It's not hard to figure out the main attraction at Lake Greenwood State Park. The 11,400-acre reservoir not only lends its moniker to the park, but also provides its raison d'être.
While the secluded setting in South Carolina's western Piedmont region is beautiful, it's the lake that brings visitors to the 914-acre park located in the town of Ninety Six. Two boat ramps provide boaters and anglers access to the water.
Largemouth bass is the big draw here, but the lake also offers bream, black crappie, stripers, perch and channel catfish, among others. If you don't have your own rod and reel, you can borrow one at the park office. But you'll still need to get a South Carolina fishing license.
The park also offers lakeside camping. Many of the 125 campsites sit right on the shore. They're so close to the water, you could drop a line right from your camper!
In addition, three of the park's four picnic shelters overlook the lake. There's also a handicap-accessible fishing pier and a courtesy dock near the park office.
But enough about the lake. One of the coolest things about Lake Greenwood State Park has nothing to do with the water. At the entrance to the park you'll see a rock wall like those at so many other state parks. Only this one appears to be half-completed.
That's because the wall was being built by the Civilian Conservation Corps when Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese. Called into service, the CCC boys dropped what they were doing to go off and fight in the war. The park service decided to keep the piles of unused stones just as they were left in 1941 as a reminder of the sacrifices the country made during World War II.
Many of the original structures built by the work teams remain standing as fine examples of classic CCC architecture. You can learn more about the New Deal-era corps and its projects at the Drummond Center, which houses the park office, a conference hall and an interactive exhibit on the CCC.
For more information on Lake Greenwood State Park, click here or call (864) 543-3535.
Explore Lake Greenwood State Park
