Woods Bay State Park is a park in the midlands of South Carolina near the town of Olanta. Admission is free. There are picnic tables and a shelter adjacent to the parking area. Nice public restrooms with flush toilets and sinks are also available. A nature center offers information about the area.
Woods Bay State Park offers a closer look at a Carolina bay. Carolina bays aren’t technically bays – they are isolated, elliptical depressions filled with rain and groundwater. These bays are like shallow lakes.
There is one main hiking loop with a short boardwalk. A 1-mile canoe trail is also available. Visitors can rent canoes and kayaks.
Woods Bay State Park Hiking Trails
The 0.75-mile Mill Pond Nature Trail is a relatively easy walk with some uneven terrain. You will make a loop around the Mill Pond marsh.
Almost immediately after starting the trail there was a flurry of activity along the swamp! We found tons of southern leopard frogs and several birds including prothonotary warblers.
Boardwalk
Shortly after, there is an offshoot to your right for the boardwalk trail. The 500-foot boardwalk wanders through a cypress-tupelo swamp.
Multiple species of dragonflies buzzed by us on the boardwalk – blue dashers, great blue skimmers, and eastern pondhawks.
A praying mantis suddenly landed on my shoulder. After realizing it was not a spider (I’m arachnophobic), I was able to maneuver it to the planks and get a close-up view.
The boardwalk comes to a dead end, and you will head back to the Mill Pond Trail. Just as the boardwalk opened up to the swamp area again, we spotted an alligator! My first time seeing one so close.
Mill Pond Nature Trail
From the boardwalk, turn right to continue the Mill Pond Trail. Then at the sign, make a left to start the loop.
In the grass right next to the trail was a water moccasin (cottonmouth). Be very careful when you visit. These are venomous snakes. Thankfully, this one moved slightly away from the path and then stayed there.
Birds danced among the trees around us, never stopping long enough to snap a photo. I did catch a glimpse of a Carolina wren.
Two Carolina anole lizards were climbing trees. They ran around the trunks, trying to hide. Another southern leopard frog and a small fowler’s toad hopped into the surrounding foliage as our boots came close.
A quarter mile from the end, we heard lots of movement in the swamp followed by a loud chomp. Another alligator nearby! This one on level ground with us. I got a little anxious and we quickly moved along the trail to get beyond where the sounds had come from. Crazy what a difference a couple inches of boardwalk makes. That little change in height made me feel much safer.
This is a fun little park. It is the perfect place for a family excursion or to take a leisurely stroll while catching up with friends.
Looks amazing – heard about this one from your mom. Would definitely love to go on one of your hikes.
Thanks Carol! It was such a nice hike – short but full of nature and wildlife sights 🙂