South Carolina Smiles and Places 2008 Official Vacation Guide - (Page 14) Mark 75 Years South Carolina State Parks of Conservation, Recreation and History By Marc Rapport It was 1933, and the Great Depression was in full force, creating staggering unemployment numbers. The solution from President Roosevelt and Congress was a plan called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Under the CCC, unemployed young men would have the opportunity to learn skills and trades while replanting forests and building parks across the United States. The plan changed a generation and helped create the South Carolina park system. The result is worth celebrating. And that is exactly what we intend to do. In 2008, the South Carolina State Park Service begins a year-long commemoration of the 75th anniversary of state parks that you won’t want to miss. Now a bureau of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, the Park Service manages 47 sites that attract an estimated 9 million visitors annually, nearly a third of them from out of state. So here’s the best part. With 47 sites to choose from, you can find a park that is perfectly to your liking — whether you’re a rugged outdoorsman, avid golfer, history fan, sun lover or “couch potato. ” The parks comprise nearly 90,000 acres from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the coast. So to help make your planning easier, take a look at the four general categories based on what you’ll find there: natural areas, recreational areas, traditional state parks and historic sites. Natural Areas As you can guess from the name, these spots are incredible preserves of some of the state’s most precious resources. The areas are diverse and range from Woods Bay, which protects and interprets one of the largest undeveloped examples of mysterious Carolina Bays left in the mid-Atlantic Coastal plain, to Keowee-Toxaway, a thousand acres of forested hillside along serene Lake Keowee in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Recreational Areas What would you expect here except fun? Camping, boating, fishing, swimming— it’s all here. You’ll find these parks along our outstanding lakes such as Dreher Island on Lake Murray, Calhoun Falls on Lake Russell, Sadlers Creek on Lake Hartwell and Hamilton Branch on Lake Thurmond. Traditional State Parks “Traditional” doesn’t adequately describe parks like Kings Mountain, Santee State Park, Sesquicentennial, Table Rock, Myrtle Beach, Huntington Beach, Edisto Beach and Hunting Island. Offering too much to be easily classified, these parks offer great places to hike, camp, picnic and get out into the great outdoors. Some offer cabins, beaches, fantastic views, rivers and wildlife viewing. Just check the website for specifics. Historic Sites In a state so replete with history, it’s only right that several of these sites are preserved for visitors. One is a secluded Civil War battlefield along the Salkehatchie River named Rivers Bridge. Also fascinating are the three antebellum plantation homes—Rose Hill, Redcliffe and Hampton— where guests get a taste of life in the pre-Civil War era. But South Carolina is one of the original 13 Colonies and other historic sites reflect 14 South Carolina Smiles 2008
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