Colonial Dorchester State Park

Hey there! Today we visit Colonial Dorchester State Park!! This historical park may be small but packs in a lot. There are a lot of events here so be sure to check the state park website to see what's going on and when. Hiking around the park, we didn't quite walk a mile and it's mostly level. There is a large field close to the main parking lot and this is where they hold events and period reenactments. The day we attended they had a colonial reenactment as well as a canon firing! Be sure to check out the video at the end of the blog of the canon firing.




One of the first things you notice as you enter the park is the old graveyard and bell tower. The bell tower is all that remains of the old St. George’s Anglican Church. Built in 1751 it's a great piece of history that has survived the test of time.




There are several archaeological digs at the park as well, check the state park website to see dates and times when they're working on them! Through these digs they have been able to find out where some buildings from the town stood. These have been preserved and marked as well.



One of the big draws to this park is the old fort. This unique and well preserved fort (built before the revolution) is made out of an oyster shell concrete. The fort has several large trees in and around it complete with beautiful hanging Spanish moss. All this makes for a truly unique and special walk back in time.




Close by the fort is the river. During low tide you can see part of an old log wharf. Watch out for alligators!

The history and beauty of this park make it one of our favorites. The programs are great and hopefully we'll be able to come back and visit during a live dig. This park has plenty of photo opportunities so bring your camera! As always I ended up with way more pictures than room so be sure to scroll down past this to see a few more pictures. Be sure to read the rest of this blog to see our other state park adventures and then visit our website to see the pictures that didn't make it in the blog and in higher (Blog pics are reduced quality to help with space/load times) resolution. Fine art prints are available for purchase at my site also. Be sure to connect with us on social media! All this can be found at our site: http://www.centerlightstudios.com.

Jones Gap State Park

Hey there! Today we visit Jones Gap State Park! This is another very popular state park (One of our favorites!!) and at times can be difficult to get into, be prepared for a wait. There's so much natural beauty to enjoy at this park, it keeps you coming back! The main park area has several picnic areas, the fish hatchery and the ranger station/gift shop. There are primitive camp sites on the trails here. If you plan on camping, be sure to check in advance to make sure the sites are available. There's plenty of wildlife to be seen here, we've come across a bear before, unfortunately he took off before we could get any pictures!

We're going to do things a little different on this post. With all the trails and beauty this park has to offer we're just going to post some of the pictures from our hikes. Be sure to check with the rangers on the best hikes for you and your timeline as some are difficult and long. Be sure to follow all rules and warnings, some of the falls are dangerous and not to be climbed up. We hope you enjoy these pictures and strongly encourage you to check out this wonderful park!! As always be sure to check out our other state park visits on this blog. Check out all the pictures from our Jones Gap visits and other state parks at www.centerlightstudios.com !