Lake Murray at Dreher Island State Park – Columbia, SC, US
Dreher Island State Park is in central South Carolina roughly 30 miles (48 km) from the state’s capital of Columbia. It occupies all of the largest islands in 50,000-acre (202 km2) of Lake Murray, a reservoir of the Saluda River.
The park offers boating, hiking, camping, fishing for largemouth bass and other fish, picnic areas, and spaces for large group meetings. The park also contains several lodging options, including villas and cabins.
It was first leased from SCE&G (now SCANA) in 1970, who built the Dreher Shoals Dam, creating Lake Murray. Today it is a large heavily wooded island with the only access being a bridge on its Northern side.
The park is named after the former owner of the island, Billy Dreher.
Lake Murray is a reservoir in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is approximately 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) in size and has roughly 650 mi (1,050 kilometers) of shoreline. It was impounded in the late 1920s to provide hydroelectric power to the state of South Carolina. Lake Murray is fed by the Saluda River, which flows from upstate South Carolina near the North Carolina state line. The Saluda Dam (officially the Dreher Shoals Dam) was an engineering feat at the time of its construction. The dam, using the native red clay soil and bedrock, was the largest earthen dam in the world when it was completed in 1930. Lake Murray itself is named after the project’s chief engineer, William S. Murray. The Saluda Dam is approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and 220 feet (67 m) high. Lake Murray is 41 miles (66 km) long, and 14 miles (23 km) wide at its widest point. At the time when the lake was finished, it was the world’s largest man-made reservoir. In addition to serving as a source of hydroelectric power for the region, the lake has become a recreational attraction, with fishing and boating being popular activities. Also, the Dreher Island State Recreation Area, located in the Western part of the lake, provides multiple activities—all focused on the lake.
Video Source: Dreher Island State Park – Lake Murray – Columbia, SC // 4K – DJI Mavic Pro 2. Footage from Paul King – Nature In 4K on Youtube ⁄ CC BY
