Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area sits astride several pine-covered points jutting into Lake Russell, one of the least-developed large reservoirs in South Carolina.

Besides providing access to the big Savannah River lake, the park offers camping, picnicking, a tennis court, playground, seasonal swimming area and hiking.

Picturesque views of the lake and surrounding forest are another highlight. Area anglers know well, too, that Lake Russell holds large numbers of bass, bream, catfish and crappie.

And that’s no fish story.

Visitors to Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site are walking into a rare look at a remarkably preserved past.

An archaeological treasure, the park rests on the site of Dorchester, a trading town that flourished on the Ashley River inland from Charleston from 1697 through the Revolutionary War.

Intact remains of the old town include the brick bell tower of St. George’s Anglican Church, a fort made of the oyster-shell concrete called tabby, and part of a log wharf visible at low tide.

When the town was abandoned after the Revolution, the forest and later a community park protected the site, leaving remarkably undisturbed evidence of village life just beneath the surface.

Today, visitors to Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site can watch as archaeologists unearth the settlement’s history. Together with abundant historical records from Charleston, the site is helping to paint a clearer picture of colonial life in the American South.

Join volunteer interpreters at the Living History Farm as they help Kings Mountain State Park celebrate Independence Day the way it was in 1850. Interpreters will be demonstrating farming practices as well as the various ways people celebrated July 4th 150 years ago. There will be many hands on activities for all ages to participate in.

This meeting room is perfect for small groups or seminars.