Below: Part of the dirt
road leading to Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve |
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Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve is in a 460-acre sanctuary
that boasts some of the state’s most diverse plant communities along
with the unique sandstone formations that lend the preserve its name.
The land is jointly managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural
Resources and The Nature Conservancy. |
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Below: Big rocks to step
over on the trail and Lee Duquette descending some steps. |
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The sandstone formations originated
millions of years ago when oceans washed over the ancient shoreline
of the Midlands. Erosion from the sea ultimately created these remarkable
boulders, with heavy tops made of ironstone supported by narrow bottoms
made of brittle sandstone. Their unusual shape gave the rocks their
nickname, as many say they resemble peach trees. The fact that the formations
have balanced here for millions of years is incredible. Sadly, the preserve’s
signature Peachtree Rock finally toppled on December 8, 2013. To date,
it has not been determined if the downing of the rock was natural or
the act of vandals. However, it is known that vandals carving into the
rock over the years accelerated the weakening of the formation’s base.
For years people have been carving their initials into the soft sandstone,
and evidence of saw blades can be seen in the base of Peachtree Rock.
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Below: Views of The Peachtree Rock, that
will remain on its side, in the same spot it has occupied for millions
of years. |
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Below: Lee Duquette by a very tiny water
cascade of a waterfall |
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Below: Karen Duquette spotted a small cave
just off of the main trail, so The two RV Gypsies headed off to investigate
it. |
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Lee Duquette |
view going around the side of the "small
cave" rock |
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Below: Lee Duquette spotted
another big rock that was not on the main trail, |
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Below: Karen Duquette by the rock shown
just above. Lee Duquette always takes several views whenever he photographs
Karen. |
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Below: The preserve also harbors the Midlands’
only naturally-occurring waterfall. Less than 20 feet high, the descending
water is a beautiful anomaly within the South Carolina sandhills. |
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Below: As usual, Karen Duquette
decided to get a little bit wet under the waterfall. |
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