Francis Marion National Forest

Today the Francis Marion National Forest remains a lush landscape of pine stands and wildlife-filled swamps and marshes shaded by towering bald cypress trees. Four wilderness areas, one with a marked canoe trail, offer visitors a unique opportunity to glimpse the wild landscape as it might have appeared earlier in history.

Francis Marion has been in the process of recreating itself. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo’s 130-mph winds leveled more than a third of the forest. In following years, the resulting resurgence of young trees and understory shrubs posed a heightened threat of catastrophic fire and presented the forest with an unprecedented problem to dispose of the dense vegetation. Forest managers met the challenge by converting the chipped forest biomass into an energy source for local power; this practice continues today.

Francis Marion Ranger District Office Address:

Follow Leave No Trace Principles when recreating outdoors:

• Plan Ahead and Prepare
• Travel and Camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of Waste Properly
• Leave What You Find
• Minimize Campfire Impacts
• Respect Wildlife
• Be Considerate of Others