Dreher Island State Recreation Area

Dreher Island State Park encompasses a total area of about 384 acres of land that spans across three islands and provides access to 12 miles of shoreline on Lake Murray. The location of the park is approximately 30 miles from Columbia, the capital of the State of South Carolina. If you want to access the park, just travel 30 miles northwest of Columbia or 12 miles off I-26 via Chapin (a town popularly known as the capital of Lake Chapin) using exit 91.

Besides the lake as one of the central attractions to the park, there are diverse plant and animal species within the park that attract visitors. Some of the plant species include wildflowers and especially Wild Geraniums. Animal species within the park include white-tailed deer, egrets, purple martins, Canadian geese and mallard ducks, grey squirrels, and osprey.

Other activities that make the park popular include fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, biking, and camping. The amenities that facilitate these activities include three islands with access to the 50,000-acre Lake Murray, five lakeside villas, 97 paved campsites for RV or tent camping and 15 tent campsites specifically for tent camping, One Community Building, 10 picnic shelters, three fishing tournament shelters (with wi-fi included and a live well with a catch and release tank), three boat ramps providing access to Lake Murray, three playgrounds, and three trails for your recreational use.

You can also bring your dog into the park and generally take your pooch to most outdoor areas within the park. That said, you must maintain immediate control of your tail-wagger and ensure that they are always either on a leash that is no longer than six feet long or in a secured enclosure. Furthermore, you must avoid areas around lodge areas including inside the lodges. One of the things that is highly discouraged is disturbance of the park wildlife. As such, you should ensure that your pooch doesn’t make any unnecessary noise or behave in a manner that is threatening or harassing to other wildlife