South Carolina is home to 47 state parks, ranging from the mountains to the sea.  In September 2020, we began a quest to become 'Ultimate Outsiders.’  Our goal is to explore all of the parks in a 12-month period; this is the record of our progress.

ROSE HILL PLANTATION STATE HISTORIC SITE - September 13, 2021

This site in Union County preserves a portion of a former cotton plantation that was active from 1811 to 1939.  It is now a place to explore the complex history of the reconstruction period.

The home of “Secession Governor” William Henry Gist and his family sits at the center of the park.  Gist served as Governor just before the Civil War, and one of his last acts was to call for a secession convention.  The signing of the Ordinance of Secession (December 20, 1860) was a defining moment in Gist’s public life, as well as a turning point in state and national history. 

By 1860, Rose Hill was one of the largest enslaved communities in Union District, with as many as 178 people enslaved on this plantation.  Most of these people labored in agriculture, some performed skilled trades and a few worked in the Gist household and kitchen.  Many of these people left the plantation when the became free in 1865, though some chose to stay on as tenant farmers.  The park service has begun uncovering some evidence of old tenant cabins. 

In the front of the planation home, there are elements of the original garden planted in the 1800s.  There are four towering magnolia trees, as well as a brick wall topped with an ornamental iron fence. These trees are nearly 200 years old; in 2017, they won the South Carolina Heritage Tree Award.

Old trees can be found elsewhere around the property, especially along the loop hiking trail through the forest between the house and the Tyger River.  “Tree cookies” from fallen trees show that some hickory trees date back to the 1790s.  Sometimes called "witness trees," these old trees have seen a lot of history …

CROFT STATE PARK -  September 13, 2021

Once a World War II training base, Croft State Park covers more than 7,000 acres of rolling, wooded terrain in Spartanburg County.  The Camp Croft Infantry Replacement Training Center was activated in January 1941 and served as the training site for 250,000 soldiers.    Camp Croft was also a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II.   

The park has over 20 miles of equestrian trails – bring your own horse and ride all day.  It also has over 20 miles of biking trails and 2.5 miles of hiking-only trails.   Over 12 miles of the Palmetto Trail traverse the park. There are two lakes for fishing and boating, two spacious campgrounds, and a shooting range.  

BATTLE OF MUSGROVE MILL STATE HISTORIC SITE - August 11, 2021

Musgrove Mill’s peaceful setting in the Piedmont woods stands in sharp contrast to the bloody Battle of Musgrove Mill that took place there on Aug.19, 1780.  The battle, in which the greatly outnumbered Patriot militia outlasted the Loyalists in a surprising victory, was a short but pivotal battle.  It was an important turning point after the American loss at Camden and led up to the American victory at Kings Mountain.

The visitor center includes exhibits that tell the story of the Musgrove Mill battle and how it fit into the big picture of South Carolina's pivotal role in the outcome of the Revolutionary War.  Two and a half miles of trails also have interpretative signage explaining how the battle here took place. 

The British Camp Trail loops through what was once the property of the Musgrove family; this land was briefly occupied by the British in the summer of 1780. The tail also passes the ruins of the Musgrove house, the location of the 18th century ford that was crucial to the British in establishing a post at the Musgrove’s, and the site of the Musgrove’s grist mill on the Enoree River. Scenic views of the Enoree River are visible from this trail.

The Battlefield Trail winds through the rolling hills of the northern wooded area of the park and site of the 1780 battlefield. This trail also passes Cedar Shoals Creek, the location of Horseshoe Falls.  Horseshoe Falls is one of South Carolina’s most intriguing landmarks, not only because of its beauty but also because of its name.  It is named in honor of James “Horseshoe” Robertson, a patriot soldier who hid in a nearby cave and spied on British troops in the area. The information he gathered helped the Patriots plan a successful attack.

KINGS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK - July 28, 2021

Built originally by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, Kings Mountain State Park offers a wide variety of activities.  It has miles of trails, equestrian facilities, campgrounds, two lakes, boat rentals, geocaching, and a Living History Farm.  It is located on 7000 acres in York and Cherokee Counties along the border between North and South Carolinas and is adjacent to the Kings Mountain National Military Park.    

 LANDSFORD CANAL STATE PARK - June 11. 2021

Stretched along the Catawba River on the South Carolina fall line, Landsford Canal State Park is home to the well-preserved remains of the canal system that made the river commercially navigable from 1820 to 1835. The park covers 448 acres in Chester and Lancaster Counties.  

The Landsford Canal was designed by Robert Mills. Construction began in 1820, using both slave labor and skilled laborers. It had five locks operating over a stretch of two miles and was part of the inland navigation system from the 'Up Country' to Charleston.  The canal opened in 1823 with the purpose of bypassing rapids along the Catawba River to allow efficient freight transport and rapid travel between nearby communities and settlements along the rural frontiers of the era.

The canal system made the river commercially navigable from 1820 to 1835, but it was not a long-lived success; today only the granite locks and the lock keeper's house survive.   The Landsford Canal is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The canal itself is historically significant, but the Lands Ford crossing of the Catawba River was an important to Native Americans in the area.  It was also used during the Revolutionary War by British and American troops and during the Civil War as some of Sherman’s troops crossed at this location.  The Canal Trail allows visitors to see some impressive old stonework.  

