Most reviewed Nature & Wildlife Areas in South Carolina
4.5Riverbanks Zoo and Garden(2.940 reviews) - We go multiple times every month! Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Zoos • Gardens
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is home to nearly 2,000 animals that represent more than 350 species from around the world. A visit to the Zoo will play host to an array of wild adventures from a diving expedition on a Pacific coral reef to a safari through the plains of Africa to an interactive Outback encounter with a flock of sociable lorikeets. The Botanical Garden boasts 70-acres of unparalleled beauty and is considered one of the America's best public gardens. Dramatic and themed gardens showcase more than 4,300 species of native and exotic plants, providing a living classroom for gardeners and non-gardeners alike. The Garden also is the gateway to natural river views and spectacular valley overlooks. In addition, guests can view structural remains dating back to the early 1800s with South Carolina's textile industry and the Civil War.See more..
5.0The Center for Birds of Prey(1.269 reviews) - Fantastic experience Tuesday: Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
Programs are offered Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30am. Admission includes an impressive and awe-inspiring flight demonstration as well as a virtually guided walking tour of our resident bird aviaries. The Avian Conservation Center is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit whose mission is to serve as a unique and permanent resource for educational, avian health, conservation and research initiatives. Annual memberships are available.See more..
Temporarily Closed This SC Upstate family-oriented tradition is celebrating 27 years and offering an unforgettable experience for children and adults alike! Drive through millions of lights, themes, music, and displays that transform the nearly 100-acre-park into a winter wonderland in celebration of the holidays. Be sure to allow plenty of time to stroll in "Santa's Village" to enjoy relaxed fun with family and friends. There, you can pet, feed, and admire dozens of animals, have your photo taken with Santa, warm your hands or roast marshmallows by the bonfire, and visit Mrs. Claus' attic for an incredible panoramic view of the lights. Snap that selfie with a zebra, camel, or one of many animals waiting to meet you. Finish your evening with a drive to the inspirational nativity area. For an additional fee per vehicle you can enter our Enchanted Deer Forest and hand-feed hundreds of animals (animal food provided) from the comfort of your car.See more..
4.5Saluda Shoals Park(233 reviews) - Fun way to spend the day! Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
The agent at the gate was friendly and knowledgeable and advised us according to our needs. We spent the afternoon hiking the trails and enjoying the river. Entrance for the day was $5.00 for the vehicle and we parked all the way in the back near the boat ramp. We hiked the green/blue trails and found so many great spots along the river banks to relax and enjoy the scenery. Great place to spend the day with family/friends enjoying the outdoors. The day was overcast and the canopy of trees provided another layer of protection from the sun. We’d absolutely return if we were ever in the area again. See more..
This is truly a wonderful park for families, trail walking and bird watching. We took the 2 hour bird nature walk , Keith our guide was informative, answered all of our questions and has a true passion for the park and the nature. The trails are very diverse, some shady/wooded, some out in the open and some right by the water. There are restrooms, great interpretive center and plenty of picnic areas. They are taking plenty of Covid-19 precautions. Recommend for a day trip, family picnic and of course any of the great programs.See more..
Bee City is family owned and operated. Our family started Bee City over 30 years ago, with the love of honeybees and a passion for educating people about the importance of the honeybee. We have evolved to a one of kind hands on zoo that is interactive and educational. We pride ourselves in offering the best experiences for you and your family, the highest quality honey products and providing excellent customer service. Whether it is providing childhood memories that will last a lifetime, or a chance to escape from the craziness of life; the interactions are soothing for the soul of, both the humans and the furry and not so furry animals.See more..
4.5Francis Beidler Forest(102 reviews) - Kayaking in the ancient swamp Tuesday: Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Forests
The largest virgin Cypress-Tupelo swamp forest in the world spreads over 11,000 scenic acres.See more..
4.5Eudora Farms(85 reviews) - Super fun Nature & Wildlife Areas • Zoos
We visited Eudora Farm with family from Australia-ages ranging from 6 to 74. It was DELIGHTFUL, entertaining, educational and downright FUN. We drove through the park on a day that few were there, we were able to linger in certain areas and feed and pet the animals. The baby zebra were adorable. The Australians especially liked the bison-one of which decided to play tag with a kudu :) The petting zoo was equally enjoyable. Highly recommend it to anyone who loves the idea of a Safari, without the travel time and cost.See more..
Beautiful spot to bring your water collection jugs, have a picnic, take some pictures. Pick up some snacks from the Healing springs store-great Hot Dogs or go into town and have lunch at Miller's Bread Basket. I live less than 10 miles from here so I'm blessed! Please respect and keep the area clean. Thank youSee more..
