Another day at the office
John Wells, manager of Goodale State Park (left), and Paul McCormack, Sandhills regional chief of the S.C. State Parks Service, survey the paddling trail on Adams Grist Mill Lake.
Photo by Tim Hanson
With every stroke of the paddle, I am hoping to catch a glimpse of Elvis—an American alligator of some repute who is said to live among a forest of bald cypress trees that populate the lake on which I am kayaking with two state park rangers.
Elvis is supposed to be an imposing fellow of unusual size who makes only the rarest of appearances and whose massive, armored body leaves those few lucky witnesses slack-jawed and awash in unadorned admiration.
But I’m having a little trouble getting Paul McCormack—the affable Sandhills regional chief for the South Carolina State Parks Service—to come clean about the reliability of the Elvis sightings.
“The Parks Service makes no claims that Elvis exists,” he says with a laugh. “We neither confirm nor deny …”
Still, hope springs eternal. I remain vigilant. We paddle on.
The lake we are exploring is called Adams Grist Mill Lake. It covers about 140 acres of Goodale State Park in Kershaw County, not far from Camden. McCormack, park manager John Wells and I launch our kayaks on a muggy, overcast morning in June and make our way across the relatively open water of the lake to a canoe trail that leads into a dense thicket of trees and underbrush.
McCormack calls this trail one of South Carolina’s “hidden gems” for paddlers, birders and outdoor enthusiasts, and it’s easy to see why. Once inside the forest, the sounds of the outside world fade away and are replaced with the buzzing of insects and the sounds of our paddles breaking the surface of the water.
At one point, a dragonfly lands on the bow of my kayak and hitches a ride for a minute or so. McCormack and Wells watch a mourning dove land in a pine tree, and we hear it begin cooing. And later, we spot a great egret, its white feathers and yellow bill contrasting sharply with the overwhelming green of the forest. Pretty soon, I’m starting to forget about Elvis as the overall serenity of this place starts to take hold.
“This is a spot where you can escape from everyday life,” says Wells. “You can leave everything back in town and come out here and, for a little while, just forget everything.”
The canoe trail twists and turns through the forest, the occasional diamond-shaped arrow signs on trees pointing the way. The path gradually becomes narrower and narrower until what appears to be a metal pie tin tacked to tree marks the turnaround point.
Another hour or so of paddling brings us back to the entrance, and we once again break out into open water, slipping between cypress trees and plowing through lake vegetation on our way back to shore.
“Hey, Paul,” I say. “I reckon we’re not going to see Elvis after all, eh?”
The ranger rests his paddle across the kayak’s cockpit and turns back toward me.
“Elvis …” he says, breaking into a smile. “Elvis has left the building.”
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Get There
Goodale State Park is located at 650 Park Road in Camden. Besides paddling and fishing, the park has picnic shelters, a children’s playground and a mile-long nature trail. A South Carolina fishing license is required for anglers.
HOURS: The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Office hours are from 11 a.m. to noon daily.
BOAT RENTALS: Canoes, kayaks and fishing boats are available Thursday through Monday and rent for $7 for a half day and $12 for a full day. Rental season runs from March 1 to Nov. 30. The lake is open to private, non-motorized boats, canoes and kayaks year-round.
FEES: Admission to the park is free.
DETAILS: Visit southcarolinaparks.com/goodale or call (803) 432-2772.