The Catawba River in this area is home to the largest known stand of the rocky shoals spider lily, a flower species found predominantly in the Southeast. This plant has adapted to live in a very harsh environment and puts on one of the greatest natural “shows” on the east coast. There are thousands of lilies within the park boundaries, and during their peak bloom from about mid-May to mid-June, the plants cover the river in a blanket of white.

ANDREW JACKSON STATE PARK - June 11, 2021

Andrew Jackson State Park is a 360-acre park established to honor the only SC-born president, Andrew Jackson, who was born nearby in 1767.   Hiking, boating, camping, fishing and picnicking are available.  The park combines history and art through living history programs, a museum and interactive exhibits that chronicle Jackson’s boyhood in the South Carolina backcountry.

There is an 18^th-century replica schoolhouse on site, while the park’s museum features exhibits about the life of Andrew Jackson, who grew up in this area.  Rooms depict colonial period life, including a dining room, bedroom, textile room, and early tools and farm implements.  Archaeological work has not discovered any remains of the log house in which the President lived. 

 

The church that Andrew Jackson attended is the Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church, located about five miles from the park.  With the park there is a replica of a Meeting House in the same design as those built by the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in the South Carolina Backcountry. 

One of the park’s highlights is the striking statue of the “Andrew Jackson, Boy of the Waxhaws” sculpted by Anna Hyatt Huntington.  The sculpture depicts a young Jackson astride a farm horse.  The name "Waxhaws" was originally given to an Indian tribe that lived in this area was later used to designate an area of land that is today in both North and South Carolina.  The SC counties of Chester, Lancaster, and York along the Catawba River were part of the Waxhaws.

Another highlight was a nifty dog sculpture, one of ten designed and painted by local artists and displayed throughout the county as part of “Paws on Parade,” a public art exhibit sponsored by the Lancaster County Council of the Arts.  

CHESTER STATE PARK – June 11, 2021

Since opening in the 1930s, Chester State Park has been a popular spot for hiking, camping, picnicking, boating and fishing.   Covering 500+ acres between Columbia and Charlotte, in Chester County, the park centers on a 160-acre lake surrounded by a two-mile nature trail.

This is one of 16 parks in SC built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  The lake features a unique CCC spillway in which water pours over into a trough and then pours out, creating a waterfall affect.

The REALLY unique feature of this park is that is has two disc golf courses – an 18-hole and a 9-hole tournament grade course. As far as we can tell, this is the only state park offering disc golf.

 

DEVIL'S FORK STATE PARK - June 1, 2021

Devil's Fork State Park, in Oconee County, is the only public access to the 7,500-acre Lake Jocassee.  Multiple mountain streams and waterfalls feed into the lake, making its cool, clear waters a favorite spot for trout fishermen and scuba divers.  We spent our time above the water, enjoying a 3-hour cruise with a naturalist.

The park is located at the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, a “Blue Wall” of hills that represent the sharp transition between our Carolina Mountains and Piedmont.  Here the forested slopes drop in elevation by 2,000 vertical feet in a matter of 1-2 miles. Around Lake Jocassee, a series of steep gorges carry mountain streams and rivers, cutting deep into the sloping face of the Escarpment – together these are known as the Jocassee Gorges.   

Four main rivers – Whitewater, Thompson, Toxaway and Horsepasture – come together at the Devil’s Fork to form the Keowee River, which was dammed to form Lake Jocassee. These rivers and their gorges, along with over 75 inches of rain per year, make this area unique among mountain settings in the eastern United States. Its biodiversity has drawn attention for centuries – William Bartram discovered the flame azalea here in the mid-1700s and Andre Michaux discovered the rare Oconee bells.  We saw less rare, but still lovely, rhododendron and mountain laurel.

Wildlife is also said to be abundant here, but we saw only a few butterflies, including this wounded Black Swallowtail.  

What we did see were waterfalls, large and small, named and unnamed.  They came in all shapes and sizes, all beautiful additions to a sunny spring day in the mountains.  

LAKE WARREN STATE PARK - April 17, 2021

Lake Warren State Park, in Hampton County, has a 200-acre lake and a 2-acre fishing pond that draw fishermen to try their luck.  We admired both, but spent most of our visit walking the nature trail where we saw five-foot tall cinnamon ferns and the unusual little America cancer-root plant. 

BATTLE OF RIVERS BRIDGE STATE HISTORIC SITE - April 17, 2021

The Battle of Rivers Bridge State Historic Site is located near Erhardt, SC;  it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only state historic site that preserves a Civil War battlefield.  This was the site of one of the Confederacy’s last stands against General William T. Sherman’s sweep across the south.  Near the end of the war, some 60,000 Union soldiers marched across South Carolina, destroying railroads, factories, farms, and civilian morale.  On February 2-3, Sherman’s troops clashed with Confederate soldiers along the  Salkelhatchie River; after two days of fighting through swamp and thick forest, Sherman’s men continued their march toward Columbia.

