Ranger Arthur Murray

Park Service Profiles

Ranger Arthur Murray, at Lake Greenwood State Park, recently reached his two-year mark with the South Carolina State Park Service. Born in Greenwood, South Carolina, Ranger Murray began his career at Kings Mountain State Park after graduating from Horry-Georgetown Technical College with a degree in Forestry/Wildlife Management. “I always knew I wanted to work outside promoting conservation.  One day I saw that Kings Mountain State Park had an opening and decided to apply. It wasn’t until my interview that I learned what being a South Carolina State Park ranger really meant. They offered me the job and I accepted it right there on the spot,” Ranger Murray said. 

Our rangers not only interact with park visitors, but they also interact with the wildlife that calls the park home. Ranger Murray recounts a funny experience he had while unloading a dumpster into the trash compactor. “I was operating the hydraulic lever to lift the dumpster and when it was all the way up, a giant raccoon came falling out along with the trash.  Of course he didn’t want to end up in the compactor, so he jumped out like a flying squirrel directly towards me. While I was backing up to dodge him, I tripped on the edge of the concrete. The raccoon landed at the same time I did and just kind of glared at me. I busted out laughing, and I’m almost positive he rolled his eyes at me as he trotted off into the woods,” he said. 

Ranger Arthur loves interacting with park guests and feels the most common misconception about park rangers is that they are hardcore rule enforcers. “While we do have to be sometimes, it is a small part of our job. We are all just good-natured, outdoor enthusiasts who love to laugh and have fun,” Ranger Murray said. He finds the most satisfying things about being a park ranger is interacting with guests and teaching them about the natural resources and how to improve them. “My absolute favorite thing is sharing with guests the best fishing spots and learning from the old-timers on the lake,” he said. 

Thank you, Ranger Arthur, for continuing to educate and help our park visitors. Your positive attitude and willingness to help does not go unnoticed!