This new York County spot will have a dog park, fishing and disc golf. See the plan

John Marks
·2 min read

York County will add a new spot for fishing, disc golf and hiking in one of its busiest areas for public recreation.

The York County Council approved a concept plan for the 60-acre Thistle Park. The site near the old Five Points intersection in Lake Wylie, includes a large pond and three streams that run through the width of it. The property also reaches to state highway S.C. 55 on its northern point.

The plan shows three fishing banks and on the pond a non-motorized boat access area. The concept has three spots for disc golf, with two nearby the pond. A 3-acre dog park will have a water feature, fencing and punch code access for safety, with benches and wash stations.

Other added amenities include an open meadow and a separate nature-based play area. A gatehouse, ranger station, restrooms and picnic shelters are located along almost 3 miles of gravel, dirt or concrete trails.

Council didn’t give a timeline for when construction might begin or an open date. Those details will follow work by the county parks department and the Bethel-Lake Wylie Land Acquisition and Preservation Parks District.

Growing list of York County parks

The Lake Wylie area is a large part of the growing parks and recreation program in York County. There wasn’t a parks department when Lake Wylie voters opted to set up a special tax district as a condition to get Field Day Park, which opened in 2020. Later that year, Lake Wylie voters again chose to tax themselves to create the park district to buy and preserve property.

In 2021 the district bought four properties at more than 150 combined acres. It acquired the 87-acre Woodend Farm on S.C. 557 for $4.3 million, which now hosts public events. The almost 7-acre Goat Farm on S.C. 274, bought for $1.4 million, has farmers markets. The $1.9 million purchase of Thistle Park is the next step.

Apart from the park district, Allison Creek Park opened last fall in Lake Wylie. Nanny’s Mountain Historical Park is about a mile from Thistle Park. Even county parks that aren’t in Lake Wylie have connections to the lake. Long-time Ebenezer Park in Rock Hill is on Lake Wylie, while the coming Catawba Bend Preserve is just below the lake on the Catawba River.

‘It’s just been perfect’: Guests praise the new Allison Creek Park on Lake Wylie