Black River. Credit: Edisto River Adventures
For the first time in almost 20 years, South Carolina has announced the creation of a new State Park. Named for the river which it will encompass, the Black River State Park has long been a dream of the SCNPS founder and past-president, Rick Huffman. (Many will recall the amazing presentation he gave last fall, “Black River State Park and Water Trails Master Plan.”)
The Black River is 151 miles long, flowing through forests and swamps, its banks lined with ancient cypress and tupelo trees that clean the river while infusing its translucent waters with dark, organic tannins. And it is also rich with wildlife: On its banks, amphibians emerge from the inky waters to lay their eggs in damp hardwood forests, while the upland native longleaf pine forests are home to colonies of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers and flatwoods salamanders.
The Black River Initiative is a community-inspired vision to establish a new recreational water trail connecting a growing network of public lands. The collaborative effort will, among much else, protect the wilderness areas of the river; provide equitable access; support the rural economy; and safeguard mature forests for wildlife, water quality, flood retention.
To follow along as the park progresses, visit the Black River Initiative website, HERE.