SOUTH CAROLINA
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What's New in South Carolina?

For More Information, Contact:
Dawn Dawson-House, Public Relations & Information Director
South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
ddawson@scprt.com, (803) 734-1779

South Carolina features a diverse geography, including mountains, foothills, sandy beaches, and resort islands that are among the finest in the United States. The climate ranges from moderate to nearly sub-tropical. The mild weather combines with beautiful terrain, a colorful history and a full palette of modern attractions to make the Palmetto State a great choice for vacations.

History

South Carolina’s first European settlers were the Spanish in 1566 and the first permanent European settlement was Charleston, founded as Charles Towne in 1670. More battles and skirmishes of the Revolutionary War were fought in South Carolina than in any other state. It was the first state to secede from the Union during the American Civil War and the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Columbia, the state capital, was burned to the ground when Sherman’s troops occupied the city in 1865. South Carolina still occupies an important spot in modern military history, with the huge Army training base at Fort Jackson in Columbia and legendary Parris Island, the Marine Corps training depot near Beaufort. Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter and Charleston Air Force Base also play an active role in our nation’s defense.

Significant Attractions

• South Carolina has more than 180 miles of coastline, including the booming beach/golf/family entertainment destinations of Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head
  
• Charleston with its historic homes and plantations, picturesque harbor and bustling culinary and hotel scene, has become a major international attraction of its own
  
• The state’s upcountry includes the dramatic Blue Ridge Escarpment, where the mountains meet the piedmont, with picturesque parks offering camping, hiking and breathtaking scenery along the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway
  
• Sportsmen appreciate South Carolina for its nationally known fishing (more than 400,000 acres of inland lakes along the Savannah River, in the Midlands’ Lake Murray and the legendary Santee Cooper lakes) and hunting opportunities in hundreds of thousands of acres of state and national forest and private hunt clubs.
  
• Attractions such as outstanding museums, zoos and public riverfront parks are just a few of the highlights in Columbia, Charleston and Greenville
  
• The S.C. State Park Service offers a network of 46 natural, historic and recreational parks from the mountains to the sea
  
• The S.C. National Heritage Corridor offers a series of driving tours that highlight the state’s picturesque mill towns, villages and farms
  
• Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston
  
• BMW’s massive assembly plant and Zentrum Visitor’s Center in Spartanburg County
  
• Park Seed Company’s Greenwood operation
  
• Brookgreen Gardens on the Grand Strand near Myrtle Beach.
  

Climate

South Carolina's climate is relatively temperate. The coast experiences moderate climate year round while the Midlands and upcountry have four distinct seasons. Snow rarely falls in South Carolina.

How to Get There

• Several interstate highways (20, 26, 77, 85 and 95) serve motorists in South Carolina
  
• The state also is well served by domestic airlines at airports that include Columbia, Charleston, Greenville-Spartanburg and Myrtle Beach, as well as Savannah/Hilton Head
  
• International service also is available at Charlotte’s airport, just over the state line, and in Atlanta
  
• The Port of Charleston has become a regular stop for cruise ships
  
• AMTRAK, Greyhound and Trailways also serve the state
  

Distances and Times

• South Carolina is in the country's Eastern Time Zone
  
• The South observes Daylight Savings Time from April through October
  
• Charleston is 291 miles (471 kilometers; 5 hours by car) from Atlanta, Georgia
  
• 207 miles (335 kilometers; 3 1/2 hours by car) from Charlotte, North Carolina
  
• 112 miles (181 kilometers; 2 hours by car) from Columbia
  
• 97 miles (157 kilometers; 1 1/2 hours by car) from Myrtle Beach
  
• 258 miles (418 kilometers; 4 1/2 hours by car) from Raleigh, NC
  

For additional travel information, call 1-803-734-1700, fax 1-803-734-0138. Internet sites: http://www.DiscoverSouthCarolina.com/.