By:Skylar Laird-March 26, 20265:26 pm
COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s 50th state park, which follows a scenic river through rural Williamsburg County, will open for a trial run Friday ahead of its official opening next week, officials said during a ribbon-cutting Thursday.
Portions of the 9,200-acre Black River State Park are already accessible, but Thursday marked the opening of the biggest piece yet: a 2,000-acre parcel called The Meadows and located in Salters, an unincorporated community in Williamsburg County.
That piece will act as the linear park’s central hub, and its opening officially designated the land as a new state park.
Admission at the 2,000-acre piece of property, which includes a half-mile hiking trail, a picnic pavilion and restrooms, is waived for visitors Friday and Saturday.
The park will open to the public April 2 and remain open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Starting in April, visiting the park will cost $3 for adults, $1.50 for seniors age 65 and up and $1 for children age 6 to 15. Children 5 and younger can visit for free.
“Our state parks play an essential role in protecting South Carolina’s natural heritage and ensuring these lands and waters are preserved long into the future,” Gov. Henry McMaster said in a news release. “The Meadows at Black River State Park will provide more opportunities for families and visitors to enjoy the natural beauty that defines our way of life.”
Eventually, conservation leaders plan to add thousands more pieces of property along 70 miles of the river through both Williamsburg and Georgetown counties.
People will be able to canoe or kayak along the river and stop to rest or camp overnight on the state-operated parcels of land, according to Open Space Institute, which helped the state acquire the properties.
The park will one day become among the largest in the state park system, according to the nonprofit.
“This project has always been about bringing people back to the river,” said Maria Whitehead, the organization’s vice president for the southeast, in a news release. “With the opening of The Meadows, the community’s long‑standing hopes for public access to the land and water — as well as larger visions for preserving these remarkable landscapes for people and wildlife — are now becoming realities.”
The state does not yet officially own the 2,000 acres officials celebrated opening Thursday, though South Carolina’s parks agency does have a contract with the Open Space Institute to operate the parcel.
The agency will spend about $2.7 million to buy The Meadows. The rest of the $4.3 million cost will come from federal funds and private donors. The state has already spent about $4.9 million on properties along the Black River.
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