Walking across South Carolina

S.C.A.L.E.

For a better view, click on each picture.  

Visitors enter the SCALE site across the street from Duncan Elementary.

The entry point is  I-26  as the interstate crosses the North Carolina state line into South Carolina.  

I-26 goes to Spartanburg then on to Columbia.

In Spartanburg, I-26 and I-85 intersect.  A left turn onto I-85 leads to Gaffney and to the historical battlefields of Cowpens and Kings Mountain and on to the North Carolina border near Charlotte.  

Turn right onto I-85 to go to the Georgia state line. Along the way is the Greenville/Duncan/Spartanburg area, one of the outdoor classroom sites on SCALE. Wooden benches provide seating for students.

I-85 crosses the Saluda River.

The SCALE site includes the four major river systems in South Carolina. The Saluda is one of the rivers included in the Santee river system.  I-85 crosses the Savannah River system at the Georgia/South Carolina state line.

Before leaving the upstate, locate South Carolina's highest peak.  Sassafras Mountain  is located in Pickens County.

The SCALE site has several sassafras trees.

While in this area of the state, visit Appalachian Cove in Oconee Station State Park.

From the SC/Georgia border, travel I-85 north back to I-385, then south  and on to Columbia.   I-385 connects with I-26 near Clinton.   We see the Enoree River as it parallels I-385.

As we travel I-26 on our way to Columbia, we see two additional rivers of the Santee River system as they flow down through the state, the Tyger River , and the Broad .

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, ” River Conservation Project” provides a pictorial tour of South Carolina rivers. 

As I-26 nears Columbia, we see the Saluda River as it flows into Lake Murray near Lexington and Columbia .

South Carolina's capitol, Columbia, one of the SCALE outdoor classrooms,   is also the hub of the state's interstate system.

I-20 west of Columbia crosses the state just above the city of Aiken  and then crosses the state line near Augusta, Georgia.  Aiken is another classroom site.    The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor gives some insight to what students might locate in this area.

See the sand hills that form the middle region of South Carolina. Tons of sand were brought from the midlands to form the sand hills on SCALE.

Return to Columbia on I-20 and turn right onto I-26.

As you travel from Columbia to Charleston, the Congaree Swamp is located off of I-26 via South Carolina highway 601.    This in one of five nature site markers located on SCALE. 

Along the way observe the native plants representative of the different regions of SC.  

As you travel east on I-26 you will see the Adopt-a-Highway sign showing the Byrnes High School service clubs who help to keep the interstates of SCALE clean.

As you arrive at the I-26 and I-95 intersection, take I-95 south, crossing the Edisto River, another of the major river systems of SC, and walk near one of the seven historical markers on site.

Looking to the right of I-95, we see one of the two picnic areas on SCALE-   located in Jasper County.

Across the state line, into Georgia, to the left of I-95, we see the second of our picnic areas marking the location of Savannah. 

At the state line we see the perimeter path that encircles the entire six-acre map. 

We can walk the perimeter path to Charleston,  another of the outdoor classrooms on SCALE.

North of Charleston is Bulls Island in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, a thousand-acre natural area.  The sand represents the coastal area of SC.

Further north, Myrtle Beach is also a SCALE classroom site.

From the Georgia state line to the North Carolina state line, beaches form one of the sides of the triangular shape of South Carolina.

From Charleston, travel I-26 west towards Columbia to I-95. Turn right on I-95, looking north towards Florence.  You will see the I-95 bridge as it crosses Lake Marion.

Standing on the I-95 bridge over Lake Marion, look upstate and see the sand hills region of the state  and the Santee River system as it winds its way from the upstate to the ocean.

Continue on I-95 to Florence, another outdoor classroom. I-20 and I-95 come together in Florence. 

Near I-95 we see the Pee Dee River and one of many birdhouses located on the site. I-95 goes on to Dillon, South of the Border, and the state line before crossing into North Carolina. 

From this point we can follow the perimeter path, cross I-77 between Rock Hill  and Charlotte before returning to the entrance of SCALE.

Or we can follow I-20 to I-77, cross the Catawba River near Rock Hill and follow the perimeter path to return to the entrance.