The breast works at Rivers Bridge are original, preserved and over 140 years old.  The Battlefield Trail loops around the remains of the battleground breastworks.  

We walked with two of the Confederate soldiers who fought here: Lt. James P. Roland (Arkansas Cavalry) and Pvt. Jeremiah Moore (Georgia Infantry).  From the battlefield, the historic causeway road follows the route that the Confederate troops followed in their retreat.  This road leads to the park’s museum and  cemetery.   Here we learned the fate of our two soldiers - both were killed in the battled and are buried here, along with many others who perished.

Wildlife:  Lots of larvae of the Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth.  We could almost hear them chomping ...

BARNWELL STATE PARK - April 17, 2021

Barnwell State Park, near Blackville, is one of SC’s 16 state parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression.  It is best known for its great fishing - its three small lakes host a large population of crappie, bream, bass and catfish.  There are five small cabins for rent, as well as a nice campground.

The unusual tiered spillway is one of the remnants of the CCC - today there was very little water running.  Dry weather has taken its toll.

We walked the Dogwood Interpretive Trail, a 1.5-mile loop around two of the lakes.  Many of the trees and shrubs have small identifying signs - we wish all the state parks would follow this model!  Wild azaleas were in full bloom; always a treat  to see.

Wildlife:  Yes, a couple of alligators - too far away for cell phone photography, but definitely not a log!

DREHER ISLAND STATE PARK -  March 11, 2021

Located near Prosperity, SC, in Newberry County, Dreher Island State Park spans three islands in Lake Murray.  The park covers 348 acres and provides access to 12 miles of lake shoreline.  The property was acquired in 1970 through lease from SC Electric and Gas Company.

The park was named for Billy Dreher, the man who owned the property from 1857 to 1938.  His old home site is marked by a crumbling chimney and scattered bricks.

Visitors come for recreational water activities, hiking trails, and some of the best striped and large-mouth bass fishing spots, all only 30 miles from Columbia.  It is a popular location and launching spot for major national fishing tournaments. 

The park has several trails, most of which are too short to be taken seriously.  The longest of the bunch is the Little Gap Trail, 2.1 miles of up and down through a forest of pines and hardwoods.  

We came prepared for bird-watching, but didn’t see much.  We heard lots of birds singing and woodpeckers pecking ... and turtles snoring.

HAMPTON PLANTATION STATE HISTORIC SITE – November 19, 2020

Located near McClellanville in the southern Santee Delta, Hampton Plantation State Historic Site is home to the remote, final remnants of a colonial-era rice plantation.  Built about 1735, the mansion and other structures at Hampton Plantation are architectural testaments to the labor of enslaved Africans and the wealth and social prominence of the families who lived here.  This 18th-century plantation served as a place of refuge for women and children during the Revolutionary War, and the rice fields surrounding the property hid Francis Marion when British troops arrived at Hampton Plantation in search of him.

The main house has one of the earliest known examples in the United States of a temple front in domestic architecture. It is also one of the state's finest examples of a wood-frame Georgian plantation house.  The house is quite grand, but it is dwarfed by the ancient oaks nearby.

Many of the oaks support growth of resurrection fern, a remarkable little plant that can lose about 90 percent of its water content during dry periods.  During this time, it shrivels up to a grayish brown clump of leaves. When it is exposed to water again, it will “come back to life” and look green and healthy. It is native to this area.

The courtyard to the rear of the main house was known as the kitchen yard; it was the location for the cookhouse and domestic outbuildings.  Today only the cookhouse, or kitchen, remains standing.  The plantation cookhouse was almost always in a separate building; this separation was partially due to the cooking fire generating heat all day long in an already hot and humid climate. It also reduced the risk of fire and prevented the noise and smells of cooking activities from reaching the main house.

Hampton Plantation was financed with the profits created by intensive rice production and the labor of enslaved African-Americans. No other commercial crop grown in South Carolina during this era would match the success and wealth of rice.  Large-scale planting and irrigation control were made possible by the use of rice trunks, wooden sluices installed in dikes around the rice fields. 

The 322-acre plantation was acquired as a state park in 1972 through purchase from various landowners.  It now serves as an interpretive site for the system of slavery and rice cultivation in the region from the colonial period through the end of the Civil War. The property also tells the story of the freed people who made their homes in the Santee Delta region for generations after emancipation.

The plantation grounds include the Hampton Plantation Nature Trail, a two-mile walk through pine forest, with views of Wambaw Creek and the remains of rice fields that once stretched as far as the eye could see. Hampton Plantation inspired the works of South Carolina’s first poet laureate, Archibald Rutledge—the last private owner of the house, who lived here until 1969.  The site is a National Historic Landmark. 

Hampton Plantation is located just off Old Georgetown Road, which these days is just a narrow dirt road traversing the Francis Marion National Forest.  This road was originally known as The King’s Highway – the colonial-era route between Charleston and Georgetown.  The Santee-St. James Parish Church was built in the Kings’ Highway; the parish was created in 1706 at the request of French Huguenot settlers in the area.   The church was built in 1768, and in the early years, services were conducted in French.  

