Latta Plantation Nature Preserve: Hill, Cove, Split Rock trails loop

It’s hard to pick favorites among the 16 miles of trail at Latta Plantation; that’s why we’ve strung together a series of interconnected loops involving three trails. The Hill Trail is a logical starting point, departing the nature center off Sample Road. Logical, too, in that it passes one of the truly unique portions of this one-time cotton plantation: a Piedmont Prairie. Time was, such prairies were a common sight in the Piedmont, though their origins remain a mystery. Prairie grasses such as little bluestem, Indian grass and switch grass, and wildflowers such as prairie anemone, Georgia aster, tall larkspur and the smooth coneflowers inhabit the prairie today as they did hundreds of years ago. The only thing missing from yesteryear are the bison. Another plus for this hike: brushes with Mountain Island Lake.