BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — South Carolinians who enjoy the outdoors have one more reason to celebrate this week. Over 350 acres of land -- comprised of three tracts -- have been added to Lee State Park, just east of Bishopville in Lee County.
South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT), in partnership with the Congaree Land Trust, the Lynches River Conservation Board, and the Central Carolina Community Foundation, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, August 29, to celebrate the expansion of Lee State Park.
The addition is made up of three tracts:
- one 92-acre tract adjacent to the northwestern border of the park's property to Lee State Park Road
- one 180-acre tract of swampland and forest floodplain on the southern tip of the park, below I-20 along the Lynches River
- one 92-acre tract separate from the existing park's footprint, protecting frontage along the Lynches River just south of Darlington Highway.
Duane Parrish, SCPRT Director, said, “This land donation enhances that core mission, adding significant acreage along the river and adjacent to the park’s management area, and opening up more possibilities to increase access to the beautiful Lynches River. We are so grateful to Congaree Land Trust, the Lynches River Conservation Board, and the Central Carolina Community Foundation for making this expansion possible.”
Lee State Park is one of the state's original 16 state parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) before WWII. The nearly 3,000-acre park featuring bottomland hardwood forest wetlands is located off I-20, between Columbia and Florence. Lee State Park has four artesian wells, 48 campsites, fishing areas, and 12 miles of equestrian trails.