 

 CALHOUN FALLS STATE PARK - November 17, 2020

Calhoun Falls State Park covers several pine-covered points jutting into Lake Russell, one of the least-developed large reservoirs in South Carolina.  The park property was acquired in 1982 through lease from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  It is named after the nearby town of Calhoun Falls, which was named after the Calhoun family, one of the first to settle here in the 1700s. 

The 318-acre park provides access to 26,650 acres of a Savannah River lake for boating and fishing and offers camping, picnicking, a tennis court, playground, swimming and hiking.  There were several houseboats docked near the Visitor Center – wouldn’t that be a good place to ride out the pandemic!

Views of the lake and surrounding forest are a highlight of the scenic campground here.  It is said to be one of the most coveted sites in the park system.

The Cedar Bluff Nature Trail wanders through a mixed pine and hardwood forest bordering the shore of lake Russell.  The 1.75-mile long trail goes up, over and around rolling hills and provides some glimpses of the lake along the way. 

 

  LAKE GREENWOOD STATE PARK - November 17, 2020

Lake Greenwood State Park was built by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) on 914 acres of land donated by Greenwood County in 1938.  Many of the original structures remain standing as examples of classic CCC architecture. 

Near the park entrance is a field of stones that were intended for a wall around the park; that project was abandoned when the CCC men were deployed to fight after the U.S. entered World War II. The history and contributions of the Civilian Conservation Corps to all South Carolina State Parks are commemorated in an interactive exhibit at the CCC Museum in the Drummond Center.

The park’s claim to fame is access to Lake Greenwood. This 11,400-acre reservoir lake provides boating and fishing opportunities year-round.  The park also has a campground, picnic facilities, a playground, and a nature trail.

The Lake Greenwood Scenic Shoreline Trail is a 4.3-mile series of loops that pass through pine and hardwood forest, with long stretches along the lake. Ducks and other water birds were visible along the shore.  This is a well-marked, well-maintained trail – one of the best we’ve seen so far. 

LAKE WATEREE STATE PARK - November 4, 2020

Lake Wateree State Park occupies 238 acres on Desportes Island, in Fairfield County SC, just north of the town of Ridgeway.  The 13,800-acre Lake Wateree is the focal point of the park, which draws boaters and fishermen; there are boat ramps, a tackle shop, even a refueling dock.  Numerous fishing tournaments are hosted here every year. 

Owned and managed by Duke Energy, Lake Wateree was created in 1919 when the Wateree River was dammed.  It is one of the state’s oldest man-made lakes; its 181 miles of shoreline and includes the state park, a bird refuge, and the Shaw Air Force Base Recreation center.  Its name, like that of the river, recalls the Wateree Native Americans, who lived in the area prior to European settlement.  The site was acquired by the state in 1982.

Off the water, the park has two campgrounds, a picnic area, and a nature trail.  The Desportes Trail is 2.5 miles in length; it’s a nice wide trail, well-maintained, with occasional views of the lake. 

GOODALE STATE PARK - November 4, 2020

Goodale State Park is a relatively small park, 763 acres near Camden SC, in Kershaw County.  The land for this park was donated to the state in 1973. The park is named after a local florist, N.R. Goodale, who helped motivate the creation of the park.

The centerpiece of this park is a 140-acre Adams Grist Mill Lake, a Civil War era mill pond.  The park’s best-kept secret is a paddling trail that winds for three miles up Pine Tree Creek through the cypress and other aquatic plants.  Canoes and kayaks can be rented – happily, no motorized boats are allowed on the lake.

Goodale is for day-use only; there is no campground here.  There is a playground, picnic areas, and a couple of two-mile trails.   The Nature Trail loops through the woods near the Ranger Station; we chose the Lake Trail, which crosses the spillway and circles about halfway around the lake.  It is a lovely walk, with great views of the park’s iconic bald cypress trees.

 

 

LEE STATE PARK - November 4, 2020

Lee State Park, constructed in 1935, is one of 16 parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in South Carolina.  Its 2,839 acres cover diverse habitats along the Lynches River, a state-designated Scenic River.  This location is also important in state history:  This is the site of the last fatal duel fought in SC, in which Col. E.B. C. Cash killed Col. Wm. M. Shannon of Camden on July 5, 1880. This tragedy influenced the state legislature to enact a law in December 1880, making dueling a crime and requiring public officers to swear that they had not been in a duel.

The park entrance gate was built by the CCC, using local iron sandstone.  The park has a campground, picnic areas, swimming, boat access to Lynches River, equestrian facilities, and artesian wells.  Canoeing and kayaking down the Lynches River offer views of the park’s hardwood floodplain forest.   There are trails designed for nature study, hiking and horseback riding. 

The Floodplain Trail is a one-mile loop trial that passes three ponds and two artesian springs that feed the ponds.  At ground level, these ponds look like natural features, but they were excavated by the CCC in the 1930s to raise fish to stock Lynches River.  The ponds were carefully planned and constructed – they are gravity fed, as each is just a couple inches lower than the next.  Water comes in from the artesian wells at the high end; the ponds are connected through pipes and culverts.

