Old Santee Canal Park
Not very many people know that a really cool park is located in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. I didn’t even know that it existed until probably about nine years ago myself. I am in Moncks Corner quite a good bit, but a show on SCETV let me know that I was missing out on something special. I am a lover of history and nature, so this place is pretty special to me.
According to the parks website, construction began on Santee Canal in 1793, and for over the next seven years, over 700 workers worked to complete the canal. Shovels and picks had been used over and over again to complete the canal that when finished was an amazing 22 miles long, 35 feet wide, and 5.5 foot deep. In 1800 it was finally ready to be used to transport indigo and cotton to Charleston, South Carolina so it could be exported. Today, most of what is left of the Santee Canal is now located below Lake Moultrie. Fortunately, you can view some of it from Old Santee Canal Park where the waters of the canal connects with Biggin Creek and some swamps. As with everything, once more technology came along, as in the railroad in this case, the canal was no longer needed to transport the crops.
In 1989, Old Santee Canal Park opened. They have four miles of boardwalks, an excellent interpretive center, and a historic house on the property. You have excellent views of the Cooper River from one of the bridges that is built for you to walk over. It is home to alligators, turtles, ospreys, great blue herons, and numerous other types of wildlife. You can rent a canoe and take a ride through the water. The Berkeley County Museum is also located on the property, even though they were not open on this visit, and it is included with the price of admission.
A replica of the “Little David” is out front of the museum. The original was constructed in 1863 and was used during the Civil War as a semisubmersible torpedo boat for the Confederates. Apparently it was so successful that future naval vessels were inspired by this little sub. Another website says that they don’t know for certain what exactly happened to the original “Little David”, but it has been rumored to be buried underneath a street in Charleston. I’m fairly certain that if that is true, it will be uncovered one day since construction is always taking place in Charleston.
When you do visit the park, always be cautious of your surroundings. The alligators are in the water near the edge of the boardwalk a lot of times. You can easily come up on a venomous snake that is out sunning itself. If you are clumsy like me, you can slide down on the boardwalk after a rainstorm. The signs are up saying that the boardwalk can be slippery when wet, and that is definitely true. I’m fine, but it as a funny story to tell.
Old Santee Canal Park is located at 900 Stony Landing Road in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. They are open 9am until 5pm each day. Admission is $3 per person, $2 for senior citizens, and free for children that are 6 and under. Many events are held at the park each year. There typically isn’t a lot of people at the park on any given day unless an event is going on, so it is a place that you can usually visit without having to worry about huge crowds. I’ll definitely blog about this place in the future once it warms up because that is when the wildlife is out and about.
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