UNION — It’s almost 2016! Start your new year out on the right foot with a First Day Hike at Rose Hill Plantation.
First Day Hikes are special events held at more than 30 state parks across South Carolina to give people an invigorating start to the new year. Meet with the ranger on Jan. 1, 2016 to hike the short nature trail at Rose Hill.
Along the way, we’ll stop and explore the environment and history on the park. This walk promises to be refreshing for the mind and body so join us for an exhilarating start to 2016.
Meet at 10 a.m. at the picnic shelter. The cost is $2 per person for ages 16 and older and free for age 15 and under. Please dress for the weather, wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring drinking water. Binoculars, insect repellent and a camera are optional, but you never know what we might see.
Special Invitation
This year, the State Park Service is inviting all military personnel in South Carolina to compete in First Day Hikes to see which branch of the Armed Forces can hike the most miles in a single day. The parks are inviting members of the U.S. Army, the Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force to rack up miles for bragging rights.
Military personnel can opt to join scheduled hikes or take alternate trails in state parks as long as they check in with rangers first. The winner will be announced on the Park Service’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SC.State.Parks.
Admission to all state parks will be free on New Year’s Day. Military personnel should stop by the park office to pick up an Ultimate Outsider guide and tell the park ranger on duty which branch of service he or she represents. They can go on hikes and then report back the number of miles each person covers.
Tour Times
Rose Hill Plantation will also begin offering new mansion tour times on Jan. 4, 2016. Throughout January and February, tours of the Gist mansion will be offered Thursday through Monday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Beginning March 1, the mansion may be toured seven days a week at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
About Rose Hill
Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site is the antebellum home of South Carolina’s “secession governor,” William H. Gist. Visitors to the 44-acre park can learn about the lifestyle of a wealthy Upstate plantation family, Gist’s contributions to politics, and the importance of cotton in the South. Visitors also get an inside look at the role of enslaved African-Americans and tenant farmers in South Carolina’s history.
Park grounds are open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. year round. The mansion home is only accessible by guided tour. Mansion tours are subject to change; visitors are encouraged to call before visiting. The grounds at Rose Hill Plantation may be rented for weddings and other events. We are located 8 miles south of Union, SC.
About The State Park Service
The South Carolina State Park Service is a program of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, a state agency that serves as the leading marketing organization for South Carolina tourism. SCPRT also operates 47 state parks and administers federal and state grants for recreation development.