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I have climbed several higher mountains without guide or path,
and have found, as might be
expected, that it takes only more
time and patience commonly than
to travel the smoothest highway.
-- Henry David Thoreau
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Orangeburg SC ...Orangeburg Sports, Recreation & Wildlife
Old school gentleman hunters – those who love their quail and wonderful redbreast – gravitate to Orangeburg and the Edisto River. Adventurers will speculate on how big the fish was that took his/her fishing poll and swam away. One angler shares, “I'd say we belong to a river fishing brotherhood that makes any other sporting endeavor, however enjoyable, come up a little light when compared to being on the river.”
BOATING: Only 25 miles from Orangeburg is Lake Marion. -Less
With 315 miles of shoreline, millions of people find this to offer a variety of outdoor recreational activities. The creation of a navigable route from Columbia to Charleston was one objective of the Santee Cooper project.
CANOEING: One of the most popular canoe trips on the river begins at Shillings Bridge Road (SC secondary highway 74) and runs seven miles to the Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg. This run offers beautiful scenery, flat water and is good for the novice. For more of a challenge for the expert, a 12.3 mile run between the Edisto Gardens and secondary highway 39 is primitive and pristine with unpredictable currents and plenty of deadfall. Another canoe trip on the North Fork Edisto River is from Baughman Landing to Edisto Gardens in Orangeburg. (7 - 8 miles; 4-5 hours. Put-in at Baughman Landing on S 74 off SC 178, landing sign on SC 178.FISHING: Since Colonial times, the Edisto River redbreast has had the reputation of being the best in the world. -Less
From May until December, largemouth bass are most abundant. Convenient to Interstate travelers, the free-flowing Edisto River provides habitats for both recreationally and commercially important fish species. Among these are the anadromous striped bass and the American shad. A total of 87 freshwater species and 120 saltwater species of fish have been collected and identified from the Edisto Basin. The redbreast sunfish, the flat bullhead, and channel catfish are the most sought-after sport fish on the river.
GOLFING: Orangeburg's Hillcrest Golf Club offers challenging play and is centrally located for county residents and visitors to the area. HIKING: Hikers will enjoy Horne Wetlands Park & Nature Trail in Edisto Memorial Gardens.
HORSEBACK RIDING: Horseback riding and boarding facilities are available throughout the county. -Less
For information, visit the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce Site, or call 803-534-6821 or 1-800-545-6153.
HUNTING: Marksmen will enjoy ideal conditions for all types of hunting throughout the county. -LessShooting preserves and state managed lands provide excellent habitat for deer, dove, ducks, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, wild turkeys, bobcats and even wild hogs. A profusion of birds and waterfowl inhabit the lowlands and swamps surrounding the many lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.
Buck Ridge Plantation. Deer hunting preserve in South Carolina, offering custom hunting packages WATER TRAILS: -Less
Edisto North Fork Blueway. This section of the Edisto River offers challenges for the experienced paddlers. Edisto River Access Sites from Friends of the Edisto, Inc. FRED, a non-profit organization, shows Edisto River Access Sites in Orangeburg County:
- Orangeburg County - North Fork Edisto River
- Pooles Mill Landing (at Hwy 3 bridge, near Lexington County line)
- Jones Bridge Landing (at Hwy 394 bridge, near North)
- Carson Park Landing (at Hwy 321 bridge, near North)
- Slab Landing (at Road 73 bridge, near Wolfton)
- Baughman Landing at Schillings Bridge (Road 74 bridge, west of Orangeburg)
- Edisto Memorial Gardens Park in Orangeburg. (Riverside Drive and Russell Street). Easy access via Interstate 26 and 95. A garden for the blind is a unique feature of Edisto Memorial Gardens. US 301 and 601 pass the Garden on their route from Florida and New York. The transformation began with azaleas planted in 1937 and roses in the 1940s. The City of Orangeburg contracts with All-America Rose Selections, inc., to display past and current award-winning roses. Web site: http://www.orangeburg.sc.us/
