This park in a quiet rural area outside of Charleston claims to have been the first canal in the…read morecountry. As with most of the area's older infrastructure, it is largely returned to nature and it mostly a swamp. This one has an extensive boardwalk, which is very much enmeshed in the wilderness. It has metal mesh placed on inclined because it gets wet and slippery. Numerous overlooks of the wetlands are available, and you can walk on a trail by the nearby river as well, which has some fitness installations asking you to hang on a bar and such. There is an educational center near the start, which didn't have a huge amount going on when I was there. It's a nice piece of terrain, and I would have left and written a lesser review, but there is also a museum which I had thought about leaving without trying. Inside, I got something of a personalized rundown, and the museum was about as much information as you could stuff into one house-sized building, covering not only war history but also a lot of very interesting public health stuff. As such, I got a workout of my legs and my memory. Many fairly standard caveats apply; you'll need to be ready for bugs if doing anything outdoors in South Carolina. The state parks here are generally quite nice, but they also charge admission by person, not by car, which can get expensive. For anyone living in the area, a park pass is worth considering. For me, it was well worth the five bucks.

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.

It was beautiful I can't believe the nature and you can also take a boat out!! I would suggest…read moregoing here but wear comfortable shoes and clothes. It's a nature walk with many beautiful views.

We went to Cypress Gardens this morning and spent several lovely hours there. Overall, it's an…read moreinteresting place with a little bit of everything--walking paths and gardens, a butterfly house, the Swamparium, and, of course, the swamp boats. The gift shop is super small, despite looking much bigger from the outside. The Swamparium was interesting, with fish, snakes, and other reptiles from local waterways and wetlands around the world. I wouldn't want to be close to them, but I also felt bad they were behind glass. We saw several alligators. We wanted to explore some of the longer nature trails, but they were pretty overgrown and ran right alongside the swamp. We were a little nervous that we wouldn't spot an alligator with enough warning, so we stuck to the more maintained paths. We spent about an hour to an hour and a half walking around. The highlight was definitely the self-guided boat ride. My husband did most of the paddling, it took some effort! It was so much fun paddling among the cypress trees, seeing the water lilies, watching the ducks, and keeping our eyes open for alligators in the water. The guy running the boat area was really friendly and helpful. A couple of practical things to know: admission is $10, and if you want to do the boats, sign up as soon as you arrive. We got there around 9:30, about 30 minutes after opening, and were initially told the wait would be about an hour. It ended up being a little over two hours before we got on a boat. You connect to the park Wi-Fi, scan a QR code, and get your place in line. Overall, I don't know that Cypress Gardens would make my top list of things to do when friends come into town, but if you're a bird lover or nature lover, it's a good spot to experience the Lowcountry. And the boat ride alone made the visit worthwhile for us.

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 stopped by the park to have lunch at the Pavilion during a work day in John's island. The…read morePavillion is next to a pond that has a nice native plant buffer around it and a lot of wildlife to watch.

Not nearly as nice as James Island park but it serves a different audience/reason. This park is…read moremore a collection of sports fields and whatnot. Was free to park though and had public restroom.

A very nice park. There's a nice walking path around a large pond. They have a nice big dog park…read more(one for big dogs and one for smaller dogs). There's also a playground and splash pad for kids. They have programs all the time including movies that they show in their amphitheater. All in all nice park and worth admission

Really nice park to take kids, dogs, and go for walks near the Ashley river and the ponds they…read morehave there. $2 pp entry fee. We usually spend much of our time at the playgrounds (they have one for toddlers and one for older kids, a zip line, and a splash pad). Also taking a walk around the area is a perfect way to spend your time! Restrooms are also always tidy.

This is a beautiful, free park. The trails are totally flat. The old growth trees and boardwalk…read moreviews were stunning.

Really cool walking area right in Little River. Beautiful…read morescenery all around and Lots of greenery! There are even some docks out there that you can fish off of. Tons of one-clawed little crabs; I believe they are called fiddler crabs. Along the paths are some informative little plaques and also some QR codes you can scan for more information. Even saw some dolphins out in the water by the boats. The wishing tree is really cool; I hung a couple of seashells on it.

I visited Lynches River County Park for the Run for Brighter Days 5K in September 2024. That 5K is…read moreheld in memory of a local teenager who died of suicide and to raise awareness of mental health issues, services, and the 988 phone number. Although I lived in Florence for nine years, this was my first visit to the park. I wish I hadn't waited so long. The 5K route onsite is wonderful- super flat, scenic, and all road. I wish more 5K runs and walks were held here, because it's very safe (several areas for water stations, lots of parking, easy in/out for EMS if needed, etc). For a park out in the country, the cell signal was surprisingly good. I talked to a fellow runner who lives nearby and said he frequently visits for practice runs. At the end of the 5K, we all received medals that are lanyards with a keychain on them advertising the 988 mental health hotline, and we were welcome to enjoy the park for a few hours. Lynches River County Park has a recreational building with air conditioning, kitchen, plenty of tables and chairs, indoor restrooms, and lots of space. It was a great place for the awards ceremony and the recognizing the youth we have lost to mental health struggles. I was surprised at how nice the facility was, as I was expecting picnic shelters and porta potties at the 5K. If you can participate in Run for Brighter Days (also a walk), I highly encourage it, but also get out to the park just for fun. It is also rentable for family reunions or corporate events and would be a great spot for that.

The website oversells the canopy walk. It makes it sound like the canopy walk is a larger than it…read moreis. "The EDC and attached canopy walk is designed to bring visitors to the treetops of the 676 acre park," reads their website. In reality it's a walk of 4-6 trees linked together with bridges over a small area directly behind the Educational Discovery Center. We drove a couple of hours thinking this was going to be a fun, unique experience. Not the case at all. Underwhelming. If we just wanted to walk trails through the woods we could have stayed closer to home and had en even better trail experience. I gave it three stars because I'm sure it is a nice area if you're camping, but I would not recommend this place if you're wanting to experience a walk through the treetops.

Absolute beautiful park in Mt.P for a quick visit or for an all day play date. Located underneath…read morethe Ravenel Bridge, on can have amazing views of Sunset on the water. There is a large playground for kiddos, different areas of seating around the grounds and a lovely long pier out to the harbor. Parking is easy and available under the bridge or across the street. There is also an amazing additional park that just opened by this additional parking. That part has basketball courts, work-out equipment, and two different enclosed dog parks.

The scavenger hunt was an excellent experience. The views were amazing of the harbor. The multiple…read moreoutdoor activities are great for all ages! The entire park is epic!

This nice little camp site boasts a quiet marsh view and both RV and tent camping. There's a small…read morebathroom and shower that are better than nothing and a boat ramp just a short ways from the camp site. The primitive sites are first come first serve, but there is a large overflow field just before the campground. It is also the start of the Awendaw passage of the Palmetto Trail which is really pretty once you get farther into it and there are quite a few marsh views. Overnight parking is cheap in the overflow area if you wanted to park and hike into the trail for some dispersed camping. It's probably the most tame camping spot in the national forest.

Revisited Buck Hall this past week and the wash rooms/showers were clean. Camp sites were clean and…read morelevel. The fishing dock has a large hole in the wood plank and needs fixing. Campers were friendly & we enjoyed their company. A nice surprise that was long over due.