3 Best Public Parks in Columbia, SC

"Sesquicentennial State Park is a 1,400-acre park located in the Sandhills region of South Carolina, offering a variety of recreational features. The Park has camping sites available for overnight guests. The park offers kayak and canoe rentals, fishing, two nature trails, and a 6-mile bicycle loop for day-use recreation. The Sandhills Trail is an ADA-accessible two-mile loop around the park lake. Sesqui is the only South Carolina State Park that offers a full-scale splash pad and a membership-only dog park that allows dogs to jog off-leash. You can engage in the 1,400 acres of pines, camping sites, and nature trails.

"Finlay Park is a revitalized public park that blends open green spaces with modern recreational amenities for visitors of all ages. The park features interactive playscapes, a seasonal splash pad, scenic walking areas, event lawns, and unique gathering spaces such as The Landing, Overlook Plaza, The Nest, and The Grotto. Guests can also enjoy year-round community events, live entertainment, picnic areas, and rental venues for private celebrations. Finlay Park provides a welcoming setting for relaxation, outdoor recreation, and community gatherings.

"Seven Oaks Park offers a wide range of amenities, including athletic fields, tennis courts, walking paths, playgrounds, picnic shelters, and a disc golf course. The park's six natural turf baseball diamonds include four youth, one intermediate, and one regulation-sized, in addition to three multi-use fields. There is also a disc golf course in the shaded area of the park, and handicapped access is from the lower parking area. Seven Oaks Park has softball, basketball, and football play areas. Seven Oaks Park is the perfect place to conduct special events, recreation programs, and volunteer opportunities designed for youth, adults, seniors, and persons with special needs. There are three full gymnasiums, a fitness area, an indoor walking track, a senior centre, a dance studio, an art studio, and meeting rooms.