead a hike to Gravley Falls in the Headwaters State Forest. This two-mile round-trip hike is considered easy.
On June 15, at 9 a.m., The Local Hiker will lead a group hike to the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center, which has six miles of hiking trails, including a 0.3-mile hard-paved trail, the Wildwoods Trail.
Here are a few suggestions for hiking in the region, from easy to extremely strenuous.
Cottonwood Trail
The Cottonwood Trail in Spartanburg is part of the Edwin M. Griffin Nature Preserve and is described as a "116-acre urban preserve and trail system" by SPACE (Spartanburg Area Conservancy).
Visitors to the Cottonwood Trail can hike, walk, or run the four miles of trails or kayak and canoe on the 1.5-mile stretch of Lawson's Fork Creek. The preserve is home to deer, wild turkeys, foxes, beavers, raccoons, birds, and reptiles.
Kelly describes the Cottonwood Trail in Spartanburg as a “multi-purpose trail system.”
“There are trails that are meant to be backpacking trails, and then there are trails that are meant for families, all ages,” he said.
Kelly said the Cottonwood Trail suits hikers of all ages and levels. “It’s for people that are looking to get outside, whether you're just trying to enjoy bird watching, or even if you just have 30 minutes between, you know, a meeting, or if you're just trying to get a run in,” he said. "There are so many different ways to enjoy it.”
The Cottonwood Trail is near McCracken Middle School along Lawson’s Fork Creek. It can be accessed off of Beechwood Drive, Woodburn Road,or below the tennis courts at McCracken Middle School.
Difficulty: Easy
Go to www.spartanburgconservation.org/cottonwood-trail for more information.
Peter's Creek
Peters Creek Heritage Preserve covers 160 acres in Spartanburg County.
According to SCTrails.net, you will see a Piedmont Cove forest, rolling topography, Martin Mill's Dam which is over 100 years old, two creeks, and walking trails. Be on the lookout for the rare dwarf-flowered heartleaf plant. Possible wildlife encounters include deer, wild turkeys, snakes, songbirds, and a red fox. Following a heavy rainstorm, Peter's Creek may be difficult to cross and could take two to three hours. SCTrails recommends bringing insect repellant.
Kelly likes Peter's Creek, which is a hidden spot in Spartanburg.
"I have lived in Spartanburg for a long time, and I didn't know it existed for just about as long as I've lived," he said. "And so, it's nice that there are places that you can still find that are just kind of hidden in a way.”
Length: 3.60 miles
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Hours:Dawn to dusk
Directions: In Spartanburg, drive south on Gossett Road to Cannon’s Campground Road. Turn right, then left onto Kelly Road, and right onto a dirt road shortly after the entrances to Ray Circle. The parking area is on the right at the power lines.
Go to www.sctrails.net/trails/trail/peters-creek-heritage-preserve for more information.
Blue Wall Passage
The Blue Wall Passage, managed by The Nature Conservancy, is home to more than 100 species of birds and has a 30-foot cascading waterfall, according to SCTrails.net. Views will include mountains, clear ponds, and horse farms. At miles 12 to 14, the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment "climbs steeply and abruptly" to Vaughns Gap (trailhead forPoinsett Reservoir Passage), according to the website.
Kelly said Blue Wall in Landrum is a connecting trail for the Palmetto Trail.
“The Palmetto Trail, when it's finished, is going to be a continuous footpath, trail system that goes from the tip of South Carolina all the way down to the coast,” he said.
"It's an easier place to access if you're trying to get closer to the mountains, but you don't want to take the full two hours to go up to Linville or Pisgah,” Kelly said. “There's two lakes that you can walk around. And a connector piece that takes you from the Blue Wall Passage and connects you over to the next section of the Palmetto Trail."
Kelly said there is not much cell service on this trail. "You'll get a view of Hogback Mountain and the surrounding areas. This is the gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains."
Length: 14 miles
Surface: Natural paved
Difficulty: Strenuous. The first six miles are easy; miles 6-12 are moderate, and 12-14 are strenuous.
Go to https://palmettoconservation.org/passage/blue-wall-passage for three different ways to access this trail.
