All Trails has a nice river hike with overnight backpacking. Check out the photos.
Backpacking at Burrells Ford Campground
This past weekend, we packed up our gear, grabbed the dog, and hit the trail for a solid overnight backpacking trip in South Carolina—Burrells Ford Campground, or as I first called it, “Log Lick or something.” You’ll see the real name in the title.
Getting There & Hitting the Trail
We picked up Ollie (our golden retriever and enthusiastic hiking buddy) and left early Saturday morning. It was about an hour and 15-minute drive to the trailhead, and we started hiking around 10:30 a.m.
Ollie loves the hike, and the water.
I had about 32 pounds in my pack, and she carried around 24 pounds. I even brought a little luxury: the Helinox Chair Zero, which turned out to be awesome—more on that later.
The first stretch of the hike followed what looked like an old dirt road, closed off to traffic. After about half a mile, we hit the actual trail. Almost immediately, my hips started hurting. No idea why—maybe my pack sat wrong or I wasn’t used to carrying weight like that—but my legs and my mental energy were solid, so I just pushed through.
The trail mostly followed a river, with plenty of gradual ups and downs, a few steeper sections, but nothing compared to Linville Gorge or some of the rougher Pisgah trails. Still, eight miles with a loaded pack took its toll. We took lots of short stops along the way because the river was incredible—roaring with small waterfalls everywhere. Just powerful, fast-moving water. Ollie was loving it, diving in at every chance.
.webp)
Follow the river.
Wildlife, Campsite, and Camp Cooking
We only saw four people the entire hike: two mountain bikers messing around and two people cleaning up the trail about three-quarters of the way in. Other than that, just us, the dog, and nature.
By the time we got to camp, we had our pick of sites—middle of February, after all. Nobody else was out there, so we just picked a good spot, set up camp, and settled in for the night.
For dinner, I had eggs, some pre-cooked chicken, noodles, and the usual snacks. Also, I snuck in a big Truly for her—she appreciated it. I stuck with coffee. Speaking of coffee, it was perfect with lunch—hot, strong, exactly what I needed.
The weather held up most of the day, sitting in the 60s, but as usual, we got some rain. Happens every time we hike. And, as expected, I was disorganized and let my stove get soaked. Rookie mistake. To make things worse, I didn’t bring a lighter (I meant to, I just didn’t). So, no coffee in the morning. That was the real tragedy.
The Hike Out
Despite the coffee setback, we made a quick breakfast—cooked two eggs, cracked one by accident, and ended up feeding half of it to Ollie. Packed up all my stuff wet (again, typical) and hit the trail back.
We left camp around 9 a.m. and made it back to the car by 2 p.m. The last couple of miles were tiring, but overall, the return hike felt faster. Losing a few pounds from food probably helped.
By the time we got back to the car, I was ready for that long-overdue coffee. We did a quick gear extraction, made a stop, and finally got caffeine in our system before heading home to settle in for the week ahead. Ollie? He slept like a champ. He was definitely wiped but handled eight miles like a pro.
Final Thoughts
Burrells Ford is a solid hike—free primitive camping, tons of water, and easy access to the river. I can see this place being packed in the summer with people swimming and enjoying the water. Highly recommend for an easy overnight backpacking trip.
My hips feel fine today, so no long-term damage there. Overall, a great trip—good views, good company, and (mostly) good coffee.
Over and out.
Plenty of rocks and beaches by the river
Love the waterfalls.
Beautiful Day
River
Post hike photo.
Little help, please.
Don’t jump.
Don’t steal my Helinox Chair Zero.
Stinky socks.
I brought my water shoes.
I love the sound of the river.
Water, water, water.
Shower time.
The real boss.
More falls.
