SC State Parks’ Beginnings

Got a love for history and the great outdoors? Then you’ll love it at our South Carolina State Parks. With 47 properties all across the Palmetto State – from the mountains to the sea – there are plenty of reasons to come out and play or just take a hike through South Carolina history.

Civilian Conservation Corp creates SC natural treasures
Thanks to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a remarkable legacy of natural resource treasures is part of South Carolina’s landscape. This hardworking group of men helped develop 16 South Carolina state parks. Plan to stay in a cabin built by the CCC during the Great Depression at parks like Oconee, Edisto Beach and Poinsett. Reserve your space for the lodge, a carefully restored CCC-era facility at Table Rock State Park with a breathtaking view of Table Rock Mountain.

Another CCC park, Cheraw was the first state park in the system. In 1934, over 700 acres of land was purchased for this park. Here you can go boating, canoeing kayaking or fishing in Lake Juniper. While Cheraw was the first park that land was granted for, Myrtle Beach holds bragging rights as the first to open to the public in 1935 and it’s a great place to take splash in the summer.

Experience the unprecedented beauty of other state parks the CCC developed: Aiken, Barnwell, Chester, Colleton, Givhans Ferry, Hunting Island, Lake Greenwood, Lee, Paris Mountain and Sesquicentennial.

Colonial Sites
South Carolina’s state parks span every period in the state’s history, including
the beginning and the Revolutionary and Civil war eras. Charles Towne Landing, the site where English settlers landed in 1670 would also become the birthplace of the Carolina colony.  The recently renovated park has an interactive museum, a self-guided history trail, a natural habitat zoo and an authentic experimental crop garden.

Civil War Battlefields
Rivers Bridge is the only state historic site in South Carolina that preserves a Civil War battlefield. Here you will find the more than 140-year-old earthen fortifications. Rivers Bridge was one of the Confederacy’s last stands against General William T. Sherman’s sweep across the South. You can see the affects of World War II on state park development at Lake Greenwood State Recreational Area where construction came to a halt when the U.S. entered the conflict. Blocks of stone from an unfinished project remain at the park.

Because of World War II, park development came to an end.  Following the war, improvements were made to facilities and new features were added.

Historic Plantation Homes
Historic plantation homes at Rose Hill, Hampton and Redcliffe offer a look at South Carolina's antebellum past. Visitors can learn about plantation life, walk the elegant grounds, tour the plantation homes, admire the gardens and explore other original plantation buildings. Redcliffe and Colonial Dorchester created a new trend in 1960, focusing more on preservation and interpretation versus recreation.

Celebrating 75 Years of SC State Parks
South Carolina’s state parks have been around for nearly 75 years and we’re celebrating. Come out to our parks and celebrate with us as you learn more about their history while having loads of fun. With over 80,000 acres of protected land, 233 cabins and lodging facilities, and more than 3,000 campsites, we have plenty of room for you. Ready to visit one of our state parks? Make your reservations today!