Goodale State Park

2019 Hiking Week 39

Happy December!
It's been almost a year since I started posting about local South Carolina hikes and outdoor adventures. We have seen so much of the state. With just seven state parks left to visit this year, we have driven through almost every county in the state and I've learned more about the history and character of different regions of South Carolina. It's been a lot of fun and a lot of miles!


The river coming from the dam.
Recently, we visited Goodale State Park, outside of Camden. I had been saving this park because I wanted to paddle their blue trail for kayaks and canoes. But, the warm weather got away from us so we decided to go anyway on a Friday afternoon. It is a beautiful little park just outside of downtown Camden. The main feature is the civil war era mill lake with a paddling trail for visitors. There is also a nature hiking trail and some picnic and gathering spaces. We were able to walk around part of the lake on the dammed end. The park was originally a county park for the area and was given over to be a state park in the late 1900's. I'm looking forward to going back in warmer weather to paddle and maybe take a picnic as well.





Admission is free. Also, when we were there, the main building restrooms were closed. They had other facilities but there weren't many. Just be prepared. They have kayaks and canoes available to rent but I would call them to make sure they will be open to rent when you go. You can also bring your own, which we might do.







Park boat house

Downtown Camden



Downtown Camden is a cute historical town with lots of attractions. There is a historic Revolutionary battle ground and homes that you can tour. Their visitors website has a lot of self-guided tours you can use while walking around. If you're looking for a place to get a bite to eat, I have heard good things about the Mexican restaurant downtown, Salud. For another unique historical place to visit, check out the town of Boykin, just 10 miles away from downtown Camden. There's a mill pond, restaurant, and shops there.







The Camden Clock tower

Location: Goodale State Park, 650 State Rd S-28-331, Camden, SC 29020, USA

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