Caesar's Head
Caesar's Head State Park has 60 miles of trails. Here are a few choices from moderate to very strenuous hikes.
Raven Cliff Falls Overlook
Moderate, 4.4 miles. It is the most popular hike at Caesar's Head. It is where you can see the tallest waterfall in South Carolina from a distance.
Suspension Bridge
Moderately strenuous, 6.6 miles. The bridge runs across the top of Raven Cliff Falls.
Coldspring/Bill Kimball Loop
The 5.5-mile trail is very strenuous and has "steep terrain." Visitors will need good hiking shoes.
Dismal Loop
It is very strenuous, 8.3 miles. According to the Caesar's Head website, it is one of the most challenging trail routes at the park. It has a 12,000-foot elevation drop going down. This trail is only recommended for physically fit hikers.
"You'll want to lace up your boots," Kelly said. "It's a tougher trail to do. So you'll want to have some mindset before you go into it, knowing that it's going to be a rewardingly tough day. So definitely pack some extra water, bring a snack or two. It's not going to be the hardest thing you'll ever do in life, but it's going to be a good challenge to set the bar with where you're at."
Directions: Go to https://southcarolinaparks.com/caesars-head/trails#jump for directions to the park.
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Jones Gap State Park
According to its website, Jones Gap State Park has easy to strenuous hiking trails. Hikers must register with the park, which is mandatory.
Trails include (mileage shown is one-way):
Coldspring Branch (2.6 miles)
Jones Gap NRT #1 (Jones Gap Falls) (5.3 miles)
Hospital Rock #30 (1.5 miles)
Rainbow Falls Trail (2.2 miles)
John Sloan #21 (0.9 mile)
Pinnacle Pass #20 (10 miles)
Rim of the Gap #6 (4.3 miles)
Kelly said Jones Gap is a strenuous trail for a full day or a backpacking weekend. "Jones Gap is a beautiful area, and they do a lot to ensure the trails are cleaned up," he said. "There's going to be a lot of roots and rocks. There are plenty of vistas and plenty of places that are good to sit down and take a look.
"There will be sections with ups and downs and areas where you must be confident in your footing. You want to have an assured step."
Go to https://southcarolinaparks.com/jones-gap for more information.
Linville Gorge
Linville Gorge is called the "Grand Canyon of the East" and is part of the Pisgah National Forest.
Matthew calls this trail the "toughest in our region."
"A nine-mile primitive trail begins on Kistler Memorial Highway and continues into the Gorge, followingthe Linville River" is how it's described on the Linville Gorge website.
"You hike to the bottom — different ways to challenge yourself," Kelly said.
"It is one of the truest wildernesses in the Southeast," he said. "They don't allow machinery to do any trail building or maintenance. Any work that gets done out there is all done with hand tools. And so it's designed to be a much more wilderness experience. It's a great place for climbers."
According to the website, trails within the Wilderness are primitive and involve very strenuous hiking.
Go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/ and search for Linville Gorge for more details.
10 hiking essentials
- Water (at least three liters for longer trips and a water purification system)
- Food
- Navigation (AllTrails or Gaia GPS apps or a map and compass)
- Light source
- Shelter (Tarp or tent to keep out the rain)
- Sun protection
- First aid kit
- Proper clothing
- Rain gear
- Knife. Swiss Army Knife or a fixed-blade knife
- Matches
- Backpack
What to wear
Kelly said that when choosing clothing for warm-weather hikes, "think about how you want to stay cool in the summertime," and quick-drying clothes are a must.
- Long-sleeve UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) sunshirts are a good option. You want clothes that are breathable and wick away sweat.
- Bushwhacker pants can protect from ticks.
- Carrying a windbreaker jacket is a good choice for drizzly, rainy hikes.
- If you are going to be where there are many bugs, you can protect yourself with long, airy shirts and pants. A fly fishing shirt and quick-drying pants are a good option. Zip-off pants that you can turn into shorts are another good option.
- Wool socks because they protect against blisters and they wick away sweat.
- Look for well-ventilated hiking shoes that dry quickly so heat can escape. Ankle support and heel protection are also important.
