Where to Cool Off in Orangeburg

Orangeburg gets some serious heat and humidity in these summer months. Unless you like to spend your summer dripping in sweat, you have a few options for cooling off. You can either spend your summers blasting air conditioning in your home (which your wallet won’t like), or find a great place to go for a dip and cool off.

Orangeburg and its surrounding area are full of beautiful state parks with swimming holes for you to cool off in. If you’re leaning toward the latter, to take a dip and cool off, here are four of the best swimming pools and lakes in the Orangeburg area.

Aiken State Park

This park has over 1,000 acres of blackwater river, forest, and swampland. It is perfect for family fun or the naturalist in all of us. It has a designated swimming area that is buoyed off and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Swimming here is free with admission to the park. For more fun on the water, Aiken State Park also offers canoeing and fishing!

Colleton State Park

Colleton State Park offers one of the longest free-flowing blackwater rivers in the country. This park gives you ample opportunity to swim in the Edisto River, but do so at your own risk, as there are no lifeguards on duty.

For more excitement at Colleton State Park, try your hand at some relaxing activities, such as fishing, kayaking, bird-watching, or biking along the trails. Check out all the amenities they have to offer on the South Carolina Parks website.

Givhans Ferry State Park

This park is connected to Colleton State Park by the serene Edisto River. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and admission to the park is $5 per adult or $3.25 per child. The riverbanks at this park are heritage trust sites and, therefore, they are protected due to several species of rare plants along the riverside. Be sure to check out these beautiful pieces of nature while you go for your swim!

Poinsett State Park

This free-to-enter park is located north of Orangeburg and offers a unique combination of nature and history. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1930, Poinsett Park has an extensive trail system, hardwood forests, and an overall mixed ecosystem with thriving plant and wildlife. Be sure to check out their calendar of events for fun activities you can check out in the park. Open year-round from 9 a.m. until dark, you can swim, rent boats, or go paddle boarding out on the water!

Looking for a pool?

The Orangeburg Country Club pool is a great place to cool down and a perfect place for kids. They offer a water fun zone that is open and supervised Tuesday through Sunday by certified lifeguards.

All these great swimming spots are located an hour or less from central Orangeburg. This makes them great for a day trip or weekend should you choose to enjoy the variety of activities many of these parks offer.

Image Via Flickr by huggleperson

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