Five Reasons to Love the South Carolina Botanical Garden
The Natural Heritage Trail is the first reason you’ll love the 295-acre South Carolina Botanical Garden. The half-mile long walking trail located within the sanctuary, provides the diversity you’d find across South Carolina if you were to traverse the state from its mountains its barrier islands. Walking the heritage trail creates an ineffable feeling of deep kinship with nature and a nostalgic longing for more.
“And into the forest, I go to lose my mind and find my soul.” – John Muir
Learn about South Carolina’s natural plants, shrubs, and trees.
The South Carolina Botanical Garden offers a glimpse of plant species from around the world, some already extinct. With over 15,000 plant species, something is blooming every season and many plants are labeled with markers.
California poppies dotted areas near the Visitor’s Center during our visit, and wildflowers scattered among the Piedmont granite flatrocks.
My parents were fond of exploring. Whether we were in the mountains, at the beach, or at home, we walked in the woods and along dirt roads, sometimes driving near and far to find new locations to explore. I coudn’t help but think of them as my friends and I walked along the Heritage Trail.
Children love it! Feed ducks with food from the feeder at the Duck Pond and continue to the Children’s Garden.
You’ll love the South Carolina Botanical Garden for its shaded picnic table. Bring your basket and enjoy a shaded spot.
The South Carolina Botanical Garden is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. And it’s free of charge!
Upon arriving, leave the main entrance and park in the parking lot on Perimeter Road. The view fro the magnificent trees there set a lighthearted mood. You can get a map at the restroom below or at the visitors’ center.
Walk slow in the natural world. Stop to hear the wind rustling through a canopy of giant trees. – Marie Goff
There are structures on the botanical garden grounds, including the Fran Hanson Visitor’s Center, Bob Campbell Geology Museum, Hayden Conference Center, and Hanover House.
For more stories about access to the woodlands in South Carolina, go to:
Live Oaks, Palmettos, and Pines Amid Scenic Coastal Marsh and Maritime Forest
Civil War History and Piedmont Forest on the Palmetto Trail
Travel Note
This year celebrate Earth Day (April 22, 2024) at the South Carolina Botanical Garden! It’s easy walking that provides a learning experience about South Carolina’s natural environment from the Pidmont woodlands to the Maritime Forest. Visit on your own or book a tour at their website. If you start the Natural Heritage Trail early in the morning at the Maritime Forest as awe did, you’ll reach the shaded canopy of the Piedmont Woodlands during the midday sun.
Marie Goff
