Parks and Open Space Inventory Horry County, SC
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Parks and Open Space Inventory Horry County, SC Adopted by the Parks and Open Space Board July 26, 2016 Parks and Open Space Inventory THIS PAGE INTENTIALLY LEFT BLANK Parks and Open Space Inventory TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1 APPENDIX I: TRAIL MAPS ....................................................... 29 HORRY COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION ............................... 1 APPENDIX II: FACILITES BY COUNCIL DISTRICT ................... 32 Regional Parks ..................................................................... 1 District 1 .............................................................................. 32 Recreation Centers ............................................................ 3 District 2 .............................................................................. 34 Community and Neighborhood Parks ............................ 4 District 3 .............................................................................. 36 Beach Accesses ................................................................. 9 District 4 .............................................................................. 38 Boating & Blueways .......................................................... 12 District 5 .............................................................................. 39 MUNICIPAL & PRIVATE FACILITIES ........................................ 16 District 6 .............................................................................. 40 Sports Tourism .................................................................... 16 District 7 .............................................................................. 41 Waterfront Parks ................................................................ 18 District 8 .............................................................................. 42 Recreation Centers & Parks ............................................ 19 District 9 .............................................................................. 43 OPEN SPACE .......................................................................... 21 District 10 ............................................................................ 44 Public Conservation ......................................................... 21 District 11 ............................................................................ 45 Private Conservation ........................................................ 24 APPENDIX III: PROTECTED OPEN SPACE ............................. 46 Neighborhood Open Space........................................... 25 Horry County-Owned Open Space ............................... 46 Trails and Greenways ....................................................... 25 Federally-Owned Open Space ...................................... 48 Camping ............................................................................ 26 State-Owned Open Space ............................................. 49 Privately-Managed Open Space................................... 50 i Parks and Open Space Inventory INTRODUCTION HORRY COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION Horry County has a wealth of active and passive The Horry County Parks and Recreation Department was recreation opportunities to offer its residents and visitors. created in 1997 to meet the immediate and long-term The county alone provides over 80 recreational facilities, recreation needs of residents in unincorporated Horry including regional parks, recreation centers, community County. At that time, Horry County had few recreational and neighborhood parks, beach accesses, and boat facilities and programs. In 1999, County Council funded landings. In addition, county residents benefit from all of the development of the Horry County Recreation Needs the recreational amenities available in area Assessment for 1999-2009. The county has worked municipalities, along its waterways, and within 55,000 diligently over the last two decades to implement the acres of protected open space. recommendations within that assessment. Today, Horry County Parks and Recreation operates more than 30 parks The following inventory details the recreational amenities on over 618 acres of land, offering 39 baseball/softball and conservation lands in Horry County, focusing primarily fields, 15 tennis courts, 19 multi-purpose fields, 13 outdoor upon county-maintained facilities. Because there are so basketball courts, 26 playgrounds, and 2 disc golf courses. many municipal parks and preserved open conservation Horry County Parks and Recreation Department also lands, this inventory only provides a summary of these maintains 27 boat landings, while Horry County Public facilities to frame how the county’s facilities fit into the Works and Engineering maintain 22 beach accesses and greater green infrastructure network. The information an expanding bicycle and pedestrian network. detailed in this inventory was collected in 2015 and included site visits and evaluations of all county-owned or REGIONAL PARKS Horry County Parks and Recreation provides residents with maintained facilities. County staff coordinated with area three regional parks, including Vereen Memorial Gardens, municipalities and conservation organizations to identify Socastee Recreational Park, and the Bike & Run Park. Both the location of all parks and open space properties within Vereen Gardens and Socastee Recreational Park were the county. The Horry County Parks and Open Space developed prior to the establishment of the Parks and Board should review this inventory at least every 5 years Recreation Department and serve a large portion of the and update it as necessary. county. The Bike & Run Park was recently established. 1 Parks and Open Space Inventory While small in size, it attracts users from throughout the Socastee Recreational Park is located on a 91.5 acre county and beyond. Regional parks are typically more property off of Enterprise Road and serves residents living than 100 acres in size and cater to those within a 15 mile in the southern end of the county. The facility boasts radius. numerous multi-purpose fields, an archery range, picnic areas, a disc-golf course, trails, and a playground. This Vereen Memorial Historical Gardens is located along the facility attracts a variety of users, from tournament Intracoastal Waterway in Little River on more than 115 participants to families. There is community interest in acres of forest and marshland. This facility includes expanding the fields and providing a community center approximately 3 miles of nature trails and boardwalks that on site. This park is also managed by a governing board, meander through its botanical gardens and along its but financed through the Socastee Community waterfront. A small segment of the original Kings Highway, Recreation Tax District. This is the only recreation tax district a colonial route between Boston and Charleston, still in the county and funds can only be allocated for debt remains at the front of the property, behind the CB Berry services within the area that it serves. Community Center. The Center, while undersized, provides space for recreational programming and community events. There is a governing board for this property, who is engaged in facility enhancements and activities. Photo 1: Vereen Memorial Historical Gardens, Little River Photo 2: Socastee Recreational Park, Socastee 2 Parks and Open Space Inventory The Bike & Run Park, also known as ‘The Hulk,’ is quickly RECREATION CENTERS becoming a park of regional significance, attracting both The county has four community recreation centers, local users and vacationers. This facility is located along including North Strand Park, Carolina Forest Recreation the Intracoastal Waterway near River Oaks Drive in Center, James Frazier Community Center, and the South Carolina Forest. It includes 7 miles of mountain biking and Strand Recreation Center. These facilities are intended to hiking trails on 70 acres of open space. The park was cater to residents within a 3 to 5 mile radius, providing developed through the vision and labor of volunteers on active recreation and programming through indoor a county-owned dredge spoil basin that provides drastic gymnasiums, athletic fields, outdoor courts, and changes in elevation that cannot be found in other parts playgrounds. Each of these recreation centers are in need of the county. In addition to providing a venue for a of expansions, as the buildings and outdoor amenities do variety of races, its parking area serves as the first official not have enough space to meet existing demand. There East Coast Greenway trailhead in the State of South is a desire for additional fields, field lighting, outdoor Carolina. Because of its popularity, there is demand for courts, covered seating and picnic areas, trails, and play additional parking, outdoor workout equipment along the areas. There is also demand to collocate swim facilities at trails, and the development of obstacle and ropes some of these sites. Rural communities could benefit from courses. the development of community recreation centers as a central gathering space and for recreational programming. Photo 3: Bike & Run Park, Carolina Forest Photo 4: South Strand Recreation Center, Burgess 3 Parks and Open Space Inventory COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS county’s parks are in need of equipment replacement Horry County operates 26 neighborhood and community and upgrades, as they are actively used and beginning parks. These facilities range in