Artesian wells tap into confined aquifers – a type of underground reservoir that lets rainwater in from the top, but doesn’t let it out.    CCC workers drilled about 100 feet deep for these wells – cold, fresh water has been pouring out ever since.

The Wetland Boardwalk stretches about a quarter-mile into the wetlands between the Ranger Station and the Lynches River.  Bottomland hardwood forest wetlands make up the majority of the park’s acreage, with over 700 acres are enrolled in the USDA NRCS’s Wetland Reserve Program. This is an agreement with the Federal Government that these wetlands will remain wetlands for perpetuity.

One of the most striking features of this area is that most of the trees are topless.  Although Lee State Park is 100 miles from where Hurricane Hugo struck SC in 1989, this bottomland forest was hit hard by the storm.  Winds, clocked at over 100 mph, toppled trees all over, but in this southern section of the park, fierce gusts snapped the tops out of most of the trees in a 500-acre area.  Fighting to recover, some trees have grown many extra branches; other crownless trees died and now welcome six kinds of woodpeckers found in the park.  Amazing.

The Lee Loop Road was built by the CCC; it is about 5 miles long and winds through the park’s uplands and lowlands.  The Lynches River floodplain is a hardwood wetland that is covered with water when the river foods.  During Hurricane Florence in 2018, the river was nine feet above flood stage.   The Loop Road parallels the Lynches River for several miles, designed by the CCC for scenic beauty and to give more access to the river for fishing and other recreation. 

Mulberry Island is only a true island when the river floods the surrounding floodplain, and it was once the location of three fisherman cabins.  They were made of untreated wood and termites damaged them so that they had to be torn down in the 1960s.  Remnants of the cabin area include the famous bird house outhouse (on stilts), an artesian well, and campfire grills.  The outhouse was elevated because sometime the river floods even Mulberry Island.  The artesian well here is one of seven drilled by the CCC; they are a combination of man-made and natural features.

Another fisherman’s cabin is found in the youth group camping area – it is the fourth and last cabin to be built and the only one still standing.  It was designed to be spartan – no plumbing inside, only a small table and chairs and a bunkbed.  Visitors used the artesian well for drinking water, an outhouse as the restroom and campfire grills for cooking.   Primitive, yes – but oh so peaceful.

Near the five-mile mark, the Loop Road comes up and out of the floodplain and into the riverine sandhills.  About 6-7,000 years ago, a very long and intense drought caused the Lynches River to dry up.  Sand from the dry riverbed blew up and out to create sandhills that are hotter in summer and cooler in winter than the surrounding habitats.  Common plants here include reindeer lichen, old man’s beard lichen and prickly pear cactus.  

HICKORY KNOB STATE RESORT PARK - October 27, 2020

Hickory Knob State Resort Park is located on 71,100-acre Lake Thurmond, a reservoir lake on the Savannah River.  The lake is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is a popular spot for fishing, boating and water sports.  The park is located on land leased (since 1969) from the Corps of Engineers; it opened to the public in 1973.

This is not your average state park.  Hickory Knob operates an 18-hole championship golf course, full-service restaurant, skeet shooting, tennis courts, boat ramp, archery range, meeting facilities and a lodge with 70+ rooms. For traditionalists, there are cabins and a campground, as well as several hiking/biking trails.

We walked about a mile on the Beaver Run Trail, which starts near the visitor center.  No beavers, running or otherwise.  The trail passes through a gently rolling terrain of pine and oaks trees, though many pines have been lost to pine bark beetle infestation.   

One of the highlights of this trail is the historic Guillebeau House, built at New Bordeaux by Andre Giullebeau (1739 – 1814).  It is a double-pen log house with one exterior chimney and two front entrances and a full-width, shed-roof porch.  Guillebeau was a French Huguenot settler who served in the American militia during the Revolutionary War.  The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it was moved to Hickory Knob State Park in 1983 and restored for use as lodging by park visitors.

Note for history buffs:  The SC Bounty Act of 1761 provided cash money to anyone who brought settlers to the "upcountry" area of South Carolina.  Hoping to serve as a deterrent against Indian attacks on the colony, three new townships were authorized.  New Bordeaux was located on Long Cane Creek, about half-mile from the Savannah River and was settled by 212 French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France.

These immigrants produced wine and silk and constructed many homes and a community well.  Between 1764 and 1772, about 475 Huguenots called this area home.  They established the Huguenot Church at New Bordeaux, the last to be organized in South Carolina before the American Revolution. All that remains today is a stone monument marking the site of the log church.  

 

BAKER CREEK STATE PARK - October 27, 2020

Baker Creek State Park occupies 1305 acres in rural McCormick County.  The land was leased from US Army Corps of Engineers in 1967 and opened to the public the following year.  The park is operated as a seasonal park, and is open March 1 through October 31 each year.

Baker Creek is located on 71,000-acre Lake Thurmond and caters mostly to those looking for fun on the water or a wild ride on mountain bike trails.  There are lakeside camping sites, easy lake access for boaters and fishermen, and 10 miles of rolling, loop trails that take bikers through oak and pine woodlands. 

We found a quiet spot for lunch – a nice view and a great blue heron for company.   Actually, everywhere was a quiet spot – we saw a couple of people near the visitor center, but none out and about in the park.

