Winter Work, Summer Ready: How Maintenance Teams Prepare Our Parks
Message From The Director
For most people, winter and spring are spent scheduling summer vacations, finding a good camp for the kids during summer break, or prepping the garden for warmer days. As I have been reminded many times over the course of my career, park people are just “different.” For park people, winter and spring are about getting ready for those excited vacationers and summer camp kids—sprucing up the grounds, making repairs to facilities, and deep cleaning areas they simply can’t get to during the busy summer and fall seasons.
Over the last twenty years, I’ve also noticed that the so‑called “slow” season for accomplishing these tasks has steadily shrunk. Parks now essentially run wide open 24/7/365. So what I’m about to share is even more impressive, given our visitation levels and capacity. While each and every park staff has been busy getting ready for increased summer visitation and each park has gotten some love during this off-season, I’m excited to highlight at least a few of those today.
Often, the unsung heroes who help parks shine are relegated to behind‑the‑scenes work, but I’d like to bring their efforts to the forefront and walk through some of the projects our Regional Maintenance teams have been tackling—with a little help from their friends—to prepare for our summer visitors.
We’ll start in the Mountain Region with Regional Maintenance Supervisor Wayne Sanders. Wayne is not a shy guy and jumps at any opportunity to brag on his region and its parks. He’s passionate about training the next generation and setting us up for long‑term success. Trainings this season included dump truck operation, proper chainsaw techniques and a new initiative modeled off a Toyota industry standard that focuses on safety, customer service, and organization to make parks safer, improve efficiency, and provide clean, functional amenities to enhance visitor experience. One project that is sure to impress visitors is the new office at Rose Hill, completed almost entirely in house by Wayne and Regional Chief, Adin Fell.
Basic and Advanced Chainsaw Safety Training
“The Rose Hill project involved converting an old picnic shelter into a new office and retail space. The service counter incorporates historic materials, including 1700s‑era brick from the plantation that was cut and repurposed into laminate brick. The countertop was crafted from a hickory tree that fell during Hurricane Helene,” says Wayne.
You can hear the pride in his voice when he explains how he “milled, sanded, and finished the wood with epoxy.” Additional improvements to the new office area include a paved ADA parking area to increase accessibility, along with the relocation of the flagpole and kiosk. Together, these changes help shift the focal point of the park to the new office and enhance the overall visual perspective of the mansion.
Moving into the Lakes Region, Regional Maintenance Supervisor Brandon Johnson spent the off‑season assisting parks with essential repairs to water, sewer, and drainage systems. Many of our most important improvements are those visitors never see. While these projects aren’t highly visible, they are critical to daily park operations and involve amenities visitors would certainly notice if they weren’t working—like sinks and toilets in day‑use restrooms, or showers in our overnight facilities! Most recently, Brandon helped resolve a drainage issue at the Calhoun Falls State Park’s beach restroom on the shores of Lake Russell, a busy place in the summer months.
Keeping equipment in good working order is another behind‑the‑scenes essential. Brandon supported multiple parks this off‑season by repairing maintenance equipment to help ensure facilities operate smoothly year‑round.
In the Sandhills Region, Regional Maintenance Supervisor Billy Burk and a dedicated team of park managers and rangers tackled residence improvements, trail work, lingering Hurricane Helene cleanup, and repairs to public facilities, including the Tea Room at Poinsett State Park.
This winter, during the Sandhills Region quarterly safety meeting, safety officers focused heavily on trail maintenance, partnering with volunteers from the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) to learn how to properly bench a section of the Hilltop Trail at Poinsett State Park using hand tools only. The project rerouted an eroded portion of the trail and showcased the power of collaboration and good training. Cyclists in the months to come will benefit from the planning and execution of these trail projects.
Moving to the coast, Upper Coast Regional Maintenance Supervisor Brandon Bowers highlighted several annual projects focused on keeping our parks safe and accessible for the millions of visitors who head to the beach each summer.
One major project involved boardwalk decking at Myrtle Beach State Park. This year, staff replaced approximately 950 boards on the pier deck, boardwalk, and step walkovers. If you’ve ever had a visit ruined by a splinter, you know that’s a lot of feet saved!
Coastal parks take a beating from sun and sand year‑round, which means parking lots and facilities require extra TLC every year. That often includes deep cleaning and fresh paint for parking areas, shelters, and restrooms. And sometimes, there’s room for a few especially cool projects—like remodeling the campground store and host hut with live‑edge planks made by the maintenance crew from 1x10 cedar boards. Now that’s the good stuff.
We strive to make a visit to the park smooth from start to finish. With that goal in mind, maintenance staff at Hampton Plantation graded park roads to reduce bumps and pooling water, improving both safety and comfort for visitors.
Some projects you might not immediately think of include designing and cutting signs for new and existing parks—such as The Meadows at Black River —and remodeling on‑site staff residences, often a major undertaking, as shown in the before‑and‑after photos from Lee State Park.
All five Regional Maintenance Supervisors—Wayne Sanders (Mountains), Brandon Johnson (Lakes), Billy Burk (Sandhills), Brandon Bowers (Upper Coast), and Everett Clark (Lower Coast)—work daily on tasks both big and small to keep our parks running smoothly. Their investment in preventative maintenance, thoughtful planning, and unwavering dedication ensures our parks are ready to welcome visitors in every season.