WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, S.C., March 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gov. Henry McMaster, the Open Space Institute (OSI), South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT), and supporters today celebrated the official opening of South Carolina’s fiftieth state park, The Meadows at Black River State Park.
The Meadows opens to the public on April 2. It is located at 6252 US Highway 521 in Salters.
The event marked a significant step forward for a singular vision: the state’s first-ever riverine network of public parks and paddle launches along 70 miles of the Black River. As additional properties open, Black River State Park– at 9,000 acres and counting – will eventually be among the largest in the state park system.
To commemorate the occasion, state and local partners joined community members for a ceremonial dedication and ribbon cutting, led by Gov. McMaster, SCPRT’s Director Duane Parrish, OSI’s President and CEO Erik Kulleseid and Maria Whitehead, PhD, Senior Vice President of Land, and State Senator Ronnie Sabb.
“Our state parks play an essential role in protecting South Carolina’s natural heritage and ensuring these lands and waters are preserved long into the future,” said Governor McMaster. “The Meadows at Black River State Park will provide more opportunities for families and visitors to enjoy the natural beauty that defines our way of life.”
The opening of The Meadows is the result of years of collaborative work through the OSI-led Black River Initiative, which will ultimately yield the full state park system and the larger Black River State Park and Water Trail Network.
“This project has always been about bringing people back to the river,” said Maria Whitehead, OSI’s Sr. Vice President of Land for the Southeast. “With the opening of The Meadows, the community’s long‑standing hopes for public access to the land and water—as well as larger visions for preserving these remarkable landscapes for people and wildlife—are now becoming realities. OSI is grateful to Governor McMaster, South Carolina State Parks, and the many partners who have joined us on this journey—and those who will walk, paddle, and explore with us in the years to come!”
“From our roots in the Civilian Conservation Corps, to our new buds of growth along the Black River, South Carolina State Parks protect and share some of our most precious natural, cultural, and recreational resources,” said Duane Parrish, SCPRT’s Director. “Tourism is an economic engine in South Carolina, and our state parks are pillars of the industry, driving visitation and visitor dollars to some of our most rural areas. As the fiftieth park in our system, the Meadows is exactly what a modern state park should be. It connects people to recreational opportunities, preserves fragile ecosystems, and invites locals and visitors to experience this spellbinding region.”
State Senator Ronnie Sabb, a longtime champion of the project, said, “This park network is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our region, and I thank State Parks, OSI, and everyone involved for creating something extraordinary for Williamsburg County and the entire state.”
About The Meadows
Encompassing a stunning riverfront landscape, The Meadows is the central hub for the Black River State Park network in Williamsburg County. Created from approximately 2,000 acres protected by OSI, the site offers a wide variety of outdoor experiences at one of the river’s most ecologically rich locations. Key features include:
- Four miles of river frontage supporting hiking, biking, picnicking, fishing, birding, and day-use exploration;
- A new paddle launch, supporting both long-distance and day-use paddlers;
- The half-mile-long River Birch Nature Trail along the riverbank;
- A picnic pavilion, visitor orientation kiosk, and restrooms;
- Scenic viewpoints featuring a sandy beach, high bluffs, cypress and tupelo stands, and abundant wildlife.
The Meadows will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays beginning April 2, 2026. Admission is $3 adults; $1.50 SC Seniors (age 65 & older); $1 children age 6-15; and free ages 5 & younger free. Learn more about Black River State Park and The Meadows at southcarolinaparks.com/black-river.
Planned enhancements include a riverside boardwalk with interpretive features and a second paddle launch further downriver, all supporting a welcoming, well-guided visitor experience for families, school groups, and the broader community. Long-term goals for The Meadows will build on the results of a cultural and historical plant study conducted in 2025 that will guide how the landscape is experienced and stewarded over time. This work has already informed the design of trails, gathering spaces, and interpretive elements that reflect traditional knowledge, local history, and the river’s ecology.
Lead funding for the Black River State Park was generously provided by OSI, Knobloch Family Foundation, South Carolina Conservation Bank, SCPRT, Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – North American Wetlands Conservation Act & Ducks Unlimited, and an anonymous donor, with major funding provided by The Boeing Company, The Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation, Butler Parklands, the Judith Haskell Brewer Fund of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Garaman Foundation, Darla Moore Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy. Federal funding was also secured for the Black River Initiative by Senator Lindsey Graham through the Community Development Program at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which was also supported by Congressman James Clyburn. In addition, federal funding was provided through NOAA’s Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP). Funding was also provided by a wide range of generous public and private institutions and individual donors.
About the Black River Initiative
The Black River Initiative was launched by OSI and partners in 2021 to protect the wilderness areas of the river; create equitable access for all; support sustainable economic development; safeguard mature forests for wildlife, water quality, flood retention; and more.
To date, OSI has conserved nearly 9,200 acres to create the Black River State Park and Water Trail Network, with another 15,800 acres protected by partners to support the effort. Explore the Black River Initiative in OSI’s immersive StoryMap at openspaceinstitute.org/BlackRiverInitiative.
About the Open Space Institute
Founded in 1974, the Open Space Institute has been a partner in the protection of more than 2.5 million acres in the eastern United States. With a Southeast office established in Charleston in 2014, OSI has been a partner in the protection of more than 210,000 acres across the southeastern U.S., the vast majority of which will be open to the public. Visit OSI online at openspaceinstitute.org/southeast.
About South Carolina State Parks
Housed within the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, South Carolina State Parks protect and share thousands of acres of natural, historical, cultural, and recreational resources, ranging from deep mountain wilderness and old-growth forests to battlefields, waterfronts, and wetlands. Today, visitors can explore 50 state parks from the mountains to the coast, offering thousands of campsites, two saltwater fishing piers, lakes, ponds, and hundreds of miles of hiking and riding trails. Find photos, maps, and information about each park, and stay up-to-date on future park openings, at southcarolinaparks.com.
- Black River State Park Ribbon Cutting
- Black River Paddlers