For those without boat or bike, there are two hiking trails where one can walk without fear of being run over.  We walked the one-mile-plus Wild Mint Trail - at least that’s what the website said; we found no mint, only randomly placed signs saying “Nature Trails.” It would be better named the “Poorly Marked, Twist and Turn, Up and Down” Trail; it was very easy to get off the trail and challenging to find trail blazes to get back on again.  When we weren’t trying to get lost, it was a pleasant walk in the woods, particularly in the area overlooking the lake.

 

HAMILTON BRANCH STATE PARK - October 27, 2020

Hamilton Branch State Park occupies 731 rolling acres in rural McCormick County.  It was opened in 1972, on land leased from the US Army Corp of Engineers.  The park is located on a peninsula on the 71,000-acre Lake Thurmond; the nearest town is Plum Branch SC.

The park is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts looking to spend time on the water.  There are 200 camping sites, all but two are lakefront – sites are large and well-spaced – impressive.  There are boat ramps for those in search of fish in deeper waters.  Off the water, Hamilton Branch provides group picnic shelters, a playground, a hiking trail and a short bike trail that serves as a connector to the 12-mile Stevens Creek Bike Trail.

We walked the 1.5-mile Paleo Trail - no idea why this name.  We suggest it should be the “Rocks and Roots” Trail or perhaps the “Pine Bark Beetle” Trail.  It should be a pretty easy walk, with gentle ups and downs, but … it could use some maintenance.  We lost count of how many dead pine trees we climbed over and crawled under, and the rocks and roots demand that you watch where you put your feet.  And - no views of the lake - not our favorite trail. 

SANTEE STATE PARK - October 20, 2020

Santee State Park is sprawled along the south shore of Lake Marion, one of the two Santee-Cooper lakes (along with Lake Moultrie) that were created when more than 100,000 acres were flooded for electric power.  The 2500-acre park, which is located in Orangeburg County, was opened in 1949 and quickly became a favorite of boaters, bird-watchers, swamp-lovers and fishermen. The lake is well known for its flooded forest of cypress trees and its abundant population of catfish. The park has over 10 miles of hiking trails; we walked two of them - the Limestone Trail and the Sinkhole Trail. 

The Limestone Trail passes through a heavily wooded area in hilly terrain by the lake - it is a scenic, twisting trail that feels like it could be in the mountains.  Not many wildflowers, but some interesting plant life (including some nice buckeye and pawpaw trees.  The trail is an easy one-mile loop that crosses a deep cove of the lake, where we spotted a few birds and turtles. 

The Sinkhole Pond Trail is another easy one-mile loop, passing through a varied habituate, from pine forest, to swamp, to a sandy, usually dry area.  The highlight of this trail is the opportunity to see several sinkholes, some seemingly bottomless and some filled with water. 

A sinkhole is a hole in the ground caused by collapse of the surface layer.  Sinkholes are common in this area because the rock below the surface soil is limestone, which can naturally be dissolved by groundwater circulating through it.  As the rock dissolves, caverns develop underground. If there is not enough support for the land above the space, then it collapses, sometimes dramatically.  The sinkhole has no natural external surface drainage -- when it rains, the water stays inside the sinkhole and typically drains into the subsurface. Sinkholes can vary from a few feet to hundreds of acres and from less than 1 to more than 100 feet deep. Some are shaped like shallow bowls or saucers whereas others have vertical walls; some hold water and form natural ponds.

Wildlife:  Anhinga, Great Egret, Turtles

POINSETT STATE PARK - October 20, 2020

Santee State Park is located in the High Hills of Santee, where the sandhills of the midlands meet the coastal plain. Called the "mountains of the midlands," this mixed ecosystem contains a high degree of biodiversity thanks to the presence of four different habitat types within the park boundaries.  There is Upland Forest (oaks, hickories, mountain laurel), Pine Woodland (pines, hollies, wax myrtle), Sandhills Pine Woodland (longleaf and loblolly pine), and Blackwater River System/Bottomland Forest (gum, bald cypress, tupelo and red maple).

The 1000-acre park features over twenty-five miles of trails for mountain biking, hiking and running.  We walked most of the Coquina Trail, but got sidetracked onto Knob Trail and even the Palmetto Trail for a while.  The park’s extensive network of trails can be a bit intimidating.  

Land for Poinsett State Park was donated by Sumter County in 1934.  The park then was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a New Deal Program created by President Franklin D Roosevelt.    The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Poinsett is important to South Carolina's history because it is a visible piece of the architectural contribution made by the CCC through the deployment of rustic techniques, local materials, and manual labor.  

The old bathhouse is a good example of the work of the CCC; it was built using a local stone, coquina, which matches in color texture the surrounding sandy landscape of many parts of the park.  Coquina was mined and shaped locally, and was utilized in the construction of many of the buildings, structures, and objects throughout the park.

The Overlook Shelter is another of the structures built by the CCC.  It sits on one of the highest points in the park and provides a view into the flat coastal plain beyond the park.

