The only national park in South Carolina. A 2.4-mile elevated boardwalk through the largest old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the Southeast. Fully wheelchair accessible.
One of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast. Paddle through tidal creeks and salt marshes where bald eagles, wood storks, and river otters share the water with your kayak.
Paddle through ancient cypress swamps where the water runs the color of dark tea and the silence is absolute. The blackwater creeks of Francis Marion are among the most atmospheric paddling in the Southeast.
Tidal creek paddle with dolphins. Murrells Inlet is the seafood capital of South Carolina and one of the best places in the state to paddle with bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat.
Two of the most extraordinary natural experiences in South Carolina, 45 minutes apart. Angel Oak is a 400-500 year old live oak with a canopy that covers 17,000 square feet. Botany Bay is a ghost forest boneyard beach unlike anything else on the East Coast.
Various (beach walk, lighthouse climb, nature trail)
Half day to full day
South Carolina’s most visited state park. A 5,000-acre barrier island with a working lighthouse you can climb, miles of undeveloped beach, and a maritime forest that feels genuinely wild.
7,054 acres of rolling Piedmont forest on the south side of Spartanburg. Hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians all have dedicated trails here, and the park is big enough for a full day without seeing the same stretch twice.
Mary Black Rail Trail & Cottonwood Trail, Spartanburg
Up to 5 miles
1-2 hours
Spartanburg’s urban trail network on a converted railroad corridor. Flat, paved, and welcoming to strollers, wheelchairs, bikes, and joggers. A legitimate outdoor option in the heart of the city.
56,000 acres along the SC-Georgia border. Paddle into coves that feel miles from civilization on a calm morning. The Twelve Mile Creek and Eighteen Mile Creek arms near Clemson offer sheltered water with forested shoreline.
