Another Visit to Cheraw State Park, South Carolina. Part I. Arrival, Campground, and Boardwalk.

Table of Contents for This Series

• Arrival, Campground, and Boardwalk
• The Golf Course Clubhouse and Around the Park Office 
• Hike the Turkey Oak Trail and a Quick Visit to the Town of Cheraw.

Back again at Cheraw State Park and Golf Course. I was here just two weeks ago. It’s unusual to visit the same RV Park twice in such a short time. Since there’s so much more here to see I just had to return.

Well …. That, and really, this is a beautiful place to visit and camp. Even for those of us who don’t play golf! Juniper Lake is ideal for geezer kayaking. For any sort of kayaking, for that matter. And the well maintained walking/hiking trails are interesting and accessible. More on both the lake and the trails later on.

Today, I set up on site 14 again. This time backward, with the Aliner facing the lake. Then took a meandering walk around the campground. Conditions were ideal since the weekend crowd had cleared out, and weekday campers had yet to arrive. Most of the sites were empty, which is unusual here. Not a good idea to try photographing campsites while they’re occupied!

Here’s site # 15, just across the road. It’s a back-in with something of a slope. But it’s right on the shore of the lake. Some video of this site in a moment.

Sites 4 and 5 you see above are close together. Also back-ins. Ideal for a camping party with two RVs. And right next door to the Camp Host’s RV. Be sure to meet him before you leave. There are only 17 campsites here. But they’re all as nice or nicer than those I’ve photographed here.

Here’s a video look at some of these sites:

Weather today was ideal for walking. So I wandered on down to have a look at the trail leading to the boardwalk we see on the other side of Lake Juniper.

The path in from the road is a pleasant walk, with interesting woods on one side and the lake on the other.

Some of the trees along this trail are labeled. A nice touch. Easier than carrying a guide book around. And, you can be sure you’ve got the right tree! Jot down the names and later find more information on the Web, if you’re so inclined.

This trail is wide and smooth. Certainly not a paved sidewalk. But vehicles that have appropriate wheels for folks with limited mobility should be able to navigate most of it with little difficulty. Nice to know. There are a few bumps made by tree roots here and there. But all I saw were easy to avoid. Vehicles with small wheels, of course, would have difficulty.

Before you know it, you’re at the iron bridge over Lake Juniper’s spillway. This is a very nice spot. The lake, the bridge itself, and a view of water crossing the spillway just below. Oh my. I’ve tried to take some video. But, my video still is very much a work in progress …. It doesn’t do justice to the scene.

I don’t know how Park personnel manage to maintain these boardwalks. I’ve seen quite a few of them now, especially in the Pee Dee and Low Country. The boardwalk at Woods Bay comes immediately to mind.

That Woods Bay boardwalk must have been a challenge to lay out and build. Let alone to maintain once built! Be sure not to miss it when you visit Woods Bay. Or at any of the other Parks with boardwalks.

Here’s some video of that hike.

Back to the campground. Nearly time for dinner. And I certainly don’t want to miss the sunset across the lake from the campsite.

It didn’t disappoint!

Stay tuned, now. Much more to see here at Cheraw State Park and Golf Course. I hope later in the week to take a tour of the golf course itself. We’ll see.

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