Landsford Canal State Park
Robin Carter
Directions
To reach Landsford Canal State Park from I-77, use Exit 65 and go east on SC 9 toward Fort Lawn for 1.3 miles, to the junction with SC 223. Turn left (northeast) on SC 223, and go 6.7 miles to US 21. (This intersection is 5 miles north of the intersection of SC 9 and US 21 in Fort Lawn, or 13 miles south along US 21 from the intersection of US 21 and I-77 in Rock Hill.) Turn left (north) on US 21, and go about 1.3 miles to Road 327, where there is a sign for the park. Turn right (east) on Road 327, and go 1.7 miles to the main park entrance road. (There is another entrance road some 1.3 miles farther on Road 327.)
Birds to look for
Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle (has nested in the park), Spotted Sandpiper (m), American Woodcock, Black-billed Cuckoo (m), Yellow-billed Cuckoo (s), Barred Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Acadian Flycatcher (s), Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-throated Vireo (s), Blue-headed Vireo (w), Philadelphia Vireo (m), Cliff Swallow (s), Brown Creeper (w), Winter Wren (w), Veery (m), Gray-cheeked Thrush (m), Swainson's Thrush (m), Hermit Thrush (w), Wood Thrush (s), Blue-winged Warbler (m), Tennessee Warbler (m), Northern Parula (s), Chestnut-sided Warbler (m), Magnolia Warbler (m), Cape May Warbler (m), Black-throated Blue Warbler (m), Yellow-rumped Warbler (w), Black-throated Green Warbler (m), Blackburnian Warbler (m), Yellow-throated Warbler (s), Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler (s), Palm Warbler (m), Blackpoll Warbler (m), Cerulean Warbler (m), Black-and-white Warbler (s), American Redstart (s), Prothonotary Warbler (s), Worm-eating Warbler (m), Ovenbird (s), Northern Waterthrush (m), Louisiana Waterthrush (s), Kentucky Warbler (s), Common Yellowthroat (s), Hooded Warbler (s), Canada Warbler (m), Yellow-breasted Chat (s), Summer Tanager (s), Scarlet Tanager (s), Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow (s, in hay fields and pastures just outside the park), Fox Sparrow (w), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (m), Blue Grosbeak (s), Indigo Bunting (s), Rusty Blackbird (w), American Goldfinch
Description
The early 19th century expansion of the United States has left us an unusual legacy of natural areas. During the first half of the 19th century, many canals were built to connect the eastern cities with the western frontier. Most of these were dug along side Piedmont rivers. Today, in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and also South Carolina the remnants of these canals are preserved in state or national historic parks. These parks also preserve the natural environment, in some cases protecting Piedmont floodplain forest that have not been cut in 150 years.
One South Carolina park that protects a bit of Piedmont riverside wilderness is Landsford Canal State Park, along the Catawba River in eastern Chester County.
Landsford Canal was constructed between 1819 and 1823, to circumvent rapids in the Catawba River. Due to extremes of flooding and dry periods, and to the coming of the railroad, the canal was soon abandoned. Today this scenic area is a state park, protecting hundreds acres of floodplain climax forest and adjacent wooded slopes. Adjacent to the park is Landsford Forest Legacy Area, administrated by South Carolina DNR.
Landsford Canal State Park is famous as one of the best sites in South Carolina for spring wildflowers, especially the endangered rocky shoals spider-lily, which flowers from mid May until early June. From early March through late May you can find a succession of flowers, such as trout lily, spring beauty, jack-in-the-pulpit, cranefly orchid, Atamasco lily, columbine, and many others. At the same time the birder will be looking up, not down, to find some of the numerous migrating warblers, vireos, thrushes, and other species that can be found here in late April to early May.
Rarities seen in the park include Common Merganser.
A visit to Landsford Canal is easily combined with a visit to nearby Fishing Creek Reservoir, which is just a few miles south on US 21.