Palmetto Trail — Santee Passage landscape

Photo: Photo by Jeremy Cai on Unsplash

Palmetto Trail — Santee Passage

~1 days · 13.5 mi · easy · Point-to-point

Quick facts

Distance13.5 mi
Days out1
Elevation gain56 ft
Gain / mile4 ft
High point154 ft

What the Palmetto Trail — Santee Passage is known for

The Santee Passage covers about 13 miles through the Santee River floodplain corridor in Orangeburg County, where the trail threads through bottomland hardwood swamp and longleaf pine upland at the edge of the coastal plain. The flat terrain follows river meanders and lake margins between Lake Marion and the Eutaw Springs Passage. Maintained by the Palmetto Conservation Foundation as part of the ~500-mile Palmetto Trail.

Route map & campsites

Route map of the Palmetto Trail — Santee Passage on OpenStreetMap terrain Open in Planner →

Route shape from OpenStreetMap geometry. Start · End · Camp

Elevation profile

Elevation ranges from 335 ft to 505 ft over 13.5 mi. Measured from OSM geometry (approximate).

  • Uphill 2.3 mi · 17%
  • Downhill 1.7 mi · 12%
  • Flat 9.6 mi · 71%

Ridgefold breaks every route into uphill, downhill, and flat — see the full per-day breakdown in the app.

Frequently asked questions

How many days does the Palmetto Trail — Santee Passage take?

Most backpackers hike the Palmetto Trail — Santee Passage in about 1 days (0 nights out) over its 13.5 miles, though pace varies with fitness and conditions.

How much elevation gain is on the Palmetto Trail — Santee Passage?

The Palmetto Trail — Santee Passage climbs roughly 56 ft total — about 4 ft per mile, topping out near 154 ft.

Related trails

Sources & attribution

Route geometry and stats derived from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) — source relation. Stats are approximate and may differ from official surveys; permit rules and conditions change — verify with the managing authority before your trip. Last reviewed July 2026.

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