We wanted a day trip and decided to explore this wildlife refuge. It is beautiful and the visitor center staff is very friendly. We saw birds but no alligators. There were trails and the ability to view from a car. This was a relaxing outing.See more..
This little roadside attraction sponsored by the state parks, was one of the first roadside parks in S.C. places here to show some of the beauty that is the Palmetto State. It still succeeds! Park in the little parking area at the bottom of the park. Head up the trail about 100ft past a small fall and in front of another to cross a creek to get on the main trail. Head on up the trail past the original picnic building with its concrete pad and fireplace still intact. The main trail does a loop and either way will get you by the upper falls, which is a real treat if there has been some rain recently. Watch the kiddies or the adults who act like kiddies - the falls are beautiful, but they are slick and are not forgiving to fools. Adhere to the signs and this will be something you remember for a long time - simply stunning! See more..
4.5Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary(32 reviews) - Stretch your legs and learn about the Lowcountry Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
The wildlife sanctuary protects forest and swamps and provides a great refuge for weary travelings using I-95, including more than 4 miles of walking trails, including several trails accessible for wheelchairs. Our visit was in November. No bugs. Nice temperatures. This could be a hot and buggy place in summer so be advised.See more..
I live just a few miles from Forty Acre Rock and always have a lot of fun exploring the area. There are many wonderful things to discover off the regular trails. There is too much to put in this review. We see white tail deer, wood ducks, crawdads (in the creeks), snakes, and many more wildlife. People for the most part are respectful of the area but trash is a constant problem. My family always brings plenty of bags to try and keep it clean but the next week we’re picking up trash again. I have seen a few cameras around the area with an antenna on the cameras so I can only hope they’re going to go after the bad visitors. Overall the experience is very relaxing and most weekends I’m out so if you see me don’t hesitate to ask questions. Sorry some of the pictures are upside down don’t know what I did wrongSee more..
4.0Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve(28 reviews) - Great hiking spot! Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Geologic Formations
This is a beautiful and well kept nature trail. I visited with my grandfather back in the early '70's and took my own children in the early 2000's. My family visited just months before the Rock toppled. Its still a beautiful place to hike and let the kids climb rocks.See more..
4.5Barnwell State Park(26 reviews) - Pet friendly, ADA certified cabins and tremendous nature all around. Spent 1-2 hours State Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
We rented the pet friendly cabin. The stay was great-better than expected. Baron the Hound had a fantastic time. The cabin is ADA certified so it was easy for my wife, who has limited mobility, to get around. Easy to get to the pond/lake and retrieve the jon boats (which are rented for only $15 per day and include paddle and life jackets!!) and fish. It was very easy for my wife to get to the water as well-even in a wheelchair. The fishing was fun. Caught fish every day from both the shore and in the boat. Eudora Animal Safari is close by-it's a drive thru safari where you feed the animals. It's a must see!! The Park Rangers are friendly and knowledgeable. The entire time was great. We made another reservation before we left, so that indicates our level of appreciation for this park.See more..
this 2.5 mile trail is excellent for hiking through forests and water ares. not many markings make for a wonderful adventure. Yes, I was lucky to observe a large gator resting on the banks of the water filled clay pits of the old brickyard. many great plant life can be observed. Very peaceful,yet the flow of the interstate nearby can be heard. Observed some dear tracks, dragonflies were great. The trail does get tricky when it gets near the Congaree creek. The numerous Alligator warning signs does keep one alert.takes about 1 to 2 hrs to complete depending on how fast you walk. worth visiting. Free of charge!!See more..
4.0Walhalla State Fish Hatchery(17 reviews) - Cool experience to see Hatchery and just outside is Paradise! Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
We heard about the Hatchery from the park ranger at Oconee Sate Park and thought we would drive just down the road and check it out with the kids. What we found was some of the most beautiful trails, streams and of course the TROUT was cool too. We came in just a feeding time and those fish are too cool. They could hear a voice and start to go crazy with excitement! Almost made me feel guilty for loving grilled trout so much. LOL Staff was super friendly and spoke with the kids. Just outside the hatchery was trails and places to picnic and fish. It felt like a rain forest of beautiful paradise right in the palm of our hands. The kids really enjoyed every second of it. We would go back again and spend more time here. SUPER COOL!See more..
