Four weeks into the school year, you may find yourself with a rapidly-filling schedule of academics, extracurricular activities, sporting events, and the like. If you don’t have the time or energy to devote to a hike, consider visiting Campbell’s Covered Bridge and Poinsett Bridge. Both historic sites are within a half hour of Furman and provide picturesque scenery and relaxing atmospheres.

Campbell’s Covered Bridge is located off of U.S. 25 between Tigerville and Gowensville. The drive to the bridge is beautiful in and of itself and truly makes you feel like you’ve travelled far from the Furman bubble.

The bridge, built in 1909, is the last remaining covered bridge in South Carolina and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge crosses Beaverdam Creek, which is perfect for wading as summer comes to an end, and the small park surrounding the bridge offers picnic tables and a half-mile nature trail around the property. You can also explore the nearby remnants of a former homestead and grist mill.

Approximately ten miles from Campbell’s Covered Bridge is the 120 acre Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve. The preserve’s highlight is Poinsett Bridge, which was built in 1820 in the style of a Gothic stone arch and spans Little Gap Creek.

Experts believe the bridge was designed by Robert Mills, a prominent South Carolinian who also designed the Washington Monument, and it is possibly the oldest standing bridge in the state. This bridge is also on the National Register of Historic Places and was at one point a part of the state road system connecting Charleston and Columbia to the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

If you simply need a change of scenery but can’t afford to leave your studies behind, Campbell’s Covered Bridge is the perfect study area, and if you are interested in local history, Poinsett Bridge is an ideal link to the past. Pack a picnic and a camera and give yourself a brief reprieve from the stresses of college life.