Lee County: Nature, Trails and Culture

Wetlands, trails through the sandhills and unusual cultural sites give Lee County its many facets. At Lee State Park, lowland forests and the Lynches River shape the natural experience; in Bishopville, gardens, museums and historic buildings tell stories of art and regional history. This lets you focus your stay on nature, culture or a mix of both.

Wetlands and the Lynches River

Lowland wet hardwood forests and wetlands cover most of the 2,839 acres of Lee State Park. More than 700 acres are enrolled in the USDA NRCS Wetland Reserve Program. The Lynches River has been designated a South Carolina State Scenic River since 1994. The park’s notable wildlife includes the federally listed endangered wood stork, marsh rabbits and fox squirrels.

The area’s history also reaches far back: an archaeological survey at Lee State Park identified five distinct settlement phases of Indigenous peoples between 6000 BCE and 1000 CE. This offers a different perspective on the landscape, alongside its present-day importance for trails, wildlife viewing and recreation.

Trails and activities at Lee State Park

Trail lengths and difficulty ratings offer practical guidance for planning your day. The Floodplain Trail is 5.0 miles long and rated moderate. Shorter, easy trails include the 0.5-mile Sandhills Trail, which passes through a sandhill landscape shaped by oak and pine trees, and the 0.2-mile Wetland Boardwalk, which leads into the Lynches River floodplain. The boardwalk includes an 800-foot out-and-back section. The 5.0-mile Loop Road is an easy multi-use route for walkers, hikers, cyclists, horseback riders and vehicles. Trail information and use rules may be updated; check them before your visit.

The park has seven miles of equestrian trails for horseback riding. It also has 23 equestrian campsites with water and electrical hookups; check availability before you arrive. Along the banks of the Lynches River, you can fish for bluegill, redbreast sunfish, catfish and bass. A South Carolina fishing license is required. Visitors can reach the riverbanks via Loop Road to fish or watch birds, provided the road is passable.

The day-use area, trails and Loop Road are open daily from 9 a.m. until sunset. Check the hours before you drive out. The park also has an education center with an exhibit hall and wet lab; contact the park for its current hours.

Lake Ashwood

Lake Ashwood is a 75-acre lake in Lee County. You can fish here for largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish and catfish. Facilities include a boat ramp, fishing pier and picnic area. The lake also offers accessibility features; check details in advance.

For directions: From Interstate 20, drive toward Sumter on Highway 15 for about five miles to Lake Ashwood. The approximate distance and stated direction are useful reference points for planning your trip.

Garden art and museums

In Bishopville, Pearl Fryar created a three-acre topiary garden on his residential property. He also used plants he rescued from nursery compost piles in his designs. Visitors can see more than 400 intricately trimmed plants. The distinctive Fishbone Tree is a seven-year project featuring a Leyland cypress. The garden is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; contact the garden to confirm visits on specific dates.

The South Carolina Cotton Museum offers self-guided tours Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its account of cotton’s history spans from the first fields attributed to Joseph West in 1670 to the present day. On display are original tools, textile machinery and a modern crop-dusting plane. Young visitors can also touch raw cotton and see a three-foot-tall boll weevil statue. Check opening hours before you arrive. The Lee County Veterans Museum is located in the Cotton Museum and preserves stories, uniforms and artifacts from local military history.

Historic sites in Bishopville

The Bishopville Commercial Historic District includes 48 contributing buildings representing the community’s historic business center. It retains its original appearance from the early 20th century. The Lee County Courthouse was built in 1908–1909; an old cannon stands on a concrete base in front of the building. The James Carnes House is a fine example of vernacular Greek Revival style—a regional expression of classical architecture.

Further insights can be found at the Opera House, built in 1900 and now used as a community event center, and in the Merci Train exhibit, which features a statue of Cpl. James Davison Heriot. The Button King Museum displays Dalton Stevens’ original pair of denim overalls covered with 16,333 buttons. Admission is free and donations are welcome; check admission details before your visit, as policies may change. The legend of the Lizard Man is also part of local culture: it dates back to a reported sighting at Scape Ore Swamp in the summer of 1988.

Explore more destinations

Explore more destinations: Bishopville, Berkeley, Beaufort County, Anderson, Spartanburg, Richland, Jasper County, Allendale.

For the main travel overview: South Carolina.