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    Sesquicentennial State Park

    4.1 (63 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Simplicity at its best.
    Peter M.

    Overall, a nice park built by the Civilian Conservation Corp during the 1930's. Beautiful lake and trails. We camped on site #14 in November. We enjoyed the location which was near the bathhouse, too. While we liked the camping and park, the facilities are not up to State Park levels. All of the buildings need significant upgrades. Bathrooms were clean and properly maintained, but their appearance was off-putting; happily, morever, our interactions with staff were excellent. If looking for a site, I suggest viewing the campsite walking link from Campers and Campsites. Very helpful. https://youtu.be/EB6SCQa6fAg?si=LVjDmXLzfVfddrRi

    Entrance off Two Notch rd.
    Rick T.

    It's not my favorite park but it's very close to our house if we want a quick nature walk. Lots of people always here it's crowded on weekends. Went fishing here when I was a kid enjoyed that, plenty of parking

    Map of Trails, very easy to follow & well marked
    Maddie M.

    Beautiful park for a short hike or bike ride. Felt very safe as a single woman. The trails are beautiful, well maintained & well marked. You do get bang for your buck. Only downfall is the admission price: $6/adult/day or $100/annual pass. If you're a local it makes sense to buy the annual, but as someone passing through the area for a couple weeks I'll find somewhere else to walk the dog.

    Laura H.

    What a HIDDEN Gem near the city we headed there and entrance fee was $6 dollars per person and with so much to do what a great park to visit! If you're a local and will be coming here often I believe the annual pass is a better fit especially since it's not just this park but all state parks in SC First stop since we had the pup with us we headed to the gated dog park but we didn't want to deal with passes for the day so we opted for a hike by the lake and it was the best idea! The dog park here is pretty strict but at the end of the day safe for the pups There is also facilities for parties or a boathouse where you can rent out equipment and head to the water ‍

    Jenny J.

    Sesquicentennial State Park is awesome! It's the perfect campground to stay at with an RV when visiting Congaree National Park. They have a super fun bike path around the lake which is perfect for mountain bikes, but we managed with beach cruisers too! You can rent pedal-boats for just $10 an hour; 4 people can fit in one. They also have kayaks, canoes, SUP, and little fishing boats. STEVE at the camp store was very helpful and friendly. We interacted with him the most. Everyone we interacted with was so nice - Rachel & Sophie! I forgot the name of the young ranger that was petting our dog right out side the store but she was so kind and understanding of puppy behavior. If we are ever in the area again we would love to stay here again!

    Sesquicentennial State Park walking path.
    Debra S.

    This is a beautiful park. The trails walking and/or bike riding give you options. We did about 5 miles and got to see so many different species of birds and other wildlife. They also have areas for bbq's and picnics. There is a charge to enter since this is a State Park.

    Lake with paddle boats and canoes etc :)
    John M.

    What a great park! 2.5 mile hike around the lake is perfect for a day out with the dog! There's trails as well for biking. They have a ton of places to sit and have a picnic and also rent paddle Boats and canoes as well. I see a water pad for the kids as well!

    Path near the water run-off
    Ariel B.

    Finally got the time to check out the state park nearby. It's $5 per adult but if you plan on visiting at least 11 times during a year, then the annual pass may be a better option. There's plenty of parking, a splash pad & playground for kids, and you're able to boat and kayak. The walking, lake, and bike trail are all clearly marked with color coded arrows throughout the trails. We chose to walk around the lake for a few miles, where we saw a couple of people fishing and even more people walking with their dogs. There's easy access to bathrooms and a Gatorade vending machine by the docked boats. The park overall it well maintained. There wasn't a spot of trash, even in the picnic areas. We'll definitely be back a few times.

    Sesquicentennial State Park
    Evan G.

    Sesquicentennial State Park in Columbia is a great place to go for all things outdoors and trails and much more. I really like the location and everything that they have available here. A good place to go and get away. The park is well maintained and has much to offer.

    Trees
    Jane H.

    Sesquicentennial park has something for everyone. It is truly a beautiful park for locals and visitors to enjoy. The park has a splash pad, two playgrounds, picnic tables and covered sitting areas as well as grills. There are tons of walking trails and wonderful views of the water. Even on a busy day where the park is full of people attending get togethers the park always remains very peaceful and serene. A hidden gem for sure!

