I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the kind of person that goes to Woods Bay State Park just to walk the nature trail. I probably only walk the trail once or twice each year, and that is pushing it. The whole trail is less than a mile long, so I really don’t have an excuse not to walk it.

Yesterday when I went, the boardwalk was taped off for repairs. The boardwalk is hands down one of the most beautiful things to photograph, so I was a little disappointed, but I know that the repairs are needed. The park manager wrote on my Instagram post that they hope to have it ready by this weekend, and that they are trying to keep everybody safe. That is totally understandable since alligators are in the water, and one can occasionally be found sunning itself on the boardwalk. The purpose of my visit was to see if an alligator was out since it was over 70° in the middle of February, but it wasn’t meant to be. I did snap a picture of the beautiful reflections of the trees in the water before I walked on . That is a tip that I always like to give. The black water around the boardwalk gives off amazing reflections.

I decided since I had some time to spare that I would walk the nature trail. It is actually a very beautiful walk, but I do have a tendency to walk up on snakes, so I usually stay clear of the trail. I know you are wondering why I love alligators, but am afraid of snakes. I can see the alligator and know where it is and what it is doing, but I can’t usually see snakes and I am on top of them before I realize it. Fortunately I only saw a few lizards yesterday.

When you have walked on the trail for probably about half a mile you will come to the ruins of a brick foundation of an old grist mill that was located on the park years before it was a state park. According to the South Carolina Parks website on Woods Bay, two grist mills and a cotton gin used to be present on the land. They were already all gone by the time the state acquired the park in 1973, and unfortunately no pictures exist of any of the structures. There is a wayside located where the bricks that remain are located, and a picture from a grist mill in Florida is shown because that it how they feel the mill would have looked.

While my hike continued, I took a look over at the beautiful trees. Woods Bay is actually a Carolina Bay, which means that it is an elliptical depression. That means that a shallow, oval depression is found, and that trees and other vegetation grows in it. The trees are gorgeous because they always have water around them. There are a lot of cypress trees growing at Woods Bay. We have been told that if the boardwalk could ever get extended that we would get to see how beautiful the bay really is. Also the canoe trail lets you explore Woods Bay the way it was meant to be seen. I’ll probably never know for sure.

My short hike finally ended and I was back at the nature center. The nature center is only open a couple of days each week for an hour or so, but yesterday wasn’t one of those days. It is home to Tex, a 14 foot American Alligator that once roamed the world. He is no longer living, but you do get to see how amazing alligators really are.

Woods Bay State Park is known as the least visited SC State Park. I have been many times where I have the park all to myself, but I have also been and cars have been in the parking lot from various United States. I often get asked if Woods Bay is a place to spend the day. No, it’s not, but you can spend a good hour or so there enjoying the boardwalk or either the nature trail. I visit this park at least 100 times each year, so I’m able to catch it in all of the seasons and I see how much it changes constantly. You can visit yourself since admission is free. The park is located at 11020 Woods Bay Road in Olanta, South Carolina. It is open daily from 9am until 6pm.

Published by travelingthesoutheast

My name is Donna. At an early age I had a love for photography. There was nothing more fun than taking film to a store and then having to wait several days to get the photographs back, sometimes only to find out that none of the pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. Quite a few years ago digital came out, and the rest is history. I can always be found with a camera around my neck, on my arm, or in my hand. I have always had a love for telling stories and sharing them with others. My imagination has always been a little on the wild side. About ten years ago, I decided one day that I wanted to start traveling, and I have never looked back. There is nothing in the world that I enjoy more than traveling and taking photographs. View all posts by travelingthesoutheast