Park Ranger Steve Dowdey

If you’re ever on the coast of South Carolina, stop by Givhans Ferry State Park and visit Park Ranger Steve Dowdey. Dowdey grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and attended college at the University of South Carolina. As a teen, Dowdey volunteered at Dreher Island State Park and helped with maintaining the grounds before any of the facilities we know today were built. That experience sealed the deal for Dowdey- he wanted to be a park ranger. 

Dowdey started his ranger career over 25 years ago as a ranger at Poinsett State Park. Dowdey then moved on to Givhans Ferry, where he can still be found today. Both Poinsett and Givhans Ferry are smaller parks, which has allowed Dowdey to do some of everything from maintenance to official paperwork for the park. Dowdey enjoys working at Givhans Ferry, and says the good work environment is the most satisfying thing about his job. As for his funniest memory working in state parks, Dowdey remembers the funny faces of some visitors. A group of teenagers decided to steal firewood from a cabin, and chose the wrong time and place, as Dowdey was right next door! Dowdey says he will always remember the looks on their faces when he walked up. 

Dowdey says he has had the most fun working at Givhans Ferry State Park. He enjoys getting to meet great people from all over the county. Dowdey likes seeing people who come to Givhans Ferry to canoe for the time or even see Charleston for the first time. Sharing in those experiences is a special part of Dowdey’s job. When asked to sum up his job in one phrase, Dowdey says state parks allow him to be “able to work in some of the very special places South Carolina has to offer.” Thank you Ranger Dowdey for all you do for South Carolina State Parks!