Caesars Head State Park has long been a must-see in the South Carolina Upstate. A granitic gneiss outcropping atop the dramatic Blue Ridge Escarpment, it offers breathtaking views year-round, especially when fall sets the hardwoods ablaze.

Another annual highlight is the Hawk Watch program each fall, timed to allow visitors to marvel at the unforgettable sight of hundreds of soaring, swirling migrating raptors – hawks, kites, falcons, eagles and more – from the park visitors’ own perch at 3,200 feet above sea level.

Hiking trails ranging from easy to challenging circle and traverse Caesars Head and adjoining Jones Gap state parks, which together form the Mountain Bridge Wilderness, about 11,000 acres of pristine southern mountain forest.

One of the most popular trails at Caesars Head leads to 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls, where a suspension bridge offers one of the two publicly accessible overlooks to the falls as they splash deep into the mountain cove below.

Picnicking and wilderness trailside camping also are highlights. The park, easily accessible with its headquarters on U.S. 276 just shy of the state line, also leads to some prime trout fishing areas in the state-designated scenic Middle Saluda River.

See a Preview of the Park

Cannons boom. Muskets bark. Interpretive rangers in 17th century dress tend heirloom crops. They’re all part of the “new” Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site.

Here a group of English settlers landed in 1670 and established what would become the birthplace of the Carolinas colony, the plantation system of the American South, and one of the continent’s first major port cities. And here the story is still told. Opened in 1970 as Charles Towne Landing State Park, the peaceful park on a marshy point off the Ashley River was rebuilt in 2006 with a sharpened focus on the site’s remarkable past.

Begin with the 12-room, interactive museum in the Visitors Center that includes a “digital dig”. Then walk the self-guided history trail, using the MP3 players that add an audio tour to the experience.

Visit the Adventure, Charleston's only 17th century replica sailing ship, and the authentic experimental crop garden. Talk to archaeologists at work. And leave time for the Animal Forest natural habitat zoo and 80 acres of gardens that includes an elegant live oak alle’ and the Legare-Waring House, one of Charleston’s favorite sites for weddings and other special gatherings.

NEW Online Click Tour

Nestled in a floodplain forest along the designated state scenic Lynches River, Lee State Natural Area has been serving South Carolina since it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

Now conveniently located just off Interstate 20, visitors can camp, fish, ride horses and hike and explore along the park’s nature trails.

Lee State Natural Area’s artesian springs, millpond and sandhills add to its diversity as a natural setting. Deer, raccoons and red foxes are among the permanent residents.

The park also features an environmental education center with exhibits about its natural setting in Lee County, a library and historical documents, including newspapers, from the days the park was built during the Great Depression.

This lakeside meeting facility, part of the John Drummond and Holly Self Drummond Environmental Conference Center, will hold 165 people and is available for meetings, weddings, receptions, family reunions and special gatherings. Contact the park for availability and rates.