Parks around Edgefield

Thurmond Lake is the largest Corps of Engineers lake east of the Mississippi River. The lake encompasses 1,200 miles of shoreline, 70,000 acres of water and 80,000 acres of land. The Corps operates 10 Class A campgrounds, five major day use areas and many other recreational facilities. Thurmond Lake provides excellent striper and largemouth bass fishing and its large wildlife management program pr...

Augusta Canal helped usher the Industrial Revolution into the South by harnessing Savannah River to power mills and factories, including the Confederate Powder Works. One of the only intact, functioning American 19th century industrial power canal systems and home to diverse plants and animals of the southeastern Fall Line, Augusta Canal National Heritage Area is an oasis for outdoor recreation.

Here settlers struggled against the harsh backcountry to survive. Cherokee Indians hunted and fought to keep their land, two towns and a trading post were formed and abandoned to the elements. Two Revolutionary War battles that claimed over 100 lives took place at this location.

"Ole Dan Tucker was a grand ole man; He washed his face in a fryin' pan; Combed his hair with a wagon wheel; Died with a tooth ache in his heel!" During the 1700's, this famous folk song was sung by slaves in praise of the Reverend Dan Tucker. He was an early settler of the area and is buried on the Richard B. Russell project.

The Congaree National Park Wilderness now contains a total of 15,010 acres and is managed by the National Park Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of South Carolina. In 1988 the Congaree National Park Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportun...

Drive the Edisto Island Scenic Byway and enjoy the peaceful barrier Edisto Island provides from the hectic 21st Century world of today. The route traverses salt marsh, creeks, maritime forests, farm fields and historic churches from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Atlantic Ocean. Stop at a roadside stand and buy a handmade sweetgrass basket, fill it with fresh local produce at a roadside market ...

This scenic byway winds through the hardwood of Sumter National Forest along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Turnouts along the byway provide scenic vistas of the surrounding mountains. Fall is a popular time for driving the byway with colors of orange, red, and gold vibrant along the way. Hikers, backpackers, and horseback riders will be interested in this byway with the miles of tra...

The Savannah River Scenic Byway affords scenic views, glimpses of life in the rural South and opportunities to experience southern hospitality. Whether receiving a casual lesson on barbecue traditions, fishing tips or stories about the state's role in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, you'll feel welcome.

Recreation on the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests is as varied as the South Carolina landscape from the mountains to the coast. Click a link to activity of your choice in the left column of this page to explore two forests full of opportunities! We'll post cautions and weather closures in the conditions report below, but please......  Call Before You Haul!Conditions may change quickly!...

Hartwell Lake is one of the most popular Corps lakes in the nation. Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1955 and 1963 as part of a flood control, hydropower, and navigation project, authorized purposes now include recreation, water quality, water supply, and fish and wildlife management. Hartwell Lake comprises nearly 56,000 acres of water with a shoreline of 962 miles. Over 20,00...

Astonishing biodiversity exists in Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Waters from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers sweep through the floodplain, carrying nutrients and sediments that nourish and rejuvenate this ecosystem and support the growth of national and state champion trees.

Looming majestically beyond the low Piedmont hills, the Blue Ridge escarpment thrills the mountain lover's soul. The Cherokees called these heights the "Great Blue Hills of God." Following an ancient Cherokee path, this beautiful two-lane road arcs through peach orchards and villages, past Cowpens National Battlefield and over Lake Keowee.

"...our success was complete..." -- Daniel Morgan to Nathanael Greene, January 19, 1781 A pasturing area at the time of the battle, this Revolutionary War site commemorates the place where Daniel Morgan and his army turned the flanks of Banastre Tarleton's British army. This classic military tactic, known as a double envelopment, was one of only a few in history.

Thomas Jefferson called it "The turn of the tide of success." The battle of Kings Mountain, fought October 7th, 1780, was an important American victory during the Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major patriot victory to occur after the British invasion of Charleston, SC in May 1780. The park preserves the site of this important battle.

Stretching 330 miles through four states (Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina) the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail traces the route used by patriot militia during the pivotal Kings Mountain campaign of 1780. Follow the campaign by utilizing a Commemorative Motor Route which uses existing state highways marked with the distinctive trail logo, or 87 miles of walkable pathways.

Santee National Wildlife Refuge was established on May 5, 1941 to alleviate the loss of natural waterfowl and wildlife habitat caused by the construction of hydro-electric projects on the Santee and Cooper Rivers. Stretching for eighteen miles along the northern shore of Lake Marion, the refuge protects 15,095 acres within the upper coastal plain region of Clarendon County, South Carolina. Fr...

Carl Sandburg provided a popular voice for the American people of the twentieth century and still speaks to us through his words, songs and the beauty and serenity of Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. Explore Sandburg's legacy and Experience Your America! Learn more about the special preservation work going on inside the Sandburg Home with the link to your right.

If you're into the great outdoors, you've come to the right place. The Chattahoochee and the Oconee National Forests are great places to have fun and adventure doing the things you love to do such as: hunting and fishing; hiking, biking, and horseback riding; swimming, canoeing, and kayaking; nature study, photography, and viewing great scenery. More >>>2013 Recreation Program Fee Accompl...

Piedmont NWR is primarily an upland forest dominated by loblolly pine on the ridges with hardwoods found along the creek bottoms and in scattered upland coves. Clear streams and beaver ponds provide ideal wetland habitat for waterfowl and other wetland dependent species. Today the forest and native wildlife populations have been restored from what was originally abandoned farm land. The refuge ser...

The Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge helps protect the largest undeveloped estuary along the Atlantic Coast, with rich bottomland hardwoods and fresh and salt water marsh offering food and cover to a variety of wildlife. ACE Basin stands for the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers, which form the estuary and parts of the Refuge boundary. The entire basin encompasses more th...

Welcome to Ocmulgee National Monument this park is a memorial to the relationship of people and natural resources. Native Americans first came here during the Paleo-Indian period hunting Ice Age mammals. Different cultures occupied this land for thousands of years. The Mississippian culture arrived here around 900 constructing mounds for their elite. Today the mounds still remain for all to see.

The Tray Mountain Wilderness now contains a total of 9,702 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Georgia. In 1986 the Tray Mountain Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age of ...

Carolina Sandhills NWR was established in 1939 as a federal refuge for indigenous wildlife and game management demonstration project. The South Carolina State Commission of Forestry also conducted timber production and harvesting as long as these activities conformed to good game management and forestry practices. Over the years, management objectives have since been added and modified under oth...