South Carolina Outdoor Adventures
There are a lot of opportunities for South Carolina outdoor adventure. The state packs a lot of habitat into a small area. Here’s where to focus your environmental attention for maximum benefit.
Lowcountry
- Kayak the inlet at Hunting Island State Park, where portions of Forrest Gump were filmed, then enjoy the scenic beach, concluding with a view from the top of the lighthouse.
- Canoe in the ACE Basin, touring the Edisto River—the longest blackwater river in the world—on a guided trip. Head to Charleston and visit the South Carolina Aquarium to learn more about the entire state’s vibrant water-oriented ecosystem.
- North of Charleston, find the Sewee Visitor Center at the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and see their family of rare red wolves. Then stop by Hobcaw Barony and take a guided kayak tour of the excellently preserved marsh.
Midlands
- Visit the well-preserved Carolina Bay at the Woods Bay State Natural Area near Florence, right off I-95. Just outside the state’s capital, Columbia, is the stunning Congaree National Park and its old-growth cypress swamp.
- Enjoy some white-water rafting on the Broad and Saluda Rivers, which run through Columbia. Spend an afternoon at Columbia’s nationally renowned Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.
Upstate
- Head to the Upstate and choose between camping or a cabin at Devil’s Fork State Park, which provides the only public access to beautiful Lake Jocassee at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Hike at Table Rock State Park in the Mountain Bridge Natural Wilderness Area or on the Foothills Trail along the Blue Ridge Escarpment.
- Take the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway over to the wild and scenic Chattooga River for an equally wild and scenic day of white-water rafting.
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