Play It Forward

We are a park service rooted in one of America’s greatest stories of resilience and purpose. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the Civilian Conservation Corps—an army of young men who answered a national call. They packed their bags, left their hometowns, picked up tools, and built the foundations of the park systems we treasure today. Imagine the sense of unity they must have felt, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a shared purpose: to build something that would last.

Today, our rangers carry that legacy forward. Men and women with the same spark—driven by service, strengthened by hard work, and united by a mission greater than themselves. That spirit is the heartbeat of the Play It Forward campaign. The South Carolina State Park Service has inherited this legacy, and we are ready to pick up those hammers once again.

Our request for $185 million is more than an investment—it is a commitment to preserve, restore, and reimagine the parks entrusted to us nearly a century ago. From Myrtle Beach to Lee, from Cheraw to Table Rock, the craftsmanship of the CCC still stands. Their vision of resilience, community, and connection lives on in every stone wall, every picnic shelter, every trail. These funds would allow us to breathe new life into that vision—just in time to honor the CCC’s (and South Carolina State Park’s) 100th anniversary. What a birthday celebration it would be to see these cherished places renewed!

But honoring our past also means preparing for our future. Infrastructure built in the 1930s—and even the 1970s—has surpassed its useful life. To offer the amenities and experiences that inspire today’s visitors, we must first strengthen the foundation beneath them: repairing roads, modernizing water and sewer systems, stabilizing dams, enhancing visitor centers, and restoring historic structures.

We welcome millions of visitors each year, but to capture the hearts of the next generation, we must meet them where they are. That means Wi-Fi in our campgrounds. It means immersive, technology-rich exhibits. It means modern cabins that feel like home. This is our moment to elevate the places that hold South Carolina’s shared memories—and create the memories still to come.

With your support, and the support of our state leaders, we can Play It Forward for today’s visitors and for the next generation of South Carolinians. On our website, you’ll find an FAQ outlining the vision behind this request and a survey where you can tell us how you use our parks—and what you hope to see in their future.

This is our legacy, South Carolina.

This is our moment.

Let’s Play It Forward.