Such a beautiful place to walk on a far and for pets. The loop is pretty strait forward and…read morebeautiful. Also, if you want food you can stop at a shop or restaurant halfway thru the trail. There is plenty of parking and well lite with cameras.

Great little walking loop, it gets hot though so be sure to get there early or late on summer days…read more Pretty nice to walk around the pond though. We also like that it runs by the brewhouse so we usually stop for a drink. FYI there is a walking trail through the woods on the southwest side of the lake that will get to the coffee & book place.

NO FUN ALLOWED! SCE&G tightly controls it & closes the beach promptly after summer for the rest of…read morethe year, therefore, most of the time the beach is useless as there is no access. You can only look at it through chain-link fences along the dam. This isn't in the best interest of the public. I have to travel to Charleston for free beach so I spend my money & pay taxes there. In addition, since 9/11 the police have overreacted & the area is heavily patrolled in a police-state type of environment. Security cameras are foreseeable in the near future. Enjoy!

I've always enjoyed the exclusivity and peace that you can have near the SCEG Site. From the…read morewater. Fishing. So there, you have one of my favorite fishing spots! Thank you for a great place to enjoy the lake!

This is a great family outing…read more The lights are always well done. About half way through, you can stop for a hay ride ans race your kids down the hill on the slide. Kids can write letters to Santa and buy hot chocolate and snacks. It was a nice warm 48 degrees when we went there. Get out have some fun and make a few memories.

If you love Christmas lights, this is one of the best spots to be. The trail is 4miles long, and we…read morewere able to stroll through for the annual Sleigh Bell Trot. The light displays don't really change year after year, so if you've been last year, there aren't any new surprises this year. Still a fun night out! Safe and clean!

Lake Murray Dam walkway, travel down Lake Murray Blvd will run into it…read more I come here to run occasionally as it is scenic, breezy, straight, and runners frequent. I just started parking on the Irmo side, parking to left of guard house is free. On a weekend I can see this lot filling up quickly it's not a lot of spaces free. I do think this side is more stretching friendly than the Lexington side. Speaking of Lexington side I always parked there with larger overflow lot but there was construction there last time that closed half the spaces. The walkway across dam is wide enough for about three people walking side by side but for runners it can get hard to pass the more populated. I've seen roller skaters out there, strollers, dog walkers although there is no grass only concrete so pick up the doo. The mileage is about 3.4 miles across and back; there isn't any man made shade except the short barrier wall between lake and walkway. If you come during the day will be in full sun so recommend morning or evening for shadier walks/runs. It's an easy run across, is windy certain spots so make sure hat is tight or you will lose it. Worth visiting.

Beautiful public park next to a dam - today's local adventure. My fur friend Cleo and I were out…read moreand about exploring neighboring cities and happened upon this smaller park area. The lake views are gorgeous! There's a small pier people fish from. Although windy, some people were picnicking in a couple spots. Geese and butterflies greeted us as we strolled by the water for a bit. Was a lovely, relaxing morning in local nature before the storm rolled in.

It was a beautiful day. Very nice walk. We pushed a stroller without problem. Loved seeing the…read moreturtles and even got to see a snake and egret. Just bummed that a large part was closed so wasn't able to get all my steps in.

Beautiful park. We were able to take a nice afternoon walk. There are some nice spots to take…read morepictures.

I stayed in camper cabin 3 the weekend of October 4th, 2025. The main reason we stayed in a camper…read morecabin was because it's a pet friendly cabin. The cabin itself is tiny. One full bed and one set of bunk beds. One small dorm-type refrigerator and a small microwave. One thing I learned quick was to not run the microwave while the refrigerator is also plugged in as the breaker will trip. So I unplugged the refrigerator whenever I needed to use the microwave. The refrigerator will hold several bottles of water, ham, cheese, mayo, etc. I also brought some soup and a soup mug to use in the microwave. Also to note, it's about a 30-45 second walk to the bath house, at least from cabin 3. The bed wasn't horribly uncomfortable. I had my pillows and sleeping bag from home and was quite comfortable. The little Gree mini-split unit kept the cabin at a great temperature. Now for the not-so-good things. First, a metal roof surrounded by trees, some of which were dropping acorns. Large acorns hitting a metal roof from high up make a very loud BANG when they hit the roof. Quite the scare in the middle of the night. That's my only complaint. There was a nice little front porch and a picnic table with fire pit close by. I must say it was a great weekend away from the hustle and bustle of life. I'm still giving this review 5 stars. The state park employees work very hard to make sure you have a great experience. And you have to want to be a state park employee. It's not just a job you get. You have to have a passion for it.

