Woods Ferry (Sc)

Summary

The Woods Ferry Recreation Area in Chester County offers visitors a wide range of outdoor recreational activities, from the Woods Ferry Horse Trail to fishing and boating on the Broad River. Surrounded by rolling hills of upland pine and hardwood forests, the area is home to a variety of wildlife such as red-shouldered hawks, bald eagles, and wild azaleas. The nearby Leeds Shooting Range and Historic Brattonsville provide additional attraction opportunities.

Overview

The rolling hills of Enoree Ranger District in Chester County are home to the Woods Ferry Recreation Area which includes the Woods Ferry Campground, Woods Ferry Picnic Area, Woods Ferry Boat Ramp. The Woods Ferry Recreation Area is situated in the piedmont of South Carolina along the east bank of the Broad River with elevation averaging around 350 feet and is approximately 40 miles southwest of Rock Hill and 57 miles southeast of Spartanburg.

The surrounding area is the rolling hills of upland pine and maturing hardwood forests. It offers a wonderful change is scenery from the area’s typical pine forests. The highlight of the area is the Broad River corridor. The many variety of hardwood trees create an umbrella with their leaves in the summer, keeping you cool during your trail ride or hike. Thatches of pine are mingled in and the sun shines through them providing you warmth in the winter.

Wander on the Woods Ferry Horse Trail and you’ll see wild azaleas clumped by the old homesites and dogwoods are scattered through-out the forest. Inhale fragrance of the honeysuckle in these peaceful surroundings. 

The forest and river environment draw a variety of wildlife to the area. Visitors interested in nature watching have an opportunity to see birds such as red-shouldered hawks, great blue herons, osprey, wood ducks, barred owls and the American Bald Eagle.  

Recreation

The Woods Ferry Recreation Area offers Woods Ferry Campground users access to a wide range of recreational activities such as picnicking, fishing, canoeing, wildlife viewing or trail riding. Its location on the Broad River makes fishing and boating easily accessible.

• The Woods Ferry Day Use Picnic Area: picnic tables and grills, two group picnic shelters with group grills, three fishing platforms to fish or view wildlife from. A valid South Carolina fishing license is required to fish on the national forests. 
• The Woods Ferry Horse Trail is a 26 mile trail system that traverses along the Broad River and hardwood drains of the area. The trail is open to horses, hikers and mountain bikers.
• Broad River- boating, canoeing and kayaking opportunities abound with current access south of the Neal Shoals Dam, 2 miles downstream from the Woods Ferry Campground. 
• The surrounding national forest lands are a great place for big game deer and turkey hunting along with other small game hunting. Hunting and fishing in South Carolina is regulated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Visit www.dnr.sc.gov for more about the SCDNR.

Facilities

Woods Ferry Campground is open year-round and has 15 single campsites, one double campsite and one group campsite. All sites are available by reservation only. The campground road is gravel with gravel parking spurs. Campsite parking spurs vary in size and grade. Not all sites can accommodate all sizes of campers and camper vehicles. Sites have a picnic table and rock fire ring, and some have a lantern post. This campground also offers the opportunity to camp with horses in designated sites. 10 campsites have horse corrals. Other campsites offer a designated area where horses can be highlined or where portable corrals can be set up behind the white banded trees around the perimeter of the campground. Vault toilets are centrally located to both ends of the campground. There is “NO WATER OR ELECTRICAL HOOK-UPS” available. Water spigots are centrally located throughout the campground. Campers can access the 26 mile Woods Ferry Horse Trail from the campground. The trail allows for horses, hiking and mountain biking. 

The Woods Ferry Campground is about a two tenths of a mile easy walk from the campground to the picnic area and Broad River. Great fishing and bird watching opportunities exists along the banks of the Broad River.

Natural Features

The Woods Ferry Recreation Area is situated in the piedmont of South Carolina, along the east bank of the Broad River and adjacent to the 26 mile Woods Ferry Horse Trail. It lies within a beautiful wooded floodplain surrounded by upland pine woods and maturing hardwood forests. 

The Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests encompass more than 629,000 acres in four districts throughout South Carolina, from the low country Atlantic Coast to the western foothills along the Georgia border. For more information on Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests https://www.fs.usda.gov/scnfs

Nearby Attractions

• Leeds Shooting Range, Enoree Ranger District, Sumter National Forest. Bring your own weapon, target and target holder to practice from designated shooting tables down range with at a maximum distance 100 yards. Click here for more information https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/scnfs/recreation/otheractivities.
• Olde English Tourism District. https://www.oldeenglishdistrict.com/about/district. Find upcoming events, restaurants, artists, farmers markets surrounding the Woods Ferry Recreation Area.
• Historic Brattonsville. https://www.visityorkcounty.com/things-to-do/history-culture/historic-brattonsville/