Here are 12 of the best day trips from Columbia SC to explore the region’s outdoors

Patrick McCreless
·5 min read
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Want to get out of Columbia because you love the outdoors but hate driving around to find the best spots?

Whether you live in Columbia or are just visiting for a few days, there are plenty of great outdoor adventures you can try, many within 2 hours or less away from the city. From hiking to fishing and biking, these 12 sites should offer something for you to enjoy.

Congaree National Park

This might be the most obvious choice for a great outdoor adventure nearby Columbia. Just 20 miles southeast of Columbia lies Congaree National Park, a 26,276-acre park that features one of the last remaining old-growth bottomland forests in the United States. Visitors can explore the park’s boardwalks, hiking trails, and waterways, and see wildlife such as deer, otters, and bald eagles.

Lake Murray

Here’s another nearby and highly popular outdoor spot. Located just a few miles west of Columbia, Lake Murray is a 50,000-acre man-made lake. There you can enjoy many outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, swimming and camping. Visitors can also enjoy hiking and biking trails, as well as several public parks and beaches.

Lake Murray in Lexington County was created in the 1920’s to create hydroelectric power for the state of South Carolina.
Lake Murray in Lexington County was created in the 1920’s to create hydroelectric power for the state of South Carolina.

Table Rock State Park

Situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Table Rock State Park is 134 miles away from Columbia, a drive that will take roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes. Once there, visitors can bask in the stunning views of the landscape, then hike at the park’s trails, including the 3.6-mile hike to the summit Table Rock Mountain. If hiking isn’t your thing, relax on the shores of Lake Oolenoy.

Hunting Island State Park

Hunting Island State Park is located in Beaufort County, a 158-mile, 2-hour and 41-minute drive from Columbia. The park is a great spot to experience South Carolina’s Lowcountry with its pristine beach, salt marshes, maritime forests and activities such as hiking, camping and fishing. There’s also a historic lighthouse at the site. Though the lighthouse is closed for repairs, it can still be viewed from the grounds.

Hunting Island State Park’s lighthouse is seen from north beach in summer 2019. The only historic lighthouse regularly open to the public in South Carolina is closed for repairs, earlier than planned. The weekly inspection of the Hunting Island State Park lighthouse found new cracks in the structure built in 1875, leading officials to close it indefinitely until repairs are made. (Lana Ferguson/The Island Packet via AP)

Edisto Beach State Park

Edisto Beach State Park, located on the coast of South Carolina, is 137 miles away from Columbia, a drive of just 2 hours and 21 minutes. The park is known for its quiet beaches and untouched natural beauty. Visitors can swim, fish, and hike, or explore the park’s marshes and tidal creeks by kayak.

Paris Mountain State Park

At around 106 miles away, Paris Mountain State Park is less than a 2-hour drive from Columbia. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the park offers stunning views, along with 15 miles of hiking and biking trails that wind through lush forests and by sparkling streams. There is a 13-acre lake for swimming, fishing and kayaking. The park is also rich in history, with several structures that date back to the Civilian Conservation Corps era of the 1930s, along with a colonial period burial site.

Pisgah National Forest

The only spot on this list not in South Carolina, Pisgah National Forest can be found about 2.5 hours away from Columbia in Asheville, North Carolina. The forest covers more than 500,000 acres of pristine wilderness and has more than 250 miles of hiking trails, including part of the famous Appalachian Trail. Pisgah also has a solid collection of beautiful waterfalls.

Devils Fork State Park

Devils Fork State Park, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is home to Lake Jocassee, a clear mountain lake surrounded by pristine wilderness. A 141-mile, roughly 2-hour and 30-minute drive will get you there from Columbia. Visitors can fish, boat, and hike, or take a refreshing dip in the lake’s crystal-clear waters.

Palmetto Trail

The Palmetto Trail is a 500-mile hiking and biking trail that stretches across South Carolina, from the mountains in the northwest to the coast in the southeast. If you’re in Columbia, you don’t even need to get in a car for this one, as the trail passes into the city, letting hikers use sidewalks through beautiful neighborhoods, along the historic Horseshoe at the University of South Carolina and across the steps of the State Capitol. Keep going and the trail links Fort Jackson Passage to Riverfront Park and the Broad River.

A section of the Palmetto Trail near Columbia. The hiking path will eventually provide a continuous hiking route from the southern Appalachians to the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina.
A section of the Palmetto Trail near Columbia. The hiking path will eventually provide a continuous hiking route from the southern Appalachians to the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina.

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park, located on the Grand Strand, is a popular destination for beachgoers and nature lovers alike. And its barely over a 2.5-hour drive from Columbia. The park features a pristine beach, hiking and biking trails, a fishing pier and a nature center.

Caesars Head State Park

Located on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Caesars Head State Park offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The park is 134 miles from Columbia, just 2 hours and 25 minutes away.

Visitors can hike the park’s trails, including the challenging Raven Cliff Falls Trail. They can also explore the park’s natural features, such as waterfalls and rock formations. One such waterfall, Raven Cliff Falls, are the highest in South Carolina at 400 feet.

At 400 feet, Raven Cliff Falls are the highest in South Carolina. The trail to the falls, located in Caesars Head State Park, is a moderate 2.2-mile hike.
At 400 feet, Raven Cliff Falls are the highest in South Carolina. The trail to the falls, located in Caesars Head State Park, is a moderate 2.2-mile hike.

Francis Marion National Forest

The drive to Francis Marion National Forest is just a little over 2 hours from Columbia. The forest covers over 250,000 acres of South Carolina’s coastal plain. Visitors can hike, bike, fish, camp and explore the forest’s many rivers and wetlands by canoe or kayak.