Beautiful nature scenery. Nice walking trails. Plenty of parking…read more Plenty of bathroom facilities. A nice place to visit. FYI... get the State Park Annual Pass.

These are the greatest guys to work with. Reasonably priced, fair and great communication. We…read morerented 3x last summer and will continue to do so until we get our boat. The location is easy to get to and there are a variety if boats to choose from for your needs, some of which even allow for dogs. All in all a great service to have close by!

Absolute best experience ever! Everyone was so great to work with. I booked last minute and they…read morewere accommodating. I absolutely would only use them for my boat rentals!

It has been such a long time since I've been to this trail, and I am so glad I decided to return!…read moreIt was such a pleasant day. It is nice that it is kept up. It was not overcrowded and everyone followed the flow of foot traffic. There were turtles in the river and the canal. The flowers were bloomed, and we even spotted a baby alligator in and out of the river. Not only are their walkers and joggers but there are some bikers and skateboards as well. A lot of people fishing as well. Some parts of the trail was so peaceful! There's two paths, one is paved, less shade, somewhat busy. The other path is closer to the river, between the woods and not as busy as the main path. I had a stroller so I stayed on the main path. Parking and pulling in is a bit of a pain because it is not paved coming in off River Drive. Mile makers, benches, and history displays are throughout the trail. The restrooms and water fountains are in the beginning entrance once you cross the bridge, and there's even dog bowls and a hose for water. Definitely a gem to take in the scenery and enjoy fresh air.

The park is really beautiful but the drive into the park is so rough it almost makes you consider…read moreif the damage to your car is worth another visit. They really need to have the staff filling in the twenty million holes or have the entry paved. Would come here a lot more if this problem was solved!

Impressed with the intentional use of space!…read more We made a day trip to Columbia, SC and needed to stretch our legs and burn some energy. Finlay Park offers a GREAT playground with slides, rope ladders, climbing limbs, splash pad, and turf slide. Plenty of room to relax or log a few steps. There is a beautiful water fountain, grotto and pond where they offer sailboat rentals . There is also 2 miles of sidewalk and pathways for walking or taking advantage of the roller skate rentals they offer. Not to mention pickleball courts, ping pong, soccer goals, and fitness court. A round of applause to the City of Columbia for this amazing recreational and public space.

I'm so excited that I finally got to check out the new Finlay Park! I had heard nothing but good…read morethings about it from those who attended the grand re-opening, so my expectations were set pretty high... well, I can say that it certainly did not disappoint! First and foremost, I must say that it was simply awesome to see the signature water sculpture flowing and spinning again. That alone went a long way in restoring the signature feel of the park. Furthermore, I absolutely loved the landscaping below the fountain, which consisted of a small stream running through some perfectly manicured rocks and bushes. In addition to the landscaping, I absolutely loved the modern artwork that was incorporated into the park. There was a beautiful yet funky mural that was created by a Columbia-raised artist, and the park also had some really cool 21st-century sculptures, most of which directly represented the state of South Carolina and the city of Columbia. The park also had a really cool calisthenic workout station, which looked perfect for a complete bodyweight workout session, as well as pickleball courts that anybody can play on. Moreover, although I do not have children myself, the park looked like the perfect place for kids to run around for hours and hours. From what I could see, there was a huge climbing platform, two (2) enormous slides, multiple sets of different types of swings, and, what appeared to be a hill that the kids could slide down using burlap sacks. 10-year-old me would have marveled at the quality of this playground! Finally, there was a huge platform stage to hold concerts on, and a nice, well-manicured plain of grass for attendees to watch and enjoy on. All-in-all, I can't say enough good things about the re-opening of Finlay Park, and I'll be excited to come back for days and years to come!