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Woods Bay

Woods Bay  Image
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HOURS

9 a.m. - 6 p.m., daily

OFFICE

11 a.m. - noon, daily

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ADMISSION

Free admission

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PETS

Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas provided they are kept under physical restraint or on a leash not longer than six feet. Owners will be asked to remove noisy or dangerous pets or pets that threaten or harass wildlife.

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No Wifi Available

Woods Bay State Park

Midlands

Park Manager

Dan Hancock

Park Manager

I am Dan Hancock, and I am the manager at Woods Bay State Park. I have always enjoyed being in nature and the outdoors, so being in a park setting has always felt natural to me. My journey started in 1989 when I worked at Lee State Park as a lifeguard, but I did not return to the park service until I became a park technician at Lake Wateree State Park in 2015. This is when I discovered I wanted to be a park ranger. No matter which park I have worked at, I have always felt at home. I feel fortunate to be the manager of both Woods Bay and Lee state parks.

The feature I like most at Woods Bay is the hiking trail that goes around old mill pond. It has a lot of nice trees and vegetation to view during the walk along the dam. The trail provides a lot of natural sounds and peacefulness. Being on this trail allows me to really have clear thoughts and just enjoy being in nature.

I would recommend hiking the boardwalk for a first-time visitor. The possibilities of spotting an alligator, multiple species of aquatic life and getting to venture into a preserved Carolina Bay are all great experiences. It can be very peaceful and relaxing. Lots of natural elements can be found all over Woods Bay and provide a relaxing experience.

**Our Ultimate Outsider stamp is located in a box beside the kiosk in front of the picnic shelter.


Woods Bay State Park offers a close-up look at one of the last remaining large Carolina Bays on the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. The 1,590-acre park, located in the coastal plains region, features a wide range of habitats including marsh, sandhills, oak-hickory forest and shrub bog.

The habitats of Woods Bay can be explored by taking the nature trail encircling the mill pond or by walking the length of the 1,150 foot boardwalk, which provides views of alligators in the cypress tupelo swamp. The best way to see the park is by following a canoe trail which takes paddlers past the Carolina Bays, elliptical depressions which appear swampy but remain dry.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 Carolina bay, an elliptical depression of unknown origin

1 mile kayak trail which takes paddlers past the Carolina bays

1150 foot boardwalk through a cypress-tupelo swamp

1 picnic shelter that accommodates up to 50 people, that is available for rent

114 bird species that have been seen and reported within the boundaries of the park

0.75 mile loop trail, the Mill Pond Nature Trail

1590 acres of parkland in the coastal plains region of South Carolina

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