On Price Avenue at the intersection of Price and Whiskey Road, all the hustle and bustle is evident. Cars crowd the streets and the noise of the city is apparent. On one side of Price Ave. sits the Odell Weeks Recreation Center, with its 1 mile long Virginia Acres Walking Track encircling the athletic building and the kids playground area. But, across Price Avenue from the North East side of the track, sits a quaint building, almost hidden from view from the road, that serves as an observation deck. As you walk toward that building, the feeling you get is that you have suddenly been transported to a place that is nature's own, even though you're still very much in the city. Wood ducks, mallards, and geese can be seen floating along as if they were in some far off lake, no where near the city. Walk the trail around the lake, and... solitude. And the only thing that spoils this is the background noise of Downtown Aiken City life.See more..
4.5Fripp Island Actvity Center(13 reviews) - Kids love it! Spent < 1 hour Nature & Wildlife Areas Awesome asset...kids even want to leave beach to go hold the snakes again! Helpful staff, fun change of pace.See more..
The Wildlife Drive consists of nine miles of paved roads that are a two-way. If you are in a rush, avoid this NWR, as the speed limit is around 25 mph. Every time you venture off of the paved road, you will encounter miles upon miles of serpentine and unpaved roads. Essentially, the visitor experiences the forest in the Sandhills by driving. There are some water features. Look for the turtles in April. See more..
An opportunity to spot alligators (22 the day we were there) and many birds. Very nice driving tour and solitude so we could get out of the vehicle and enjoy it even more. Packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed dining by the water at a couple of picnic tables available at the check station.See more..
This is a beautiful location and even though I never saw anyone, the walking trail was a very nice half mile walk along the water with informational signs posted along the way. I came on a Friday around noon and it wasn't until I was leaving that I noticed the sign posting tour days and hours. Just so no one else makes the mistake, the hatchery is opened from 7:30am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday, at which time anyone can take a self guided tour. The self guided tour is great for seeing scenery, but all the fish are in buildings and I was unable to see them. Guided tours can be given Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm - 3:30pm. I am assuming (12-1pm is their lunch since it is a government facility)See more..
4.5Milliken Arboretum(11 reviews) - Great green paths, trails not marked Tuesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
Great unmarked trails. NO restrooms, park on Frontage Road, off of 176Hwy/ Pine St. many ponds & wildlife, green easy trails, trees names are marked. Very enjoyable & open acres,kite flying , leashed dogs. Lunch nearby at Blossom RestaurantSee more..
4.5Twin Lakes Park(10 reviews) - Great camping Spent More than 3 hours National Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Forests
We have never been here before and happen to find website while searching for a place to camp around Lake Hartwell. We have pop up trailer and normally stay at KOA to have good shower facilities. This park is beautiful. Big camp sites. You are not looking in your neighbors window. Bath facilities are great. Very well maintained. Great swim beach. Lots of lakefront and Lakeview sites. Definately coming back.See more..
3.5Blue Heron Nature Center(7 reviews) - Nice little place Spent 1-2 hours Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
I live near by so we like to walk the wooden path through the woods and the trail around the small lake. They have pretty flowers in the spring and summer and fall. And Christmas lights in winter. They have little festivals once in a while. The building has stuffed wild animals and plaques to tell you about them. There is a restaurant there but it's closed now and probably for sale.See more..
The park offers a medium sized lake to kayak or fish on. There are also trails throughout for hiking, biking, and OHV. One trail leads to some abandoned gold mines, and if you continue up the mountain there is a lookout tower (can't climb it), but you get 360 degree views of the surrounding area from over 800 feet up. Great views in the Fall! There are also some other trails that offer a more challenging hike, and often times hard to follow the blazes. Overall definitely worth a trip if this sounds like your kind of day adventure.See more..
4.5Edwin M. Griffin Nature Preserve(5 reviews) - Comforrtable hiking trail by Lawson's Fork Creek Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
This trail is a very comfortable hike with the opportunity to be in nature in a close to downtown setting. It meanders beside the creek and there is the opportunity to walk across wetlands on a boardwalk and enjoy bird watching.See more..
Loved the walk in, beautiful views of Walhalla and the surrounding towns. The wild flowers were showing out. Great day walk to get back with myself.See more..
4.5Rocky River Nature Park(4 reviews) - Hidden Hiking Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
I moved to Anderson about a year ago and the one thing I have missed having access to is hiking. I love downtown Anderson and the activities the community puts on, but being able to get into nature without having to drive too far has been a challenge (and if you know of other places within 15-20 minutes - please share!) Anyway, the review for this popped up when I was doing some reviews for other places in the area. I'm so grateful that it did! I have been there a few times and really enjoy this space. I'll attach a few photos of the different trail markings to give you an idea. I haven't explored everything, but the trails don't seem too long or too strenuous. It's just nice to get out and explore a bit. I hope others find the space, but I admit that I love it when there aren't others around. I've gone out with a friend a few times and the quiet and solitude is really, really wonderful.See more..
