Field Recording Trip: Recording Nature in the Sumter National Forest

The Sumter National Forest is truly beautiful. Totaling 370,442 acres, it is one of only two national forests in South Carolina. However, this acreage is deceiving because the Sumter is split into many tracts, in 11 counties in South Carolina. The section in Oconee county receives the most recreational visitors thanks to the 15 waterfalls found here. Another huge attraction to this area is the Chattooga River.

Featured in the movie, Deliverance, the Chattooga attracts rafters, fishers, hikers, and backpackers year-round. Originating in the ancient Blue Ridge Mountains, the Chattooga River flows 57 miles to its confluence with the Tallulah River. Known as the “Crown Jewel” of the Southeast, the Chattooga River was the first river east of the Mississippi granted Wild & Scenic designation.

I have visited this area many times, but only recently with my field recording equipment. My recent trip was on March 29th, 2020 in the middle of spring. There were 4 cars in the parking area, the most I’ve ever seen, but it was still easy to find quiet in the forest.

The trail was full of many spring wildflowers like dimpled trout lily, asters, and purple, yellow and white violets. I also spotted some trillium that hadn’t bloomed yet. The creek, waterfall and river were all overflowing with spring flows. Check out how full they are in the video of my trip ↑.

By Darkspots - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3440563

Field Recordings

Field Recording #1: Babbling Stream

Acoustic Nature · 3D Babbling Stream Sounds | Binaural Nature Soundscape

This beautiful stream was located above the waterfall in the Sumter National Forest. There are no trails to get here making it very remote and a great place to relax. With these pristine sonic conditions, I was able to record this stream for 30 minutes with no noise pollution. This is only a 5 minute excerpt from that recording.

I put my recording rig right in front of the babbling stream to increase the amount of detail captured. With my binaural microphones, I was able to capture strong directional sound for your ears to enjoy!

Field Recording #2: Turbulent Stream

Acoustic Nature · Fast Flowing Water Sound | Nature Field Recording

This location was just downstream from the first recording. It can actually be heard in the previous recording in the background. This section flows much faster but still has a lot of detail. I also recorded 30 minutes of noise-free sound here and have uploaded a 5 minute snippet for you to enjoy!

Field Recording #3: Cricket + Woodpecker

Acoustic Nature · Cricket and Woodpecker Recording @ Sunset | Ambient Nature Field Recording

As I was getting ready to leave the Sumter National Forest, I heard a field cricket chirping in a clear-cut area. I sneaked up as close as I could to capture this recording. I was surprised that only one cricket was chirping, but it made for a very focused and detailed field recording. I also really enjoy the woodpecker in the background and hope you do too!

This is just an excerpt from a much longer, 23 minute recording. This area was so quiet, I was able to record the chirping cricket for a long time without any noise pollution.

Field Recording #4: Ambient Wind

Acoustic Nature · Wind Sounds @ Sunset | 11 Minute Nature Field Recording

This was a beautiful recording to capture. I put my field recorder on top of a 300' hill overlooking the Chattooga River. The combination of wind sounds and the river make for a very relaxing soundscape. As the sun sets, you can hear the wind, tree limbs knocking together and some birds in the background. This 11 minute recording is a great length for meditation!

Closing Thoughts

I had an amazing time exploring the Sumter today. I was there for 7 hours and recorded 2 hours of sounds. After processing my recordings, I ended up with 1 hour and 34 minutes of pure nature sounds. That is an incredible ratio! I’m not sure when, but I will 100% be revisiting the Sumter! Thank you so much for reading and listening ☺

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