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National Great Outdoors Month

National Great Outdoors Month is celebrated in June and serves as a reminder to enjoy and appreciate our state parks and wildlife refuges. This observation, begun in 1998, encourages us to explore our parks and enjoy the beauty that awaits us in our natural world.

National Great Outdoors Month is celebrated in June and serves as a reminder to enjoy and appreciate our state parks and wildlife refuges. This observation, begun in 1998, encourages us to explore our parks and enjoy the beauty that awaits us in our natural world.

Content Type
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 3 4

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 4
A little further down the trail, Rudy and Jim come across a sandstone rock, which has cemented over time, due to the abundance of iron in the soil.
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 4 6

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 4
Episode 6
Hardwood Forest - On lower ground, where there is much more moisture, Red Maple, Maple Leaf Viburnum, Mountain Laurel, and White Oak trees grow very well in areas like this. Rudy and Jim come across...
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 8 11

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 8
Episode 11
Here in this wide open, white sandy area, we see more Turkey oaks and Longleaf pines.
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 3 3

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 3
Continuing down the trail, Rudy and Jim find a Black Gum tree, whose leaves are among the earliest to change color in the fall. Blackjack Oak is tree which grows well in poor soils. They come across...
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 6 9

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 6
Episode 9
At the same stop, a Canebrake Rattlesnake is found resting up in a tree; a most unusual place to find a rattlesnake!
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 1 1

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 1
Peachtree Rock is the edge of the old ocean, located just twenty miles west of Columbia, S.C. This area is part of the “Sandhills” part of the southeastern United States. Fall Line Sandhills- at this...
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 3 5

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 5
Rudy and Jim find some Bracken fern, which is a common species of nonflowering plant in the area. And close by, they find a feeding Funnel spider, and a Black Widow spider.
 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 3 4

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 4
Limestone Mall Bluff – These large rock outcroppings are estimated to be around 30 million years old. Here, we see an abundance of large ferns, Papaws, Redbuds, and Ash trees.
 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 5 6

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 5
Episode 6
Biggin Creek – Here at this wetland area, we see Duckweed, Mosquito Fern, Cypress trees, Spanish Moss, Wild Rice, Bur Marigold, Rose Hips, . Out in the water, Rudy and Jim spot a Great Blue Heron, and...
 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 4 5

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 4
Episode 5
Here at a higher elevation above the limestone, and where the soil is more loamy, we see more diverse plant life: White Oak trees, American Beech, Witch Hazel, Sparkleberry, and Switch Cane.
Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 1 - Santee River
   - Episode 1 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 8 9

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 8
Episode 9
The Visitor Center – The park and visitor center is a great place to learn about both natural and man-made history. The entrance to the park features a replica of what a lock in the canal looked like...
Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 3 - Limestone Mall Bluff
   - Episode 4 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 7 8

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 7
Episode 8
Here, outside Old Santee Canal Park’s visitor center, we see a Green Jacket dragonfly, live oaks, Poison Ivy, Trumpet Creeper, Southern Sugar Maple, and a Yellow Bellied Sap-Sucker in a nearby...
 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 1 1

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 1
Rudy and Jim visit Old Santee Canal Park, a historic lowcountry area near Monck’s Corner, South Carolina. The area features a wide array of habitats, containing both native and non-native plants. Some...
 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 2 3

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 3
Limestone Trail – Along the trail, Rudy and Jim find an old kiln, left behind by inhabitants from around the 1860’s and 1880’s. Some of the plants that have come to dominate the old quarry area, are...
 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 6 7

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 6
Episode 7
The Santee Canal – This canal took seven years to build, from 1793-1800, and is around 22 miles long. Duckweed and Pennywort are seen growing along the sides of the canal. Rudy and Jim find a Chain...
 Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 8 12

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Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 8
Episode 12
Rudy and Jim analyze the geographic features of the creek, around with some of the plant life growing in the area: White Pines, Wild Geranium flowers, Mountain Laurel, Liverwort, Maidenhair Fern,...
 Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 6 10

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Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 6
Episode 10
Lake Jocassee – Here, standing on a rock outcropping, Rudy and Jim analyze Lake Jocassee’s geographic features, along with the variety of trees found around the lake: White Pine, Virginia Pine, and...
 Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 5 9

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Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 5
Episode 9
Old Farm Road – While walking down this old farm road, Rudy and Jim come across a Sweetgum tree which has been chewed by a beaver. The beavers in the area have built a dam, thus creating a new habitat...
 Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 2 5

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Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 5
Poor Robin’s Plantain is another common flower found in the area. A Silver Spotted Skipper butterfly is seen gathering nectar from one of these flowers, and Rudy and Jim revisit the Black Rat Snake...
 Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 4 8

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Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 4
Episode 8
Close to the waterfall, Bluet flowers, Saxifrage, Butterweed, Spicebush, Mountain Buckeye trees, Dutchman’s Pipe vines, Wild Yam, Partridgeberry, and Long Spurred violets dominate cool, moist...
 Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 2 3

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Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 3
Foothills Trail – In one of the oak trees in a drop off area, Rudy and Jim spot a coiled up Black Rat Snake.
 Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 7 11

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Jocassee Gorges (S.C.) Stop 7
Episode 11
At this next stop, close to the water, we see an abundant variety of flowering plants: Mayapples, Foamflowers, Showy Orchis, Little Sweet Betsy, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and Allegheny Spurge.