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What to See in Sumter National Forest - Top Sights and Attractions

Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Sumter National Forest (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Kings Creek Falls, Oconee State Park, and Padgett's Creek Baptist Church. Also, be sure to include Duncan's Creek Presbyterian Church in your itinerary.

Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Sumter National Forest (South Carolina).

Kings Creek Falls

Waterfall in South Carolina
wikipedia / Dallas.Epperson / CC BY-SA 4.0

Waterfall in South Carolina. Kings Creek Falls, located near Long Creek, South Carolina, is a waterfall in the Oconee District of the Sumter National Forest. Kings Creek is a tributary of the Chatooga River, and the falls are located off a short spur from the Foothills Trail. It is located in the extreme Northwest of the state, near the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area and the Georgia state line.[1]

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Oconee State Park

State park in Mountain Rest, South Carolina
wikipedia / Clemson3564 / Public Domain

State park in Mountain Rest, South Carolina. Oconee State Park is a state park located in the Blue Ridge Mountain region of South Carolina. This 1165-acre park has several recreational opportunities to choose from. They include cabins, camping, fishing and boating in the two small lakes located on the park grounds, hiking on eight nature/hiking trails, and several picnic and meeting facilities.

The southern end of the Foothills Trail and the western end of the Oconee Passage of the Palmetto Trail are in Oconee State Park.[2]

Address: 624 State Park Road, Sumter National Forest

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Padgett's Creek Baptist Church

Church in Union County, South Carolina
wikipedia / Washuotaku / CC BY-SA 4.0

Church in Union County, South Carolina. Padgett's Creek Baptist Church is a historic Southern Baptist church located at 843 Old Buncombe Rd, Union, South Carolina near Cross Keys, Union County, South Carolina. It was built between 1844 and 1848, and is a plain, rectangular two-story meeting house building over slightly raised brick supports. The front has a portico added in 1958. There is also a one-story rear addition.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[3]

Address: 843 Old Buncombe Rd, 29379 Union

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Duncan's Creek Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian church in Laurens County, South Carolina
wikipedia / Bill Fitzpatrick / CC BY-SA 3.0

Presbyterian church in Laurens County, South Carolina. Duncan's Creek Presbyterian Church, also known as Old Rock Church, is a historic Presbyterian church located near Clinton, Laurens County, South Carolina. It was built in 1842 and is a simple rectangular building constructed of irregular stones. The church was founded by Scotch-Irish and Irish settlers and believed to be the oldest church in Laurens County.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[4]

Address: Golden Acres Rd, 29325 Clinton

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Hamilton Branch State Park

County park in McCormick County, South Carolina
wikipedia / Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided / Public Domain

County park in McCormick County, South Carolina. Hamilton Branch State Park is located near the town of Plum Branch in McCormick County. It sits on a 731-acre peninsula in Lake Strom Thurmond. The park became part of the South Carolina State Park Service in 1972, with land leased from the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Amenities in the park include lakefront camping sites, picnic shelters, a playground and two boat ramps for access to the lake. The park office sells limited supplies and souvenirs and also rents out a number of games for guests. A short bike trail provides access to the Steven's Creek Bike Trail. The park is a popular spot for geocaching, fishing and bird watching.[5]

Address: 111 Campground Rd, 29845-3819 Plum Branch

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Long Cane Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Building in McCormick County, South Carolina
wikipedia / Gmg706 / Public Domain

Building in McCormick County, South Carolina. Long Cane Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is a historic Associate Reformed Presbyterian church in McCormick County, South Carolina four miles west of Troy, South Carolina on SC 33-36. Adjacent to the church building is a cemetery dating to circa 1790.

The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[6]

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Price's Mill

Gristmill in McCormick County, South Carolina
wikipedia / Jack Boucher / Public Domain

Gristmill in McCormick County, South Carolina. Price's Mill, also known as Calliham's Mill, Stone's Mill, and Park's Mill, is a water-powered gristmill about 2 mi east of the town of Parksville on South Carolina Highway 33-138 at Stevens Creek in McCormick County. Its name in the USGS Geographic Names Information System is Prices Mill. It was built in the 1890s and was named to the National Register of Historic Places on November 22, 1972. At this time, it was one of the few remaining water-powered gristmills in South Carolina.[7]

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Lake Strom Thurmond

Lake in the United States of America
wikipedia / Linuxerist~commonswiki / CC BY-SA 3.0

Lake in the United States of America. Lake Strom Thurmond, officially designated J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir at the federal level, and Clarks Hill Lake by the state of Georgia, is a reservoir at the border between Georgia and South Carolina in the Savannah River Basin.[8]

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Hotel Keturah

Hotel Keturah
wikipedia / Bill Fitzpatrick / CC BY-SA 3.0

Hotel Keturah is a historic hotel building located at McCormick in McCormick County, South Carolina. It was built about 1910, and is a 2 1/2-story, brick building with a hipped roof in the Colonial Revival style. The front façade features a one-story frame porch with Doric order Tuscan columns.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[9]

Address: 115 S Main St, 29835-8346 McCormick

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Long Cane Massacre Site

Long Cane Massacre Site
wikipedia / Bill Fitzpatrick / CC BY-SA 3.0

Long Cane Massacre Site is a historic site located near Troy, McCormick County, South Carolina. The district encompasses 40 contributing buildings in Mount Carmel. The site includes a gravestone marking the place where 23 Long Cane settlers were killed in a bloody massacre by the Cherokee on February 1, 1760.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[10]

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Shivar Springs Bottling Company Cisterns

Shivar Springs Bottling Company Cisterns
wikipedia / Bill Fitzpatrick / CC BY-SA 3.0

Shivar Springs Bottling Company Cisterns is a set of six historic cisterns located near Winnsboro, Fairfield County, South Carolina. They were built about 1900, and are a group of six cylindrical, stuccoed stone cisterns with concrete domes. The Shivar Springs Bottling Company was in operation from about 1900 to about 1950. At first the company produced only mineral water which was sold for medicinal purposes. Later both mineral water and soft drinks were produced from the spring water and shipped throughout the state.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[11]

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