Sesquicentennial State Park

Sesquicentennial State Park is located in Columbia, SC on 1419 acres. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. The park was donated to the City of Columbia in 1937 by the Sesquicentennial Commission to mark the 150th anniversary of its incorporation. That is how the park got its name.

There is a retreat center that includes a kitchen and dorm-style accommodations for 30 people. There are picnic shelters and a campground. You can rent fishing boats, pedal boats, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes to use on the 30-acre lake. There is also 12 miles of hiking trails. An ADA-accessible two-mile loop goes around the lake and there is a 6.5-mile bike trail. It is the only SC state park that has a membership-only dog park where dogs can run off-leash. A park store sells firewood, ice, t-shirts, and gifts.

 

The campground consists of 84 standard campsites with electricity and water for RVs or tents. There are 5  primitive camping areas for up to 50 people per site

 

There is also a full-scale splash pad consisting of 26 sprayers. It is the only one in the South Carolina State Park System.

 

A two-story log house from the mid-1700s was moved to the park in 1969. It is believed to be the oldest building in Richland County.

 

We have visited this park but I would recommend going in the spring or the fall. When we visited in the summer, it was really hot, so we didn’t do much there.