Storm damage closes Fort Mill Greenway's Wild Azalea Trail

Late-August storms snapped mature white oaks along the Wild Azalea Trail at the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill. The 1.1-mile trail remains closed while staff assess the damage.

Several trees, including white oaks and other species, stayed rooted but suffered substantial breakage along their trunks and canopies, according to a Sept. 22 post on the Greenway's website. Fallen trees and branches all pointed the same direction, tracing the wind's path from the Highway 21 side of the 2,100-acre preserve, across the upper portion of 28-acre Lake Haigler and through surrounding trails.

Resource Director Josh Patterson of Leroy Springs & Company Inc., which operates the Greenway, said the team is weighing safety against ecology.

"We consider the ecological value that damaged and fallen trees can continue to provide within the forest," Patterson said in the post.

The Greenway's Natural Resources team is evaluating each damaged tree for safety risk, ecological value and proximity to trails and infrastructure. Not every downed tree will be removed.

Staff may leave some to decay naturally. Standing dead wood provides shelter and nesting spots for wildlife. Fallen trunks create habitat for insects and fungi. Gaps in the canopy let sunlight reach the forest floor so younger trees can grow.

Trees that pose a direct safety concern may be pruned or taken out entirely.

Beyond Wild Azalea, the Greenway is advising caution on all open trails because of scattered limbs and debris. Horse and bike trails and the Mountain Bike Skills Park are also temporarily closed. Hike and Dog Park trails remain open. The Greenway has not announced a reopening date for Wild Azalea or the other closed trails.

Visitors can call the Greenway's trail hotline at 803-547-1019 for updated conditions.

Coming up at the Greenway: The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is scheduled to perform an outdoor concert at the Anne Springs Close Greenway on Sunday, Oct. 4. The concert is free for Greenway members; standard daily admission fees apply for non-members ages 3 and up.