{"id":4998,"date":"2023-07-03T15:48:48","date_gmt":"2023-07-03T15:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/03\/15-parks-to-explore-in-honor-of-national-park-and-recreation-month\/"},"modified":"2023-07-03T15:48:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T15:48:48","slug":"15-parks-to-explore-in-honor-of-national-park-and-recreation-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/03\/15-parks-to-explore-in-honor-of-national-park-and-recreation-month\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Parks to Explore In Honor Of National Park and Recreation Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know that July is National Park and Recreation Month? This year’s theme “Where Community Grows” — celebrates the vital role park and recreation professionals play in bringing people together, providing essential services, and fostering the growth of our communities. In recognition, we’re sharing 15 parks to visit in Lake Murray Country. Make sure to say “Hello and Thank you” to the staff while you’re on the trail, and share your adventure with us on social media by using #LakeMurrayCountry<\/em>! <\/p>\n

1. Doko Meadows Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

100 Alvina Hagood Circle | Blythewood, SC 29016<\/p>\n

Enjoy a playground and six miles of walking trails that wind in and out of wooded areas and a 2,500-seat amphitheater.<\/p>\n

2. Congaree National Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

100 National Park Road | Hopkins, SC 29061
Explore the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States as you traverse 25 miles of hiking trails and 2.4 miles of boardwalk, there are so many ways to explore the Congaree Wilderness.<\/p>\n

3. Guignard Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

964 Axtell Drive | Cayce, SC 29033<\/p>\n

This wooded park, located in the heart of Cayce, provides a relaxing getaway for adults and children.<\/p>\n

4. West Columbia River Walk<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

109 Alexander Road |  West Columbia, SC 29169<\/p>\n

Soak up the natural beauty of the Congaree River on this waterside trail that is suitable for walking, jogging, bicycling, strollers, and wheelchairs.<\/p>\n

5. Owen’s Field Park\/Skate Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

1351 Jim Hamilton Boulevard | Columbia, SC 29205<\/p>\n

Explore one of the most unique parks in the City of Columbia, from a BMX-style bike path to the skate park, and playground – you’re sure to find something for everyone in the family to do!<\/p>\n

6. Gibson Pond Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

241 Gibson Road | Lexington, SC 29072<\/p>\n

Gibson Pond Park is a beautiful wooded park on 15 acres with a fishing dock, picnic shelters & a BBQ, plus a loop trail & restrooms. <\/p>\n

7. Lake Murray Dam Park Sites & Walkway<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

1797 North Lake Drive | Lexington, SC 29072<\/p>\n

Take a walk on the Lake Murray Dam and enjoy spectacular views of Lake Murray and the downtown Columbia skyline on this 3.4-mile round-trip trek.<\/p>\n

8. Sesquicentennial State Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

9564 Two Notch Road | Columbia, SC 29223<\/p>\n

This 1,419-acre park, situated in the middle of the Sandhills region, features a beautiful 30-acre lake surrounded by trails and picnic areas.<\/p>\n

9. Saluda Shoals Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

5605 Bush River Road | Columbia, SC 29212<\/p>\n

Located along the banks of the beautiful Saluda River, this 400-acre regional park offers an all-inclusive playground, hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails; a river observation deck; picnic shelters; boat ramp and canoe\/kayak launch sites.<\/p>\n

10. Harbison State Forest<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

5500 Broad River Road | Columbia, SC 29212<\/p>\n

Hike, bike, jog or walk 18 miles of trails in one the largest greenspaces within city limits east of the Mississippi River.<\/p>\n

11. Irmo Community Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

7507 Eastview Drive | Irmo, SC 29063<\/p>\n

This lush park is home to the Prisma Health Amphitheater, two picnic shelters with BBQ grills, and walking trails along with playgrounds and restrooms.<\/p>\n

12. Crooked Creek Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

1098 Old Lexington Highway | Chapin, SC 29036<\/p>\n

Crooked Creek Park is a state-of-the-art recreation complex that encompasses a community center, 6 athletic fields and tennis courts, picnic tables, walking trails, playgrounds, and a 27-hold disc golf course.<\/p>\n

13. Dreher Island State Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

3677 State Park Road | Prosperity, SC 29127<\/p>\n

From recreational water activities to nature trails, top-notch fishing spots, and waterside camping – make sure to visit Dreher Island State Park.<\/p>\n

14. Lynch’s Woods Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Corner of Wilson Road & Walter Cousins Road | Newberry, SC 29108<\/p>\n

This 276-acre park full of large pines and old-growth hardwoods contains 7.5 of tranquil hiking, and biking trails, and 6.1 miles of equestrian trails. <\/p>\n

15. Saluda Park<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

416 S. Jefferson Street | Saluda, SC 29138<\/p>\n

Grab the kids, pack a picnic, and head to Saluda Park to enjoy a paved walking trail, playground, and gazebo.<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared on Lake Murray Country<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you know that July is National Park and Recreation Month? This year’s theme “Where Community Grows” — celebrates the vital role park and recreation professionals play in bringing people together, providing essential services, and fostering the growth of our communities. In recognition, we’re sharing 15 parks to visit inContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[49],"tags":[96,531],"class_list":["entry","author-john-griggs","post-4998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-recreation","tag-lake-murray-country","tag-parks"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gpstrianglenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ExploreLakeMurray_2023_630x350.jpg?fit=630%2C350&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}