Ashley River Park—Due to Open Late Summer…Pictures and Video of Progress

Do you desire to escape the Covid 19 Pandemic blues for the great outdoors? Don't we all. A good enticement for satisfying that urge is presently underway just a stone's throw from Bacon's Bridge Road. The $13 million Dorchester County Parks and Recreation Department's Ashley River Park will be an 85-acre activity oasis for Summerville residents of all ages on completion.

The County purchased the 3/4 mile riverfront property for $1.45 million in 2012 from a housing developer who went bankrupt. Thank goodness the housing development never took place. Although many sacred Summerville pines faced the ax in the clearing of the land, this is by far better use of the pristine, upper Ashley River ecosystem. The activity park will include riverside trails, a fishing pond, picnic shelters, a playground, a splash pad, dog parks, a ropes course, and a climbing wall. There will also be an event lawn and pavilion for events, such as concerts, festivals, weddings, reunions, and more. A kayak launch already exists at the Howard Bridgman River Access at Bacon's Bridge.

Due to the recent rains, my trek into the park project, to say the least, was a muddy one, but well worth the effort to provide Summerville residents with an update. On the day I visited, the construction crew made final preparations to lay the cement for the large splash pad, just one of the park's major features. When completed, a replica of the Ashley River surrounded by multi-colored concrete will snake through the splash pad and topped with blue tile. Fountains mounted on the splash pad will spray water. Many of the shelters and buildings were in various construction phases, as were the parking lot, the playground equipment, the dog parks, and the fishing pond boardwalks.

At present, it is a developing recreational island of projects surrounded by South Carolina muck. When finally finished, it will be a water and green space where families will be able to soak in the amenities and beauty along South Carolina's Black Pearl At The Heart of It All. It's scheduled to open in late summer. There will be an entrance fee to cover operational costs that at present have not been determined. Enjoy the pictures and video.

The Ashley River Park is one of five Dorchester County Park Projects. Rosebrock Park is already open with 70 acres of riverbank trails. The Walnut Hill park will feature 128 acres of wetlands and bottomland 2 miles upstream from the Ashley River Park. Summerville's Bend on the Ashley will consist of 38 acres adjacent to town-owned Herbert H. Jessen Boat Landing. Finally, a marsh park on 80 acres of the old Kings Grant Golf Course a mile downstream from Herbert H. Jessen Boat Landing is in the works. It will be managed by the city of North Charleston and include a walking trail and paddle craft launch.