gardens/edisto.html The Home Wetlands Park features a 2,500-foot handicap accessible boardwalk located along the Edisto River, the longest black water river in the world. A working waterwheel supplies water to the ponds. Centennial Park features an ampi-theatre, fountain, and gazebo. The Gardens also include a golf course, spray park, and is home to the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center. - Orangeburg Landing (in park below Hwy 301/601 bridge)
- Livingston Landing (off Road 49, south of Orangeburg near fish hatchery)
- Pou’s Landing (off Road 49, south of Orangeburg beyond fish hatchery)
- Rowe’s Bridge Landing (at Road 39 bridge, near Rowesville)
- Kill Kare Landing (off Road 63, west of Branchville)
- Orangeburg County - South Fork Edisto River
- Hog Pen Landing (below Hwy 3 bridge, near Springfield)
- Ness Bridge Landing (at Hwy 70 bridge, near Finland, west of Cope)
- Edisto North Fork Blueway. This section of the Edisto River offers challenges for the experienced paddlers. Edisto River Access Sites fromFriends of the Edisto, Inc. FRED, a non-profit organization, show Edisto River Access Sites in Orangeburg County:
- Orangeburg County - North Fork Edisto River
- Pooles Mill Landing (at Hwy 3 bridge, near Lexington County line)
- Jones Bridge Landing (at Hwy 394 bridge, near North)
- Carson Park Landing (at Hwy 321 bridge, near North)
- Slab Landing (at Road 73 bridge, near Wolfton)
- Baughman Landing at Schillings Bridge (Road 74 bridge, west of Orangeburg)
- Edisto Memorial Gardens Park in Orangeburg. (Riverside Drive and Russell Street). Easy access via Interstate 26 and 95. US 301 and 601 pass the Garden on their route from Florida and New York. The transformation began with azaleas planted in 1937 and roses in the 1940s. The City of Orangeburg contracts with All-America Rose Selections, inc., to display past and current award-winning roses. Web site: http://www.orangeburg.sc.us/
gardens/edisto.html The Home Wetlands Park features a 2,500-foot handicap accessible boardwalk located along the Edisto River, the longest black water river in the world. A working waterwheel supplies water to the ponds. Centennial Park features an ampi-theatre, fountain, and gazebo. The Gardens also include a golf course, spray park, and is home to the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center. - Orangeburg Landing (in park below Hwy 301/601 bridge)
- Livingston Landing (off Road 49, south of Orangeburg near fish hatchery)
- Pou’s Landing (off Road 49, south of Orangeburg beyond fish hatchery)
- Rowe’s Bridge Landing (at Road 39 bridge, near Rowesville)
- Kill Kare Landing (off Road 63, west of Branchville)
- Orangeburg County - South Fork Edisto River
- Hog Pen Landing (below Hwy 3 bridge, near Springfield)
- Ness Bridge Landing (at Hwy 70 bridge, near Finland, west of Cope)
WILDLIFE: The Edisto Basin supports 94 natural ecological communities (not including aquatic communities) which in turn support a wide diversity of animal species. -Less
Populations of several nationally threatened and endangered species are located in the basin and their presence suggests that the Edisto Basin contains intact and uncontaminated habitats that are rare or unique in the nation. These species include the red-cockaded woodpecker, southern bald eagle, wood stork, loggerhead turtle, and shortnosed sturgeon. Large game animals in the area include the white-tailed deer, which is widely distributed, and the eastern wild turkey. These and smaller game species are abundant and continue to attract hunters to the Edisto Basin
- ACE BASIN: The ACE Basin is a region of exceptional natural diversity within the coastal areas of the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto rivers of South Carolina. The area is one of the highest priority focus regions for protection under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The Nature Conservancy has called it one of the "last great places." More than 140,000 acres of the ACE Basin form a National Estuarine Research Reserve, the third largest in the country.
Southern Lodge | Exit 145A
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803/531-7333
email info@southernlodge.com
3616 St. Matthews Road
Highway 601
Orangeburg, South Carolina
USA 29118-8214
