Video Gallery

It's a tradition that has stood the test of time.  Every Friday night from Memorial Day to Labor Day families gather to swing their partners do-si-do.  Laura Mueller, the SC State Parks Insider, explores the tradition of square dancing at Oconee State Park.

Join our Parks Insider Laura Mueller and Myrtle Beach State Park Interpreter, Ann Wilson, as they inventory a recently hatched loggerhead sea turtle nest at Myrtle Beach State Park.

Join Parks Insider Laura Mueller at the Charleston City Boatyard as she learns how the Adventure from Charles Towne Landing is repaired and maintained on a regular basis.

Join our Parks Insider, Laura Mueller, as she explores the monthly Music on the Mountain gatherings at the Table Rock Lodge. It's a true bluegrass jam session!

Santa visits Myrtle Beach State Park each Christmas for a really cool photo op on the beach. Check out his recent visit on Saturday, December 3, 2011. Even the four-legged children enjoyed their visit with Santa!

Join us as we watch The Pelican Plunge at Hunting Island State Park near Beaufort, SC. Each year on New Year's Day, hundreds of people plunge into the Atlantic Ocean from Hunting Island to raise money for the Discover Carolina school programs.

Take a peak inside the Annual SC Campground Cookoff held each year at Calhoun Falls State Park. The cookoff is presented by the Old 96 District Tourism Commission. Cook teams from all over convene to show off their campground culinary skills. It's an event you don't want to miss.

Rivers Bridge State Historic Site is the only state park in South Carolina that commemorates a Civil War battle, the Battle of Rivers Bridge. Guided tours are held the first Saturday of each month in 2012 at 2pm. Take a look of some of what you can expect for the tour. If you're a Civil War buff, you will love this site.

Get the girls together for a weekend of fun and fellowship at Hickory Knob State Resort Park in McCormick, SC. At the annual Girlfriend's Getaway we offer classes, massage, great food and fun. You get to leave your troubles behind and enjoy yourself for the weekend.

Join us in our SC State Park Geocache Challenge that takes you to all 47 South Carolina State Parks.  There is one geocache at each state park, special mystery caches as well as prizes for you to find and win.

Remember your state parks at tax time. You can do that by designating donations on Schedule I-330 (contributions for check-offs) form in your South Carolina individual income tax return. Remember at tax time to check off for your SC State Parks!

Every third Saturday of each month (except Jan. and Aug.) the cannons at Charles Towne Landing are fired for the public to view and hear. These are the only firable English, 17-century cannons on the East Coast. Come out to hear the boom!

The Oconee Bell or shortia galacifolia can only be found growing naturally in two places on earth. One is the Jocassee Gorges area at Devils Fork State Park. Listen as Tim Lee, park interpreter, tells you more about these rare, early blooming wildflowers, and plan your trip to hike the Oconee Bell Trail at Devils Fork.

Take the journey yourself, or canoe with a ranger down the South Edisto River from Aiken State Park.

Join us each March at Andrew Jackson State Park, as we celebrate the birthday of our 7th President of the United States. The park is the boyhood home of Andrew Jackson. The celebration includes Revolutionary War reenactors, craftspeople, storytellers and more. It's a great park to visit any day of the year!

Each year Hunting Island State Park hosts an event for ladies only to enjoy the island way of life along the SC Coast. The Women's Coastal Skills Weekend is a great time for ladies to get away, learn how to crab, throw a cast net, enjoy lowcountry food and so much more!

Each spring Sesquicentennial State Park in Columbia, SC hosts the Great American Backyard Campout where families who have never camped can come out and learn how to do so. Park Rangers provide instruction for your entire stay.  Watch this video and see how much fun these families have and how much they learn.

Landsford Canal State Park is home to the world's largest population of Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies. Every year, from May to mid-June the lilies blanket the Catawba River. Lily Fest is held each year to celebrate. Check out some of the festivities!

Beloved Camp Buckhorn has received a makeover and is ready for your next family reunion, wedding or business retreat in the Greenville area. Make an appointment to visit the newly restored building and plan your next event.

Learn about the great gift of 300 acres from the Nature Conservancy to Jones Gap State Park. Complete with waterfalls, rock outcroppings and creeks, the park service looks forward to opening up this property so you can hike and take new adventures in Jones Gap.

Each year Hunting Island State Park partners with the SC Dept. of Natural Resources and volunteers to participate in the SCORE Program -- SC Oyster Restoration and Enhancement. These recycling efforts build oyster reefs and habitat along the SC coast.

The Discover Carolina Program transforms state parks into hands-on learning environments for school children. The program gets students out of the classroom and into the natural and cultural resources of the state and provides them with interactive, educational opportunities that are fully-accredited by the SC Dept. of Education. These programs are curriculum-based and follow the state science and social studies standards. The program is available to students from kindergarten through 8th grade. For more information and participating parks, visit www.DiscoverCarolina.com.

Each year, on the first Saturday in August, Santee State Park hosts the Big Daddy Fishing Event for children. Young anglers (ages 12 and under) and their families out to the park for an all-day tournament to test out their casting and catching skills. Check out the fun during our 2012 event.

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site preserves the site of the Battle of Musgrove Mill a Revolutionary War battle fought on Aug. 19, 1780. The battle was an unlikely win for the Patriot militia who defeated the British troops despite being vastly outnumbered. Each August the park holds the anniversary celebration to honor those who fought at the site. Through living history demonstrations, reenactments and workshops visitors can see what life was like in the SC backcountry more than 200 years ago.

The Sandhills Hiking Trail at Sesqui opened in Dec. 2012. This trail was made possible by a grant from the Richland County Conservation Commission and donations from the Check off for Parks Campaign. Check off for Parks allows SC tax payers an opportunity to donate a portion of their tax return to SC State Parks each year.

Atalaya "Castle" the winter home of Archer & Anna Hyatt Huntington, located at Huntington Beach State Park, is available for rent for weddings and other special events. This one-of-a-kind destination is near the beach and will make a perfect backdrop for your special occasion. For more information on renting Atalaya please visit the park website or call 843-237-4440.

On March 1, 2013 SC State Parks kicked off the 600 Tables in 60 Days Project, an effort sponsored by Cox Industries, Inc and coordinated with the Boy Scouts of America. Orangeburg-based Cox Industries donated 600 precut picnic table kits to South Carolina State Parks and during March and April 2013 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts assembled them at the state parks.

H. Cooper Black is one of the most unique in the South Carolina State Park Service in facilities and experiences. The 7,000-acre park includes 20 miles of equestrian riding trails, stables and corrals, a campground and more. It also hosts national-level dog field trials and competitions.