4.5Tyger-10 Nature Park(2 reviews) - Nice little place to,get,away from the rat race Nature & Wildlife Areas
I like walking along the River here. This is a free place to go for a walk, explore nature and just unwind. The sounds of the river can be cathartic. Such a jewel...I hope the county continues to refine the area and properly maintain it.See more..
3.5Clemson Experimental Forest(2 reviews) - Cool part of Clemson history - hiking, education and waterfalls Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas We found this by accident looking for something to hike near Clemson. This was farmed out farmland that Clemson reclaimed into a forest. They do studies and experiments to see how things grow but have trails throughout the 17,000+ acres North and South of Clemson. We hiked to Waldrop Falls. It was an easy 1.5 mile loop. It is beautiful and very pleasant. Worth the hike. There are other trails as well and it connects to Lake Hartwell and other wet areas. Cheers!!!See more..
We have a boat on the lake so, we wanted to camp nearby. Hawe creek is a wonderful campground with large sites lots of trees and clean restrooms. I stayed with my wife and adult son. If you have small children the park does not have much to offer. I would suggest Elijah Clark State Park up the road but for us it was wonderful.See more..
5.0Sumter National Forest(2 reviews) - Wonderful Adventure! Nature & Wildlife Areas • Forests
We did the whole Foothills National Recreation Trail, 76.2 miles, and we spent a fair bit of our time in the Sumter National Forest. The trail was well marked and well maintained, the back country campsites were often beautiful and always near babbling brooks or roaring streams. We spent our time crossing through beautiful mountain forests, crisscrossed by waterfalls - just amazing. Definitely recommend picking up the guide book at the ranger’s office or the foothills trail conservancy website - and reading it. This was our first hike more than a couple of days - our bags were too heavy, it poured for three days, it got cold enough to freeze a water bottle that got left overnight by some camp shoes - and we made it! Not only did we make it, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We ate lunch at so many waterfalls it almost got routine. Highly Recommend!!!See more..
We recently visited Bunched Arrowhead for a bird watching outing. It is a preserve that is run by the DNR and offers a nice little trail through forest and field. Local birders often visit with good results. The preserve is named for a rare and endangered plant, the "bunched arrowhead", which grows and blooms there. If you choose to visit please be respectful of the land and animals and leave no trace.See more..
I found this Federal Rec area to be very peaceful. Quite calm along the Broad River, it offers picnic shelters with grills. Fishing along the river is an option. Plenty of hiking trails for walking, biking and hiking. The campground appears to be nice as well. Nice looking sites . Ni electric, vault toilets. Water turned off in the winter months. I enjoyed my visit here. Solid in nature. Day use area is free, camp sites are $7 or $14 for group siteSee more..
3.0Laney Landing at Riverside Park(1 review) - Picnic At The Great Pee Dee River Spent < 1 hour Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
This park has been here for many years and has a large parking lot , so you can always find a spot . There is a covered area with picnic tables and a large brick grill . You could do small gatherings such as birthday parties or such here . There is a small boat landing if you want to go fishing in the Great Pee Dee River . There are also several benches where you can lookout at the river and look for birds and watch the water go by . There is also a cool bridge which I assume goes to a walking trail . I haven't been here for years , so when I visited Cheraw in September , I came by to check it out . I use to come here with some girls I dated back in the 80's when I was in high school in Bennettsville and dated some Cheraw and Chesterfield girls . I now live in Las Vegas , Nevada and get back to the Carolinas about every 5 years . There is also a historical marker which is hard to read now , but I found a website with what it says .See more..
We did the new trail, whichs leads to the observation platform. While its regarded as moderate, we thought it was a challenging hike. Longer than what its listed as online. Beautiful trail with bridges. The falls were a delight to see- loud and powerful. We were the only ones on the trail- very quiet and secluded. Did see a copperhead snake. Platform is small, but nice. Maybe next time we'll do the older trail which leads to the bottom. If you want a wonderful walk in nature- go here. Located not too far from the Sassafras paek. Roadside parking. great FREE entertainmentSee more..
n the Smith Mountain Lake area of Southern Virginia, guided interactive tours on our large Alpaca farm near the Lake, Historic & State Parks, beach/ boating facilities, wineries and the beautiful mountains surround us here on our farm, where you"ll enjoy the gentle atmosphere of 70 roaming alpacas; you can feed,hug and hold alpacas! BEST-Guided-walking-tours: includes the history, hands-on!See more..
