Clemson University Forest

05/26/2026

🚒Attention! A large tree has fallen on Issaqueena Lake Road, and the rain is causing washouts. We have closed the road until further notice. The road, parking areas, and trailheads were cleared. Thank you.🌳

05/23/2026

There is a simple gratitude I get when walking a well-worn trail. Trail work weaves ecological science and community-building when viewed through the lens of the Clemson University Forest. It connects the physical work of building and maintaining trails to the larger vision of research, forest management and recreation. We are all following blazes someone else marked, and marking blazes for those who come after. What does your pathway look like today?
Follow the blazes. 🌿
https://blogs.clemson.edu/cuforest/following-the-blazes-trails-community-and-the-web-of-life/

05/21/2026

https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-university-forest-launches-data-hub-to-expand-research-recreation-and-stewardship/

The Clemson University Forest is opening a new digital window into one of the University’s greatest natural assets. The newly launched Clemson University

05/14/2026

One of the first biologists in the country to take Wild Hog invasion seriously was Dr. Gene Wood of Clemson University. Now retired, he has written a blog post for the CU Forest titled: "A Biological Bomb: the Feral Hog Invasion".

We thank Professor Wood for his informative and thorough contribution!

A Biological Bomb: The Feral Hog Invasion Posted on May 14, 2026May 14, 2026 by baldwi6 Gene W. Wood, Professor Emeritus Dept. Forestry and Environmental Conservation Clemson University The issue In 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture estimated that feral hog populations had caused $1....

04/27/2026

If you enjoy the trails in the Fant's Grove area, please take a moment to give volunteer John Seegers a big "thank you"!

What John took on as a repair project became a restoration project for this bridge on the Red Trail behind the Fant's Grove parking area.

He cleaned off about 3" of mud from the entire deck, replaced three rotten boards, cleaned out all the gaps between boards, cleaned off the end anchors, and opened up the drains.

These actions will extend the life of that bridge for years to come!

The Clemson University Forest relies on volunteers to help maintain the trail system. We are coordinating volunteer groups with projects so if you are interested in helping, let us know.

04/18/2026

We have made time into a commodity. We spend it, waste it, save it, lose it. We chop it up into quarters, semesters, and deadlines. "Hurry! Act now. Don't miss out. Time’s a wastin’!"
I have multiple alarms set on my phone to remind me of what I’m “supposed” to be doing at any given time of day.
One of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver, in her poem "From the Book of Time," offers a different way of thinking about this construct of time. Maybe just looking and listening is the real work.
I thought of her words when I came upon a Fraser’s magnolia (Magnolia fraseri) in bloom. And just beyond it, a tulip-poplar (Liriodendron tulipfera), both members of the order Magnoliales, a lineage so ancient it predates the very insects we associate with flowers. Bees had not yet arrived when magnolias first opened. Butterflies were millions of years away. The magnolia's pollinator is the beetle, drawn in by scent and rewarded with protein-rich pollen. This relationship was forged in the Cretaceous over 100 million years ago. There definitely weren’t any clocks around.
If a magnolia understands time at all, it understands it as a deep, patient commitment to form. The magnolia does not know the deadline, but it does know the season, the spring emergence of the beetle. It knows how to bloom, and it has known this, without a lot of revision, for over a hundred million years. We measure life in decades. Magnolias measure in epochs.
And yet the Fraser’s magnolia, the bigleaf magnolia, the tulip-poplar: their flowers last days. Days. The beetle has always known this. Millions of years of knowing exactly when to show up without any notification or reminder. There is only the bloom, and then it's gone.

Ponderings and pics by PAWhitener
Bigleaf magnolia images by Cory Tanner

04/08/2026

Please be aware that the Forest staff will be conducting a prescribed burn tomorrow, April 9th, at Edwards Meadow. The location of Edwards Meadow is Googleable. Also, it is shown below.

04/05/2026

Bird songs & Blooming things! The Clemson University Forest has been filling with song and blossoming with color. The vireos and a variety of other neotropical migrants are back, having crossed entire continents from their winter homes in Central and South America. With the gates on Issaqueena Lake Road open, the temptation to zoom past it all is strong. I notice that when I’m rushing to get to the forest, to wrestle with a concept or walk off a frustration, I go blind to everything around me. The landscape hasn't changed, but my pace has. Internal and physical pace together. The path is the same, but my perspective is very different. Spring keeps changing everything anyway. On my walk at Waldrop Stone recently, I saw so many 'firsts'; first trillium, first black rat snake. Maybe the invitation is simply to move through the forest as if you've never been there before. (FYI- the speed limit is only 15 mph).

Flower pics & ponderings by PAWhitener
Thanks to Imtiaz Haque for the Vireo pictures.

04/01/2026

🌳 A Reminder About Our Shared Forest 🌳
The Clemson University Forest offers thousands of acres of Southern Appalachian landscape held in trust for teaching, research, and recreation. That it's open to the public at all is a gift, one that depends entirely on all of us choosing to care for it well.
Whether you're walking a trail through the pines, paddling the still water of Lake Issaqueena, riding the trails at Fants Grove, or simply sitting quietly somewhere, you're a guest in a working landscape. And like any good guest, how we show up matters.
A few reminders:
🐾 Keep dogs under your direct control at all times.
🚫 No fires, alcohol, camping, or motorized vehicles outside designated areas.
🎣 Hunting and fishing only within Wildlife Management Areas, per SC DNR regulations.
🚵 Hiking, biking, and horseback riding on designated roads and trails only.
💧 Watercraft on Lake Issaqueena must stay at or under 5 mph — no diving, swimming, or sliding near the dam.
🌿 Leave everything as you found it. No removal or destruction of natural, cultural, or historical materials.
📋 Respect active research and teaching happening around you. This forest is a classroom.
The full list of Recreational Use Regulations is available on the Clemson University Forest website. Please take a moment to read them before your next visit. https://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/cu-forest/visit/forest-rules.html
This place belongs to all of us to steward. Thank you for helping keep it clean, safe, and welcoming for everyone who comes after you. 💚

Clemson University Forest is under the jurisdiction of State, County, City, and University law enforcement. All applicable laws and Clemson University policies apply. Contact authorities to report violations.

03/29/2026

Did you attend Forest Fest 2026? Let us know about your experience using the link below! https://clemson.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6P5sIT8sXGXQGhw

A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to all the folks who generously gave of their time and expertise to make this year's event successful. More pictures to come!

03/26/2026

Come on out to Issaqueena to learn, play & explore. See ya'll on Saturday!
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:f0f4f200-f2b1-4b26-95a1-5c6c53691c6f