Little Lake Creek Wilderness

Years after loggers' saws tore through these hills, hardwoods again dominate Little Lake Creek Wilderness. On ridges above the drainages, loblolly and shortleaf pines thrive beneath the plentiful sunlight, but many of the pines are now dead, victims of the Southern pine beetle epidemic of the mid-1980s. Three major drainages — Pole Creek, Sand Branch, and Little Lake Creek — divide the area, which sits perched on the western edge of the Gulf Coastal Plain. The latter waterway runs the entire length of this relatively narrow Wilderness. Colonies of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker share their home here with deer, owls, and armadillos. There are also less hiker-friendly critters: snakes slither through poison ivy, ticks wait patiently for their next meal, and mosquitoes whine hungrily — campers, consider this fair warning to bolster your tent with intact mosquito netting. Deer hunters come in their season. An abandoned pipeline right-of-way marks the entire western boundary. The Lone Star Hiking Trail crosses the pipeline twice — for about two miles in the north and 1.5 miles in the center — as it loops through the area. The southern portion offers an additional five to six miles of trail. The three parking lots are easily accessible.