With two lakes, a national forest, hiking trails, free movies and more there is a bounty of low-cost entertainment in and around Newberry County.

Family entertainment budgets are one of the first areas pennies are pinched in tight times. But watching a household’s bottom line is no sentence to staying inside.

The county library is one of the largest local sources for free entertainment, offering books, movies and books on CD all for loan with a library card.

Library staff estimates it now has more than 1,000 movies that can be checked out.

The City of Newberry has 15 parks located around town. While play is free, the city does charge rental fees for reserved use of its facilities.

The city also sponsors numerous festivals and events such as Irish Fling, Pork in the Park, Oktoberfest, Main Street Lights and A Taste of Newberry.

In the city, tucked behind Piedmont Technical College’s Newberry campus on Wilson Road is Lynch’s Woods.

The park offers hiking, bike and horse trails and bird watching among many nature experiences in the 249-acre wooded perserve.

A shelter, restrooms and primitive camping are also on site.

For more information call the County of Newberry Recreation Department at 924-8328.

Council on Aging sponsors a free arthritic exercise class at the Dave Waldrop senior center and in Whitmire.

The County Recreation Department will start classes in late spring, according to Director Gerdi Lake.

Also near the county lines are two state parks.

Lake Greenwood State Recreation Area is located just outside the county on Highway 702 near Chappells.

The 914-acre park occupies a series of peninsulas on Lake Greenwood, which itself offers 212 miles of shoreline and 11,400 acres of boating and fishing opportunities year-round.

Lake Greenwood State Recreation Area is one of 16 state parks in South Carolina built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. That history is captured in the park’s CCC museum, which also serves as a popular reception and meeting center.

CCC structures remaining at the park include picnic shelters, a boathouse, water fountain and lakeside terrace.

In addition to lakeside camping, picnicking and hiking, the park also hosts the South Carolina Half-Iron Man Competition, a popular endurance contest, each fall.

Dreher Island State Park, located outside of Prosperity, offers woodsy hiking trails and lots of places to fish from the Lake Murray shore. The 348-acre park also offers picnicking, camping and lakeside villas.

A tackle shop and boat ramp are also available. The park has long been popular with recreational boaters and fishermen, and has been a launching spot for major national bass tournaments.

Admission to state parks is $2 for adults and $1.25 for seniors, and children 15 and younger are free. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

The Sumter National Forest also offers a variety of activities from camping, shooting and hiking to riding on ATV or horse trails.

A 14-mile ATV trail is located in the Enoree Ranger District on Garlington School Road in Whitmire. The trail travels through rolling piedmont hills and pine forests. With connecting loops, riders have an opportunity for various length rides. The trail is managed for all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and dirt bikes only: Jeeps, Hummers and other 4-wheel drive vehicles are not allowed on trails.

Fees to ride the trails are $5 per ATV per day, or $50 per person per season. Complimentary yearly passes are issued to volunteers who contribute eight or more hours of trail work at work outings.

For those wanting to use their own horsepower, there are also many trails through the national forest. Park officials suggest hikers file a trip plan with family or friends so someone will know where you are and whom to contact should you fail to return as planned.

The park also has year-round camping that provides an opportunity for many recreational activities, such as wildlife and plant observation, hiking and photography. Abundant wildlife populations provide some of the most desirable hunting areas in the upstate.

Eight campsites have been designated for extended stay use during hunting seasons.

The campground off of Highway 66 has 23 campsites with tables, grills, lantern holders and restrooms.

Fees are $5 a night or $50 for a 30-day period and sites are rented on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Plus, businesses are in hot competition for customers’ dollars as many consumers reduce their spending. This makes for plenty of deals to be had for savvy shoppers at restaurants, retailers and concert venues.