This is my favorite county park! It's quiet and peaceful for nature hikes. Every time I visit I see…read moresomething amazing. Today it was Swallow-tail Kites soaring overhead. A walk through the cypress swamp let me discover a beautiful yellow Prothonotary Warbler. The staff is so knowledgeable here and super welcoming! This is a must see if you're visiting Charleston.

Great outdoor nature excursion for just a $2 per person entry fee. Multiple trails to walk and…read moreenjoy nature, see wildlife and get some exercise. You could easily spend an entire day here and walk several miles without covering the same area twice. They have over 11,000 acres of swamp/marsh, grassland and wooded areas. Bring your camera for some beautiful nature shots. They have a few benches around the park for you to rest/relax. A portion of the nature area used to be a rice plantation. The visitors center adjacent to the parking lot provides a little history for those interested, and has a few items for sale. Bathrooms are available. Pets and bikes are prohibited. Bring bug spray! During our visit we saw several alligators, lizards, squirrels, baby toads, turtles, one small snake, a marsh rat/mouse (who wasn't remotely scared of us), and of course many birds. Be aware you can encounter alligators on the trails and low boardwalks, and there's nothing separating you from them; a very friendly nature center employee said they never have incidents, but the risk is higher in the Spring when males are vying for females. And if you see very young baby gators, remember mom may be nearby.

Nice park in the middle of neighborhood. Picnic tables, playground for big and small kids. Small…read morepond to walk around with ducks. No bathrooms. Was a nice stop during road trip.

Driving to Hilton Head from Charlotte we needed a pit stop. This was out of the way and off the…read moremain highway but well worth the few extra minutes it took to get there. The park itself is really small, more of a neighborhood pocket park than a sprawling city green space. The playstructures were in great shape, there was a lovely pond with ducks and a small walking trail around the perimeter. Mature trees provide shade and there was even a lovely little gazebo for that extra dash of small-town, Americana charm. The kids played, we stretched our legs and everyone was ready for the road.

This is a beautiful nature preserve with several miles of trails through gorgeous woods and a…read morecypress swamp. We've found so many different birds here, including prothonotary warblers, northern parulas, hairy woodpeckers, and more. There is a boardwalk over a pond where wood storks nest - it's off limits a few months a year. It's a peaceful and quiet place to hike. I wish there were bathrooms though.

Beautiful fall weather in Charleston, so decided to get some sunshine and fresh air while being one…read morewith nature at Dungannon Heritage nature preserve. The preserve is located off of SC highway #162 near Hollywood. Entrance to the preserve is free. This is a dog friendly park, so feel free to bring your fur babies! This is a beautiful park spanning 643- acres. There are several scenic trails that wander along the property. Bring your camera as there is a lot to see. The preserve has been set up to provide feeding and roosting areas for a variety of birds, Wood storks, Great Egrets and Blue Herons. You may also see alligators, deer and squirrels along the way. The trails are well maintained and clearly marked. There is not a restroom or picnic tables at this park. However, there is a gorgeous 300- foot boardwalk with an observation deck overlooking the swamp/pond. I had a picnic lunch here as I watched an alligator sun bathe and fish jump. It was so peaceful. If you are looking for a few hours to get back to nature and see beautiful views and some wildlife, you need to add Dungannon to your "Must See" list.

I very much enjoyed this park and the walking trials that was offered. Very beautiful scenery…read morethroughout the park. There is an admission fee. There also is parking onsite with accessible restrooms. I recommend this park for nature lovers.

I followed the Woodland trail and the Alligator trail when I came. The plan was to do the whole…read moreouter loop from the Woodland trail, but at the end of the Woodland trail we could not find the connection to the other trails like the map indicated. We still had a good time regardless, getting to see the swamp topography and wildlife. I did not try the museum on this visit, but entry is included with the $5/person entry fee to the park.

While not much of the plantation exists, it's a great place to see. My favorite is the beach. It's…read morean easy trail mostly sandy to walk, through the marsh and woody areas it opens up. At high tide it's a tricky walk as sadly there's a lot of natural erosion happening. There are a lot of shells that are so pretty, you are not allowed to take but admire. The beach is heavily populated with remnants of trees and driftwood. Lots of signage to learn from. The drive through the tour has landmarks to stop at. Free adventure

What a gem we have here! It's pure untouched natural beauty and a very pleasant place to walk along…read morethe beach, tide pools and even the grounds of the old plantation, which only has a 18th century garden shed and an early 19th century green house that looks like a Victorian church. Peaceful and serene!

I love this park! Whenever I visit Beaufort, which is several times a year, my grandkids and I…read morealways spend some time here. It is always clean and the equipment in good working order. There are plenty of benches, there's a water fountain and the equipment is spaced out, allowing room to run.

This is one of the nicest parks I have seen. It is very clean with lots of toys for young and older…read morechildren. They have three different play areas. One for younger children and one for older children with toys appropriate for their age. It is fenced in with a few openings to walk in and out . I appreciate the fence to keep little ones contained . Mom play dates also happen there which is wonderful because they have benches and shade.

