Many people are not aware of the fact that an amazing state park is located in the heart of South Carolina. I didn’t know that it existed until a few years ago when I made it my mission to visit all of the state parks in South Carolina. While it is not a park that I visit quite frequently, Sesquicentennial, also called Sesqui, is one that I really do enjoy on the times that I do stop by.

Sesquicentennial State Park was also one of the parks built by the CCC. If you read my blog about Lee State Park, I wrote a little about the history of the CCC and how they helped build 16 of the state parks in South Carolina. One of my most favorite features of Sesqui that was built by the CCC is the spillway. It is a stunning piece of historical architecture that is still loved by children and adults in this century even though it was built early in the last century.

Sesquicentennial State Park was acquired by the park service in 1937 when it was donated by the Sesquicentennial Commission. The CCC came in and built a lot of the things that are still enjoyed today. I will have a future blog that goes more in-depth about Sesqui, but for today, the spillway is my focus.

You can view the spillway from two different sides. Usually I just walk straight to it, but on this particular visit, I took a small nature trail to get the views of it from the opposite side. There is a small kiosk to the right side of the path that takes most people to the spillway. Walk over to the kiosk, and then you will see a small boardwalk. Once you are on the boardwalk, you will be able to see the spillway from the front instead of just a side view. There are two different levels of water falling down, and the sound of the water slowly falling over the sides is very relaxing.

I didn’t have much time to explore the rest of the park on this visit, but it was enjoyable watching other people enjoying it. Fathers and sons were fishing together, couples were walking the trail together, a few joggers were running the trail, and a few people were out on the lake enjoying their kayaks. It is easy to forget sometimes that a major city is right around this park. You get to leave all of the noise behind you for however long you wish once you go through the entrance to the park. Even the sign at the road tells you to “Come in and Play”.

Sesquicentennial State Park is located at 9564 Two Notch Road in Columbia, South Carolina. There is an admission fee of $6 for each adult that visits the park. The price drops some if you are a senior citizen or if you are a child. I can tell that this park is dearly loved by the locals because there is always a lot of people here each time I visit. I will touch base with all this park has to offer in a future blog. Stay tuned.

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