Landsford Canal

PARK ADVISORY

Beginning Monday, August 4, the Nature Trail will be closed due to bridge reconstruction. The Canal Trail will still be open and operational, but please note that the beginning of the Canal Trail has been rerouted until further notice. The viewing platform is still accessible via the Canal Trail. The Canal Trail is not ADA accessible, nor as wide as the Nature Trail. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience while we work on reconstructing the ADA bridge at the Nature Trail trailhead.

Questions? Contact the park at 803-789-5800.

The park does not rent kayaks or canoes. Visitors are welcome to bring their own kayaks or canoes, or reserve guided tours through Aquatic Adventures or North Carolina Outdoor Adventures.

HOURS

Daylight until dark, daily.

OFFICE

11 a.m. - noon, daily

ADMISSION

$6/adult 16 years and older; $3.75/S.C. senior; $3.50/child ages 6-15; ages 5 & under free.

PETS

Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas provided they are kept under physical restraint or on a leash not longer than six feet. Owners will be asked to remove noisy or dangerous pets or pets that threaten or harass wildlife.

No Wifi Available

GET SOME GEAR!

Landsford Canal State Park

Midlands

Nate Johnson

Park Manager

Hello! I’m Nate Johnson, manager of Landsford Canal State Park. Funny enough, I was not sure I wanted to be a park ranger until I started the job. But in those first moments where I performed basic parts of the job, I knew instantly I was where I belonged. It was interacting with visitors—conversing, sharing thoughts and ideas, asking and answering questions—that most attracted me to being a ranger. That is still the case today.

To me, one of the most special places in the park is the Davie Mill site. It is a remote spot about a mile down the trail. You can walk on the canal’s earthen floor, passing between two immense stone walls and getting the same view as boat pilots and crews did 200 years ago.

As a first-time visitor to Landsford Canal, I encourage you to sit or stand for a while on the riverbank. Watch and listen as the Catawba River flows by. These are the ancestral lands of the Ye Iswą (or Catawba) people, who have lived in this area for at least 6,000 years.

**Our Ultimate Outsider stamp is located at the park kiosk near the stone restroom building.

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 Catawba River is home to the largest known stand of the rocky shoals spider lily, a flower species found predominantly in the Southeast. Peak bloom season for the rocky shoals spider lily is during May and June.

Favorite activities in this Piedmont park include picnicking, nature watching and studying the canal structures. Fishing is permitted along the Catawba River, and a paddling trail runs through the park for canoes and kayaks.

Want more paddling? Check out the Edisto River Canoe and Kayak Trail at Colleton State Park.

BY THE NUMBERS

1000s of rocky shoals spider lilies that bloom from mid-May to mid-June in the Catawba River

1.5 mile Canal Trail where visitors can view the historic canal remains and rocky shoals spider lilies

1 picnic shelter near the Catawba River that is available for picnics and group gatherings

1 rustic, 1790 log cabin- home to the park store where you can buy unique Landsford Canal items

448 acres for you to explore filled with nature and history

6 months of eagle nesting season with the chance to see a bald eagle near their nest December- May

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