Poinsett’s 10-acre lake makes for a serene setting, and can be used for fishing and paddling. The park also offers rustic cabins, campsites, a fishing pond, and the ruins of a pre-revolutionary grist mill.

Wildllife:  none seen. 

And one more thing ... Poinsett State Park was named after Joel Poinsett, a SC statesman, diplomat, author, and naturalist.  Poinsett was born in Charleston and educated in medicine, military science and the law.  He was the U.S. Minister to Mexico, from where he introduced to this country a red-leafed Euphorbia plant that was later named Poinsettia in his honor.  Poinsett died in 1851 and was buried at the historic Church of the Holy Cross in Stateburg.  

AIKEN STATE PARK - September 30, 2020

Aiken State Park is located in the southwestern part of the state, sitting along 2 miles of the Edisto River – North America’s longest free-flowing blackwater river.  The park’s 1000 acres offer camping, canoeing, hiking and fishing.  The three-mile long loop hiking trail is known as the Jungle Trail; it passes through a river swamp, a bottomland hardwood forest and a dry sandhill forest – a very diverse habitat.      

The land for Aiken State Park was purchased in 1934 from various owners.  The park was one of 16 developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s and 1940s.  Aiken was built by segregated teams from the CCC: White workers cleared roads and handled other preliminary work and Black CCC workers built picnic shelters and other essential structures.

The park protects four spring-fed lakes.  One of these is Fish Lake, a four-acre lake fed by artesian wells.  The picnic shelter constructed here has simple lines and is made of natural materials; it is a classic CCC building, typical of shelters seen in state and national parks across the country. 

Artesian wells are naturally-occurring underground water sources that are under sufficient pressure to maintain a constant flow of water.  In addition to lakes, artesian water gushes up through fountains located throughout the park. 

Access to the Edisto River is one of the main attractions of Aiken State Park.  It’s a good spot for bird-watching and/or canoeing.  Canoes can be rented at the upper end of the park’s 1.7-mile canoe trail; it’s an easy paddle to the take-out spot on the other side of the park. 

Wildlife:  One White-Tail Deer who declined to pose for photos. 

REDCLIFFE PLANTATION STATE HISTORIC SITE - September 30, 2020

Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site includes 400 acres of land surrounding a magnificent plantation home; it is located near the town of Beech Island, near the Savannah River.  The mansion, completed in 1859, was once the home of James Henry Hammond, three generations of his descendants, and numerous African-American families that worked at the site as slaves and later as sharecroppers, tenant farmers and paid employees.  Today the site symbolizes the ambition, wealth and power of Hammond as a successful cotton planter, governor, congressman and senator, a man who spent his life defending the southern planation system and his status within it. 

This property, purchased in 1855, was one of four plantations owned by Hammond. His goals for the 400-acre Redcliffe Plantation were specific:  it would be a country estate rather than a working plantation; it would be an architectural and horticultural showplace, as well as the center of domestic life for the Hammond family.  The final Hammond family owner of Redcliffe was John Shaw Billings, James Henry’s great-grandson, who restored the house and ground.  In 1973, he donated the home, slave quarters, stables, grounds, family records, and artifacts to the SC State Park Service. 

The entrance to the plantation was a grand Magnolia Allee - a double row of magnolia trees leading from the road to the mansion.  This entrance is now for walking only as vehicular traffic was compacting the soil and damaging the trees.  For trees planted in 1860 (by slaves), they look pretty darn good.

The family mansion is a Greek Revival plantation house that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Today is virtually a museum, filled with family heirlooms.  The house originally featured double-decked porches, but these were damaged and replaced in the late 1800s with a one-story, 12-foot wide L-shaped porch that extends along the south and east sides of the house. Nice place to sit and rock.

The landscape around the house is greatly changed from how it would have appeared in 1859.  Gone are numerous outbuildings – kitchen, wash house, wine cellar, dovecote, and additional slave quarters. Also gone are rows of grape vines and orchards of nut and fruit trees. 

Two of the original slave quarters, built in 1857, are still standing.  One was converted into garage in the early 1900s; the other is well-preserved, stark in comparison to the mansion nearby.   There were 50 slaves at Redcliffe in 1860; Hammond owned at least 330 slaves including those on his other plantations.  Among the Redcliffe slaves were Anthony Henley, his wife Lucy, and their five children; the Henley family lived and worked here for four generations – first as slaves and later as sharecroppers and paid employees. 

The other building near the mansion is a stable, built in the early 1900s to house the family’s riding horses. 

Encouraged by the park ranger to see more of the land, we headed off to find the park’s one trail, a two-mile trek through mixed deciduous forest, stretches of long-leaf pine, and a small pond.  Nothing spectacular, but it was a good day for a walk in the woods.  Only problem was that it is not really a loop trail – we had to walk another mile to get back to the parking lot.  Not often that we get 10,000 steps before lunch …

Wildlife: several Gray Squirrels and one charming Gulf Fritillary butterfly.

 

SESQUICENTENNIAL STATE PARK - September 24, 2020

Sesquicentennial State Park, known locally as "Sesqui," was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  It was one of the first state parks in South Carolina, established in 1937 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Columbia. 

