Midlands Mountain Trail to Harbison Bluff is a 4.5 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Columbia, South Carolina that features a great forest setting and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
More like a Firebreak out and back! Saw some SLED officers training a bloodhound.
One of the better trails in the forest for sure. My dog and I always enjoy it
Decent little trail, convenient for its proximity to the city. I'm not quite sure I'd rate it "Moderate," as I've been on numerous trailheads that are more difficult and demanding than this entire loop. Relatively quiet, with the exception of two larger (6-8) groups of people, who I passed while they were taking a break and having a bite. I did visit the day after some rain showers moved through, so conditions were a little soggy in some areas, and had standing (or a trickle of running) water in others. Park staff actually placed road signs out indicating they closed the trails due to wet conditions sometime during my hike. The trail doesn't bring you nearly as close to the river as one might suspect, based on the map. Instead, there's a small off shoot to the Harbison Bluffs, which provide a broken view of the water. Near the bluffs, there is a small memorial, and markers for what appear to be an unnamed trail. The unnamed trail actually provided some of the nicest scenery, and some of the most solitude. It does get extremely narrow in some parts, with a pretty substantial drop off on one side (30+ ft). There were also tire impressions from bikes, so something to be cognizant of, especially in the narrow areas. The path passes back and forth over a small creek a few times, but there were rocks at every crossing to walk across. One end of the trail is right behind the memorial, the other is at the top of the bluffs, near the bench. Park service has just about clear cut an entire swath of land near where the trail meets Firebreak, apparently in order to promote new growth. Unfortunately, it's pretty unsightly. There are also several other areas with a number of marked trees, so it looks like the practice will be spreading a bit. While I'm sure I'll be back to Harbison in the future to check out some of their other trails, I can't see making a special trip just to experience this trail again.
awesome trial, well maintained. small fee for parking, well worth it! friendly to dogs and not super populated with other people.
Mostly flat wooded trail in Harbison state forest. If recent rains, watchout for some muddy spots! Took about an hour an forty minutes, not really walking at a fast pace. Definitely doable and if the kids can be in it for almost 4 miles, definitely doable for them as well.
This is a relatively easy trail however because of the current heavy rainfall half way through the trail you either have to turn back or maneuver across a wet skinny long to cross the long swamp trail the rain has created. Other than that it was very scenic and fun trail.
We ended up on this trail from Firebreak I think..not sure because we got confused. Great ride for 2 novice mountain bike riders. The whole park is great! Good place to break into mountain biking and also it's got to be great for intermediate and expert bikers. We really appreciate the thought, care and planning of these forest trails. Bring more water - you WILL need it.
It's hard to rate anything 5 stars once you have been to some of the Epic rides at Dupont State Forest but this trail has a little something for everyone. One huge berm which you can rail and good elevation change. For downtown Columbia, this trail and the connecting Spider Woman trails are as good as you are going to get. It's fun enough to keep me coming back!