It might surprise you to know there’s a lot of cool places to enjoy the outdoors here in the state capitol of Columbia, SC.

There’s so much to see and do from our rivers to the piedmont, the sandhills and swamps that surround the city.

Within 30 minutes of Columbia, there are over 110 miles of trails and more than 30,000 acres of public land.

My cousin, Ella Stilwell, and I decided to spend our Saturday exploring my favorite places around Columbia.

After only 15 minutes we made it to our first stop of the day, Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve. The 460-acre preserve near Edmund off SC-6 has over 7 miles of hiking trails. Most people know the preserve for its famous namesake, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

IN THE FIRST 0.3 miles of trail, you will follow a small valley to the main attraction, Peachtree Rock.

We arrived to see the Rock tumbled on its side. The rock resembled an upside-down pyramid until 2013 when erosion and visitors carving into it finally made it tumble over. Fortunately for us, there’s a similar formation known as Little Peachtree Rock another mile back into the preserve.

Beyond the Rock is the coastal plains only natural waterfall. Water falls off a rock ledge and down 15 feet into a small pool before flowing right through the bowllike valley. We took a few pictures and continued on.

The trails past this point can be confusing. There’s a lot of trails and most of them eventually run back into each other. We followed a sandy trail along the base of a hill and passed some pretty boulder formations. We turned up the hill and came out to a beautiful section on the side of a hill.

THROUGH THE SPARSELY planted longleaf pines, we had a panoramic view of the valley below and the surrounding sandhills.

After a quarter mile of hiking on the hillside, we made it to Little Peachtree Rock. Although not as dramatic as it’s big brother, Little Peachtree Rock is a cool landmark. The 10 foot tall rock resembles a wide pillar. The color’s a beautiful marble of light and orange sandstone.

After observing the rock for a few minutes, we hiked back to the car.

Our next stop was the furthest away at about 45 minutes from Lexington. Congaree National Park is South Carolina’s only National Park and one of only 7 on the Eastern Seaboard. The 27,000 acre park protects the largest old-growth hardwood tract in the country.

The most popular spot in the park is the 2.4 mile elevated boardwalk, and that’s where we were heading. First, we would hike the mile-long Bluff Trail. The trail turned away from the swamp and took us into an open Longleaf Pine forest. The trail was easy, flat and we had it all to ourselves.

We hiked through a big open area that was still smoking from a recent controlled burn. These burns reduce the risk of wildfires and help the longleaf pines thrive. The contrast between the bright green leaves and black charred ground was beautiful.

THE BLUFF TRAIL ran back into the boardwalk. The famous 2.4-mile boardwalk passes through a variety of ecosystems but is most famous for this magical cypress swamps and the towering old-growth trees.

After a half-mile, we made it to the Weston Lake Overlook. We looked out over the beautiful oxbow lake, a remnant of the Congaree River’s old path. The lake flourished with wildlife, birds chirping, fish jumping, and somewhere under the murky waters, aligators roamed.

Non-poisonous water snakes were perched along a fallen login the lake right below us. They basked in the sun and one was even swimming around.

Continuing on the lower section of the boardwalk, we started noticing tons of caterpillars. In around 5 minutes, Ella and counted over 70 caterpillars on the boardwalk.

About halfway back, the boardwalk was being replaced and we had to step down to cross the 30-foot gap. Thankfully we lived to tell the tale.

CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK is worth the 45-minute drive. If you are short on time, walk the Boardwalk Trail. During the summer, paddle on Cedar Creek to really immerse yourself. Several companies offer tours. I enjoyed the Carolina Outdoor Adventures Cedar Creek tour last summer.

Our next stop was Sesquicentennial State Park, or Sesqui for short. Sesqui is a peaceful 1,000 acre park right off bustling Two Notch Road in Northeast Columbia.

The park is centered around the 30-acre lake. They are people having picnics, playing games, walking, kayaking, and just enjoying the perfect day. We planned to hike the 2 mile Sandhills hiking trail that surrounds the lake. The trail starts as a paved path that passes under a canopy of twisting oaks by the pond. The trail crosses the CCC built spillway and the pavement ends. If you walk down the spillway, you will find two beautiful tiered man made waterfalls.

For the next mile we walked around the back of the lake and passed many views of the lake. The trail joins up with the 3.5 mile loop trail, and we passed the start of the 5 mile Mountain Bike trail system.

We crossed over the small creek that feeds the lake and the trail split away from the Loop Trail. After 2 miles, we made it back to the office and parking area.

At Sesqui, there’s 10 miles of trails of varying difficulty that traverse the park’s rolling sandhills. Canoes and kayaks can be rented for $5/hour from the Park Store. There’s also a campground, splash pad, playgrounds and more to see.

We had to hurry to make it to one more stop before I had to go. Our last stop was the new Saluda Riverwalk. The paved path, located off Candi Lane near the zoo, spans 3.5 miles from the Broad River to the I-26 bridge. Right now you have to park on the side of the road, but a new parking lot is under construction.

WE WALKED DOWN to the river right above Millrace Rapid. The river bends around the roaring rapid and the riverwalk skirts it on a cool boardwalk.

We only had time to walk down the boardwalk a bit before heading back home.

When you visit here, bring a bike and pedal downstream to the conflux of the Broad River. Along the way you will have amazing views of the Saluda River and at the end is a bridge that leads to Boyd Island where the trail loops around. It’s about a 3.5 mile round trip.

In the future, there’s plans to extend the Saluda Riverwalk all the way to the Lake Murray Dam.

We had a great day exploring some of the best parks around Columbia but we missed one of my favorites. Harbison State Forest in Irmo which has over 25 miles of trails and is a must for mountain bikers and hikers. I love trail running here and I go regularly.

You don’t have to travel far to find a great adventure. Go enjoy all we have right here in Columbia.