This was a great playground to stop at with my young son en route from SC to FL. It's close to…read morehighways and has a nice public bathroom. Great play structure and a zip line for ages 5-12. There seemed to be a walking trail and there was a little free library.

We visited the park on a beautiful day driving up from Pooler. We specifically visited the park to…read moreplay disc golf. The course is mainly across the street from the actual park so it's best to park along the road. The course is very technical and has tons of water. Almost every hole has lots of water or at least some swamp like areas. There are many bridges and narrow fairways. It's not the best course for beginners. There are few places you can just let it fly without fear of losing your disc. The course is in pretty good shape. There were no maps in the mailbox at the beginning of the course, so it was tricky a few times figuring out where to go and the last hole was completely confusing. There is a port-a-potty about half way though the course which is nice. The park itself is nice with a play ground, walking trails, biking trails, a gazebo and a rec room that you can rent out for birthdays and such. The park also offers bikes and canoes you can rent. We did not see any alligators but there are "watch out for alligator" signs all over the park and disc golf course.

Ok parking can be a bit hard, only negative…read more I love this place. The Spanish moss, vendors, soft southern grass, atmosphere, this place is what a city park should be. 5 star must see

Forsyth Park is a great open public space and offers so much!…read more There are basketball and tennis courts, a splash fountain, a wonderful enclosed playground, fields, ample amount of sidewalks, Fragrance Garden, and of course the beautiful fountain. You can often find people sunbathing on the lawns, playing frisbee or volleyball, taking a stroll, running through the park, or just simply sitting on one of the many benches enjoying the scenery. Most Saturdays you can find local vendors selling items or the Forsyth Farmers Market. A great place to source locally grown food such as veggies, meats, honey, mushrooms, pasta, breads, and so much more. There is a restaurant at the center, Collins Quarter. They have great patio seating and a great brunch spot. I would recommend getting a reservation. Other great spots are within walking distance such as The Sentient Bean for a coffee.

Driving up to this park takes one through downtown Orangeburg, which was virtually abandoned when I…read morepassed through. The park was no less eerie. A parking lot overlooked the green space, which had a road running through the center of it before one gets to the water. A boardwalk yielded some decent riverside nature, but also a broken water wheel. The parking lot had a handful of people who were simply sitting in their cars for reasons I could not discern. I found the design of the park strange, as a memorial space was immediately facing the parking lot and did not seem like a peaceful place of remembrance. The rose gardens were well manicured, and it seemed like whatever money the city has they put into maintaining them, but signs warned to stay away due to pesticides. There were a number of facilities as far as bathrooms and gathering places, and perhaps the park is more lively at some times, but I would not go out of my way to visit the place on its own merits.

Went to visit the Garden sometime ago when the roses were still in bloom. Not far from I-95 the…read moreEdisto gardens are in Orangeburg with an impressive amount of rose plants, something like 4800 with over four hundred varieties. Best time to go the weekend before Mother's Day. We were there the day before

Angel Oak is a great little detour if you are nearby. That is exactly what we did!…read more It's located off a little dirt road with very little signage. There is parking available outside the fence or handicap parking is located within the perimeters. The Angel Oak is a massive tree and certainly impressive to see in person. It is a protected tree, so there are some roped off area and signs requesting you to be respectful of the grounds, roots, limbs, etc. There is a picnic area within view of the tree. As you are heading out, stop by the little gift shop!

This is an amazing tree, and if I were rating JUST the tree, I would have given it 6 starts out of…read more5! It is majestic, and beautiful, and standing near it one can just imagine all the history that has unfolded under its branches. The fact that it is FREE to visit makes it even better. Too bad there are two drawbacks to a visit to the Angel Oak. One is the parking, which is VERY limited. When you drive through the gates of the enclosure because you failed to note the small faded and partially obscured sign telling you that only handicapped parking was allowed inside the fence, you might be "greeted" as we were by a very unfriendly person who pointed to the gate and told us to follow the car that was on its way out. No explanation, No consideration that it was very close to closing, we had an elderly person with us, and the "regular" parking was about half a block away from the actual entrance, along the side of the road, with uneven terrain. Nevertheless, we persevered, slowly making our way back to the entrance. The tree itself is surrounded by signs warning of all the DON'Ts you must attend to, and there are quite a few. I understand it is fragile and they want to protect it, but there are ways to word directions so that they are welcoming, celebrating the wonder that is this tree, and encouraging appropriate behavior, not so off-putting and admonishing in tone. A very short visit to the gift shop was drawback #2. The sign directs it is a ONE WAY path as you enter through the back door (that is right, the front door sports a sign saying it is NOT an entrance... one must search for another way in. Once inside, the same person who refused our request to park oversaw the gift shop visitors stood with arms folded and a scowl as well made our way through. The items were mostly very overpriced and aged (for example, a cloth patch of the state symbol was priced at $16, much more than I usually pay for a patch, and not even one specific to this location). So, the visit, while not a complete failure, fell far short of our expectations. Angel Oak is a spectacular tree, and deserves to be surrounded by a site that celebrates its wonder.