harbison state forest

A nice warm Sunday afternoon brought the family here. we didn't walk any of the trails but went to the section with the open field. Kids played some soccer and had a relaxing picnic. Quiet and peaceful-made for a wonderful afternoon outing. A good crowd was seen biking the trails=good to see people enjoying this wonderful forrest in metro Columbia.

It's hard to believe that this place is just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Harbison Boulevard and all the traffic that this area of Columbia, SC experiences.Just minutes from all of that is this well maintained and beautiful park. We did the firebreak trail which is 4.4 miles and moderate. The trail is as it is described - a moderate ride or walk on a natural trail much like that of a firebreak in the woods.The facility appears to be well maintained and the trails are very well marked. They also have a bike washing station (which was much needed yesterday).We will definitely go back and try some of the other trails.

Awesome, easily accessed state park with great bike and walking trails. Bring $10 cash though for the parking as it is self serve early in the morning before the park office opens.

I hiked the mt midland trail and really enjoyed the difficulty level. Was not easy or super hard. Got a great workout while appreciating the outdoors. Trails were appropriately marked and secluded enough to get into nature. Very surprised to find such nice trails in the middle of columbia.

I'm sure this is a great place for mountain bikers. The only downside is the fee to park. My bike is a Cruiser and is a lot better on pavement.

The nearly 20 miles of trails in Harbison State Forest are very nice for hiking and biking. Although I don’t do much of the former, and none at all of the latter, I still really like the place. It’s big enough, pretty enough, and quiet enough to offer some very nice places to just sit and relax or maybe stroll around a bit or have a picnic. Even driving around on the gravel roads can be very pleasurable. I saw a fair amount of fall colors when I visited this afternoon and drove all the way to the parking area for the Stewardship Trail. That was a nice bonus. It's a blessing to have a big green space with fine recreational facilities close to Columbia’s urban core, but the parking fee ($5 daily, $25 seasonal) doubtlessly discourages use. It’s a darn shame that Harbison State Forest isn’t tax-supported and has to rely on user fees, rentals and forest product sales to pay the bills.

This forest is awesome and tucked away in a neighborhood. You dont really know that it is there. It has a series of trails and places to explore. You can walk the trail or you can ride your bike. Nice river to canoe if you like.

Took my 9 yr old on Stewardship trail and he enjoyed it fully. Challenged him some but allowed him to ride most of the way. I came back a few days later by myself and did most of the other trails with more speed and had a nice little ride and workout.

Harbison forest is a little gem on the edge of ColumbiaA really good network of trails for walkers runners and bikersThe trails wind through dome great looking forests, the trails offer a good blend with long, short,flat and hilly. The trails are well used in good condition and well signedWell worth a visit

It is such a nice treat to have a large park so close to the city center and shopping areas. There is a small fee of $5 dollars per car to park in the park. The annual fee is only 20 dollars so it is worth buying the annual fee. There are about 18 miles of marked trails for walking, jogging, hiking and biking. Today we took the midlands mountain trail marked for moderate difficulty and found the trail to be very nice and marked. While the trail does get close to the Broad River there aren't actually any clear views of the river. However there is a small pathway (not marked on the actual map of the trails) that is easy to find and follow that will lead right down to the river. Each trail is marked for how "difficult" it is. I do not recommend the midlands mnt. trail for people walking with small children as there are long stretches of uphill hiking, lose rocks and large roots and branches to avoid. We followed the marked trail and added on by following the unmarked path to the river where we saw a small family of deer and even a snake (EEK)! A lot of turtles, even baby ones! We also added the .2 miles uphill to the Harbison Bluffs. Overall with the added walking the trail ended up being about 4.5 miles. I suggest talking a small bag with water =) Also be aware of the times that the gates are locked! The one minus was the "bathroom area" was absolutely disgusting! We held it till we reached the closest gas station haha!

we had to pay to enter to get to a picnic table. ADA bathrooms were locked. No security anywhere in site.

Just moved to the area and this place is a great place for hiking with dogs. Notice that bicycles love it too. Rather cold when we were there each time so wasn't real busy. Looking forward to much more hiking here.

I just discovered the Harbison Forest a few months ago when I met a friend there for a four mile walk. We walked to a cliff overlooking the Broad River and returned to the car. I have walked there a few times since. The primary downside is that there is a $5 fee to park your car. You can get a year pass for $20, and I need to do that. The second downside is that Harbison Forest is on the opposite side of town from where I live. That's a long drive for a short walk.

Found a really nice hike, about 5 miles. Wasn't too hard at all. Trails we'll marked, easy to follow

loved the easily marked trails and by adding on to different trailheads, can do miles and miles with hills. excellent for mountain biking too.