Santee State Park
Robin Carter
Directions: From Exit 98 of I-95 go west on SC 6 for about 2 miles. Here turn right (north) onto Road 82, State Park Road, which reaches the park in about 3 miles.
Birds to look for: Wood Duck, Mallard, Lesser Scaup (w), Hooded Merganser (w), Red-breasted Merganser (w), Wild Turkey, Common Loon (w), Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Osprey, Bald Eagle, American Coot (w), Laughing Gull (s), Bonaparte’s Gull (w), Ring-billed Gull (w), Caspian Tern (spring, fall), Forster’s Tern, Eastern Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Chuck-will’s-widow (s), Whip-poor-will (s), Red-headed Woodpecker, Blue-headed Vireo (w), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (s), White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Brown Creeper (w), Orange-crowned Warbler (w), Northern Parula (s), Chestnut-sided Warbler (fall), Magnolia Warbler (fall), Cape May Warbler (spring), Black-throated Blue Warbler (spring, fall), Yellow-rumped Warbler (w), Black-throated Green Warbler (fall), Yellow-throated Warbler, Pine Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler (spring), Black-and-white Warbler (w), American Redstart (spring, fall), Prothonotary Warbler (s), Ovenbird (spring, fall), Hooded Warbler (s), Summer Tanager (s), Scarlet Tanager (spring, fall), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (spring, fall), Purple Finch (w), House Finch, American Goldfinch
Description: Santee State Park is a large wooded park on the south side of Lake Marion, opposite Santee NWR. It has two campgrounds and cabins, making this a good base from which to explore the Lake Marion area. Night birds (owls, goatsuckers) are often heard from the campgrounds or cabins.
Unfortunately Red-cockaded Woodpeckers no longer occur in Santee State Park, but the extensive woods make this site a good birding area nevertheless, especially in fall or winter.
There may be an excursion boat from the park into the Upper Santee Swamp. This is an interesting trip if it is still running.
Links:
Official website
Bike/Hiking Trail
Limestone Nature Trail
Oak Pinolly Nature Trail
Sinkhole Pond Nature Trail
Map: Get directions