    Poorly cared for, poorly maintained. I was waiting to post until we had been here multiple times. This is our 3rd stay (necessity not want). Every time we have been let down. The bathrooms are messy and unkempt. Poorly stocked. The sites aren't level and one site we had you could not hook up to both water AND power without extensions because the posts were too far apart. The bathrooms are never stocked. I've attached pictures taken the Thursday BEFORE labor day weekend. Before the rush. The campground is at maybe 20% capacity and the bathrooms are completely depleted You're better off skipping this if you can. The only reason we have stayed is because it is one of the very few campgrounds in this area. So frustrating

    Kevin G.

    Overall, it was good. I had a nice 35 minute hike around the lake. Very cool they have a splash pad for kids. A playground. Some nice boardwalks through wetlands. Some "off the beaten path" trails you could possibly explore. And they had a nice small general store. There were plenty of picnic tables and grills. Restrooms available. I'm pretty sure they had kayak rentals. It was $6 a person to enter the park. But I found the park somewhat small for my 100% approval.

    Beautiful lake picture I took at sesquicentennial state park !

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    2 years ago

    I love this park for picnics, walks along the trails, the splash pad and just relaxation. It's also good for a camp night.

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    2 years ago

    Love it. Has a splash pad for kids in summer. Has play grounds and trails. Also has a pond for fishing.

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    4 years ago

    I like this park. Clean and peaceful. Nice lake. Staff helpful. Great visit. Lots of fun

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    4 years ago

    Love this park. Well maintained and a great way to reconnect with nature without having to travel far from Columbia, SC.

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Sesquicentennial park is a good place to enjoy nature and to go walking through the trails

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    4 years ago

    Very nice place to visit. Close to Columbia.the rest rooms are clean the playground equipment is well kept

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    4 years ago

    There is a small splash pad, boat/ paddle board rentals and the lake looked clean. The trails were nothing special.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Sesquicentennial State Park

    Is there a trail I can do a long run on (>7 miles)?

    Mtb trail.. two loops of the double track... plenty of unofficial trails. Look at Strava heat map to get an idea. Also look at Sandhills ultra map for ideas.

    Can you swim in any of the lake?

    No, but they do have pedal boats, kayaks and canoes. As well as a splash pad.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Sesquicentennial State Park

    I wished I had my bathing suit with me, at the splash pad there isn't and shaded areas so it gets hot hot hot!

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    Lake Murray Dam

    Lake Murray Dam

    4.6
    (10 reviews)
    18.1 mi

    Lake Murray Dam walkway, travel down Lake Murray Blvd will run into it…read more I come here to run occasionally as it is scenic, breezy, straight, and runners frequent. I just started parking on the Irmo side, parking to left of guard house is free. On a weekend I can see this lot filling up quickly it's not a lot of spaces free. I do think this side is more stretching friendly than the Lexington side. Speaking of Lexington side I always parked there with larger overflow lot but there was construction there last time that closed half the spaces. The walkway across dam is wide enough for about three people walking side by side but for runners it can get hard to pass the more populated. I've seen roller skaters out there, strollers, dog walkers although there is no grass only concrete so pick up the doo. The mileage is about 3.4 miles across and back; there isn't any man made shade except the short barrier wall between lake and walkway. If you come during the day will be in full sun so recommend morning or evening for shadier walks/runs. It's an easy run across, is windy certain spots so make sure hat is tight or you will lose it. Worth visiting.

    Beautiful public park next to a dam - today's local adventure. My fur friend Cleo and I were out…read moreand about exploring neighboring cities and happened upon this smaller park area. The lake views are gorgeous! There's a small pier people fish from. Although windy, some people were picnicking in a couple spots. Geese and butterflies greeted us as we strolled by the water for a bit. Was a lovely, relaxing morning in local nature before the storm rolled in.

    Photos
    Lake Murray Dam
    Parking lot on Irmo side
    Parking lot on Irmo side
    Walkway across dam

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    Walkway across dam

    Sesquicentennial State Park - parks - Updated June 2026

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