South Carolina's New State Park Will Offer Outdoor Recreation With Eerily Beautiful Water

South Carolina is known for its sunny beaches and peaceful waterways, and has attracted tourists to its ecological state parks for decades. Soon, tourists and locals will be able to add another park to their must-see list. Initiated by the Open Space Institute (OSI), over 1,800 acres will be named the Black River State Park, South Carolina's newest state park in over 20 years. Just as the name sounds, the park will be focused along the shores of the Black River, making it South Carolina's first "linear" park. It will also link the counties of Williamsburg and Georgetown, fostering community and connection through the river.

The South Carolina park will be the perfect summer getaway, with visitors enjoying the river through various activities such as swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking, as well as camping and hiking alongside the river. A visit to the park can easily turn into the perfect ecological escape, as the head ranger at Black River State Park, John Moon, told the Post and Courier, "You could break it down into a week-long vacation of just being on the water and staying overnight at various places." The park is being developed with versatility in mind. 

Black River State Park is the result of an initiative led by the OSI in collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (SCPRT). The Black River Initiative is both a conservationist and cultural movement, aiming to protect the land surrounding Black River and reconnect locals with their history. The first sector, or "tract," of the park, called The Meadows, will feature a visitor center offering historical learning opportunities that focus on the indigenous and Gullah Geechee communities around the river. There will be several other tracts, with various river entry points. 

As for conservation, the parklands will be protected by the OSI and SCPRT from overdevelopment. The OSI has already saved thousands of acres of land to be protected under the initiative, which will shield them from erosion and flooding. Located about 70 miles from Charleston, visiting the park would be an easy, scenic South Carolina road trip. Black River State Park is set to open in 2026 and is projected to see a boost in ecological tourism as a result.