South Carolina State Parks

Want to get an up close look at our resident reptiles?

Shorter days and cooler temperatures set the stage for the annual changes from summers green to the brilliant colors.

Join us on a special behind the scenes tour around May Forest State Park.

Seashell Wind Chimes

Want to spend the night in the Atalaya castle? Well, here is your chance! Join us for a night of fun-filled adventure! Activities include s’mores & ghost stories by the campfire, a house tour, a scavenger hunt, a nighttime beach walk, morning wildlife walk and much more. Dinner and continental breakfast are included.

An indoor program about Civil War combat engineers with several fun hands on activities

Clothing is always expensive but in the past it was even pricier. Clothing had to be handmade & many people only had 1-3 sets of clothes and you couldn’t just buy new clothes at any time. So, how did soldiers on the march maintain their uniforms? Basic sewing, patching, darning, and more! Learn how sewing was an integral part of daily life for both soldiers and families while trying it yourself with these hands-on activities!

Join a ranger for a fun-filled evening exploring the fascinating world of bats!

Save money by learning how to repair (Darn) your own socks.

Join a ranger on a guided paddle around Lake Oolenoy, a 67-acre lake. All equipment is provided!

Join us on a special behind the scenes tour around May Forest State Park.

Join the Park Ranger at Lee State Park and learn how to make a basket out of longleaf pine needles.

Come out to join us on Veteran's Day for a special seated Battlefield Talk on the Battle of Musgrove Mill.

Want to learn more about what inhabits our coastal waters?

Discover local flora and fauna on a guided walk and master plant ID- ideal for Padawans and nature lovers alike!

Repurposing things like aluminum cans can be fun! During this hands-on art program, you'll utilize various templates.

Want to get into fishing but don’t know how? We've got you covered!

Learn more about natures flyers while we explore the park grounds.

How many artesian wells are there at Lee State Park?

Join our Interpretive Ranger on a guided walk through history. Explore the impacts the Civilian Conservation Corps has made on South Carolina and check out several of our structures built by enrollees.

Join us on a special behind the scenes tour around May Forest State Park.

Learn how to make a sweetgrass basket!

Join us on a special behind the scenes tour around May Forest State Park.

Seashell Wind Chimes

Have you ever seen a beaver dam up close? Ever got to sit on it and really look at it, feel it, maybe ever smell it?

Join us at Croft State Park to hike along a portion of the Southside Loop.

Step back in time to the South Carolina frontier of the 1790s!

Come join the ELC staff as we teach you how to create your own tie-dye shirt!

Come and join us on the 245thAnniversary of the Battle of Blackstocks for a special Ranger Guided Battlefield Hike!

This program introduces young learners to the history and nature at Colonial Dorchester.

Repurposing things like aluminum cans can be fun! During this hands-on art program, you'll utilize various templates.

Want to get an up close look at our resident reptiles?

Discover the beauty of Hunting Island after the sun goes down with this special after-hours hike!

Want to get into fishing but don’t know how? We've got you covered!

Join us on a special behind the scenes tour around May Forest State Park.

Enjoy birding around the park!

Join us at the Nature Center to make a fun seasonal craft!

Build a campfire like a civil war soldier!

Set up a replica Civil War tent!

A short presentation about pets and other animals service during the Civil War

Seashell Wind Chimes

Learn more about natures flyers while we explore the park grounds.

Want to get an up close look at our resident reptiles?

Discover local flora and fauna on a guided walk and master plant ID- ideal for Padawans and nature lovers alike!

Join us at the Nature Center to make a fun seasonal craft!

Repurposing things like aluminum cans can be fun! During this hands-on art program, you'll utilize various templates.

A unique experience of viewing the Blackstock Battlefield by lantern light!

This hike will reveal much more about Aiken State Park's local heritage and its significance.

Seashell Wind Chimes

A unique experience of viewing the Blackstock Battlefield by lantern light!

Join us on a special behind the scenes tour around May Forest State Park.

Join us on a special behind the scenes tour around May Forest State Park.

This program introduces young learners to the history and nature at Colonial Dorchester.

Discover the beauty of Hunting Island after the sun goes down with this special after-hours hike!

It's a Civil War Cooking class for all ages! Using just 3 simple ingredients we will make hardtack, the main staple of most soldiers diets. While it bakes, we will head outside to make tea and/or coffee over a fire just like soldiers did during the war and try out one of the tricks soldiers used to make their hardtack more edible!

Travel back in time to a 1800s Christmas at Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site. Join us as we welcome in the holidays. Experience a self-guided tour of the Gist Mansion. Learn about the ways the Gist family, enslaved people, and sharecroppers celebrated and at times feared this time of the year. Visitors can enjoy refreshments and sweets in the historic kitchen house. Decorate your own holiday crafts and play historic games! On Sunday, Vintage Santa will be present for visitors to interact with and take pictures! Admission into the park on the days of the program is $10 per person (this includes children). Please be prepared to pay admission at the gate, Cash preferred.

Discuss history and impact of photography in 19th century, make a pinhole camera, and see actual antique photos.

Join us every first Saturday of the month for a Ranger Guided Hike of our 1.5 mile Battlefield Trail.

Travel back in time to a 1800s Christmas at Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site. Join us as we welcome in the holidays. Experience a self-guided tour of the Gist Mansion. Learn about the ways the Gist family, enslaved people, and sharecroppers celebrated and at times feared this time of the year. Visitors can enjoy refreshments and sweets in the historic kitchen house. Decorate your own holiday crafts and play historic games! On Sunday, Vintage Santa will be present for visitors to interact with and take pictures! Admission into the park on the days of the program is $10 per person (this includes children). Please be prepared to pay admission at the gate, Cash preferred.

Music on the Mountain featuring Andy Leftwich & Friends. Come join us at the Table Rock Lodge for an evening of music.

Join the Battle of Musgrove Mill State Historic Site for a unique two-hour Ranger guided hike of an undeveloped Revolutionary War battlefield. (Hike takes place at Blackstock Battlefield State Historic: Site Address: 568 Monument Road, Enoree, SC 29335)

Get into the Christmas Spirit with an exhilarating 5K run through Sesquicentennial State Park!

Step back in time to the South Carolina frontier of the 1790s!

This program introduces young learners to the history and nature at Colonial Dorchester.

Historic farming practices at Oconee Station.

On New Year's Day, run through the hills at Devils Fork State Park for the annual First Day 5K Ranger Run.

Start your year off right with a First Day Hike at Hunting Island!

Start your year off right with a First Day Hike at Hunting Island!

Embark on a journey to uncover the rich African-American historical experience at Rose Hill Plantation. Prior to the Civil War, hundreds of individuals were enslaved on this cotton plantation under the ownership of Gov. William Henry Gist. Following emancipation, some freed people departed Rose Hill while others chose to remain, transitioning into tenant farmers. Through both periods of slavery and freedom, African-Americans persevered, laboring tirelessly to establish livelihoods for themselves and their families within the confines of Rose Hill Plantation. Join us for an immersive journey into the lives of enslaved and freed individuals through interactive activities such as cooking and brick-making demonstrations. Our lineup includes a Union Soldier, an esteemed antique collector, the head of the Gullah Geechee Nation, and a knowledgeable genealogist, among other well-respected participants. Gain invaluable historical insights into this significant period in American history. A food vendor will be available on-site, offering lunch options available for purchase throughout the day. Please be prepared to pay with cash on this day. Admission to the park and program is priced at $5 for adults and $2 for children aged 6-15, with cash payments preferred.

Travel to three of our South Carolina State Parks to learn about and hopefully observe three to four different species o