The park covers 1400 acres in the Sandhills Region of the state - lots of pine trees! There are plenty of trails for hiking, walking and mountain-biking, but the park’s centerpiece is the 30-acre Lake Centennial.  Back in the day this lake was THE place for Columbia kids to go swimming; today they’ve added canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and a splash pad.  

We walked the Jackson Creek Nature Trail, an easy stroll starting in the bottomland forest below the spillway, winding through open pine forest and ending by the bridge at the end of the lake.  

At that point, we picked up the Sandhills Hiking Trail - two miles around the lake.  This trail was once paved to make it stroller-friendly; lots of erosion now - it would be a rough ride in a stroller, but it's an easy walk.

Wildlife - Mallards, Cricket Frog and a hungry Great Blue Heron:

COLONIAL DORCHESTER STATE HISTORIC SITE - September 21, 2020

Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site protects archeological remains of the colonial trading town of Dorchester.  The site was purchased in bits and pieces from Westvaco; the first parcel was acquired in 1960, the last in 1982.  The site covers 325 acres on the Ashley River; the nearest town is Summerville. 

In 1697, a group of Congregationalists sailed from Massachusetts to settle in Carolina.  They acquired 4,050 acres of land along the north side of the Ashley River to begin their new settlement.  They named it Dorchester after the town in Massachusetts they had left behind.  Fifty acres of land was divided to create a New England-style township with 116 town lots, a market area, and a Free School.

Archeological work is ongoing.  Numerous 18^th-century artifacts, brick floors and foundations have been found.  Home sites often included living quarters and a separate cookhouse. 

The colonists also built a meeting house at the center of the original land grant – the ruins of the Old White Meeting House can be found about two miles west of this site. In colonial times, this would have been visible from the town.  Townspeople were free to worship here, but they were not able to escape the fact that Carolina was a British Colony.  Accordingly, the Church of England built St. George’s Anglican Church in 1719.  All that remains today is the Bell Tower, which was added in 1751.

Old graves and broken tombstones mark the location of the church cemetery.  Graves of the Hutchison family are enclosed in a brick wall; one of these is Cornelius DuPont, a distant cousin!    

A large wharf or shipping dock on the riverfront could accommodate sailing ships that transported plantation goods 15 miles downstream to Charleston and brought in products needed by the settlers.  At low tide, remnants of the wharf are visible - today the water is high after several days of rain.

Fort Dorchester stands on a hill, high above a big bend in the Ashley River, overlooking the wharf and long stretches of the river.  The town’s fear of an impending French invasion prompted the construction in 1757 of a powder magazine enclosed by a wall.   The fort’s design was a simplified version of a classic European fortification.  The walls formed a rectangle around the powder magazine, with sections called half-bastions projecting from each corner.    From these strong points, soldiers could direct their fire down the length of the adjoining walls. 

The walls of the fort were constructed from tabby, concrete made from oyster shells.  To make tabby, oyster shells were burned to produce lime, which was combined with sand, water and more shells.  This mixture was then scooped into wooden forms, or ‘tabby boxes.’  When the tabby hardened, the forms were removed and the tabby blocks were layered until the walls reached the desired height.  

The French invasion never materialized, but Fort Dorchester’s location made it a strategic site in the American Revolution.  In preparation for war, the little town of Dorchester was transformed into a military depot and American troops assembled in town.  In 1775, the magazine was fortified and the fort was commanded by Captain Francis Marion.   

The town declined after the Revolution, as many structures had been destroyed by the British and many of the residents wanted to seek more acreage for planting.  By 1788, Dorchester was abandoned.

Wildlife: Carolina anole, red-shouldered hawk.

GIVHANS FERRY STATE PARK - September 21, 2020

Givhans Ferry State Park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and donated to the state in 1934.  The park was named after Philip Givhan, the area ferry master in the late 1700s.

The park covers 988 acres on the Edisto River; the nearest town is Ridgeville.  Givhans Ferry is 23 miles downstream from Colleton State Park; it is the end point of the Edisto River Canoe and Kayak Trail (total length 60+ miles). 

We walked the River Bluff Trail, a 1.5 mile loop.  The trail starts out along a steep bluff overlooking the river, but we were disappointed that most of the “scenic views” of the river were just sneak peaks between the trees.  Still a nice walk in the woods!

Wildlife - none seen.

COLLETON STATE PARK - September 21, 2020

Colleton State Park was built by the Works Progress Administration and donated to the state in 1944.  The park is in Colleton County, which was named after Sir John Colleton, one of the eight Lords Proprietor of the Province of Carolina. 

The park is located on the Edisto River; the nearest town is Walterboro.  It is a small park, only 35 acres - it’s main attraction is easy access to the the Edisto River, the longest, free-flowing black river in North America. 

We walked the park’s only trail, the Cypress Swamp Nature Trail.  It’s an easy, well-marked, loop trail, starting in hardwood forest and leading through a cypress swamp that borders the river.  There’s also a short spur trail (actually a boardwalk) to the canoe dock.  Total length about 1 mile.

Wildlife was in hiding, except for a beautiful pair of southern bald eagles circling high above the water.  We got a good look through the binoculars, but no photos.