Clarendon County, SC

Parks and recreation areas

• Bennett's Bay Heritage Preserve
  

  This heritage preserve, filled with pine and oak trees, holds a large Carolina Bay with all of its features intact. It is a nice place for hiking and wildlife observation.

• Bluff Unit
  

  The Santee National Wildlife Refuge offers a great mix of natural education, wonderful scenery, and historic preservation. You will find all three of these here at the main unit of the refuge. The visitors' center is a great place to begin.

  The Wrights Bluff Nature Trail gives you some great views of Cantey Bay, the wildlife farm fields, and numerous wetlands. Many species of wildlife pass through here at different times of the year.

• C. Alex Harvin, III Landing
  

  This boat landing and fishing pier is located at a cove on the north side of Lake Marion.

• Cuddo Unit
  

  Cuddo is the easternmost unit of the Santee National Wildlife Refuge. Here you will find some excellent places for hiking and off-road cycling. Numerous dirt roads run throughout the unit. A few of them are open to automobiles, while the rest are only for hikers and cyclists. You can see plenty of wetlands and crop fields, plus get some nice views of Lake Marion.

• Dingle Pond Unit
  

  This is the smallest unit of the Santee National Wildlife Refuge. A short hiking trail runs beside this Carolina Bay, with a viewing platform that provides some wonderful views.

• Hickory Top Wildlife Management Area
  

  This area protects is a large amount of land, swamp, and water along the northeastern shore of Lake Marion. The Palmetto Trail passes through here, offering some great views of the Sparkleberry Swamp. This section of the trail can be done on bicycle, but is probably easier to do on foot.

  There is a place here for launching small boats onto Lake Marion.

• John C. Land, III Boating and Sports Fishing Facility
  

  Just outside of the Cuddo Unit is this facility on Lake Marion where you can launch small boats and get a great view of the lake. The roads, the parking area, and the boat ramp are all unpaved, and there are some rather large potholes that may be filled with water.

• John C. Land, III Landing
  

  The area provides access to the pond below the Lake Marion dam.

• Pine Island Unit
  

  Here you will find plenty of scenic dirt roads and trails suitable for hiking or off-road bicycling. You can observe the wildlife, and also see what is being done to attract and retain wildlife.

• Potato Creek Hatchery Waterfowl Management Area
  

  Just outside of the Cuddo Unit is this popular fishing spot with some great scenic views. A ramp lets you launch small boats onto Potato Creek, just off Lake Marion.

• Randolph′s Landing
  

  The area around the north end of the Lake Marion dam is an attractive and interesting place to visit, and a popular fishing spot. From here, you can hike along the top of the dam.

• Taw Caw Park
  

  Here you will find an extensive network of boardwalks around Taw Caw Creek, where it empties into Lake Marion. Many picnic tables and a few shelters will also be found here. It is a popular spot for fishing.

• Woods Bay State Natural Area and Woods Bay Heritage Preserve
  

  Visit Woods Bay State Natural Area to see and learn about the mysterious natural phenomena known as the Carolina Bays. Hiking trails and boardwalks lead you around the bay, where you will find plenty of interesting plants and animals. In addition, there is a nature center building with a number of displays and park rangers to assist you and to inform you.

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For more information about Clarendon County, see http://www.sciway.net/cnty/clarendon.html.

[011-09-03]