Local family hiked, camped and kayaked at all 47 South Carolina state parks.
This summer, a Charlotte-area family completed a quest that’s been four years in the making, becoming Ultimate Outsiders by visiting all 47 South Carolina State Parks.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, the Ultimate Outsider program launched in 2013 to “spread out the visitation to state parks and get people to find some of South Carolina’s little hidden gems,” said Gwen Davenport, director of sales and marketing for the state park service.
So far, 3,763 people out of the state’s 5.1 million residents have joined this elite group, with Adam and Ashley O’Daniel of Rock Hill and their sons Ayden, 12; Asher, 10; and Avett, 7, being among the latest inductees.
The O’Daniels documented their entire journey on Instagram as “The A-Team Adventures,” with photos, videos and a short review about each park.
Shortly after getting their last stamps on July 30 at Poinsett and earning T-shirts, certificates, a social media shoutout and a spot in the Ultimate Outsider community, Adam O’Daniel spoke with CharlotteFive to break down their journey.
How the A-Team’s state park adventure began
For the past few years, the O’Daniels have celebrated Father’s Day by going to a state park or taking a similar outdoor adventure. Through that tradition, they learned about the Ultimate Outsider program.
“We love to be outdoors and thought it would be a really cool way to spend family time together as our boys are growing up,” O’Daniel said. “It just seemed like a fun way to make a challenge out of exploring our home state.”
They earned their first stamp in March 2019 on O’Daniel’s birthday by visiting Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster County. It was an easy afternoon near home, where they explored the historic schoolhouse, saw a musket demonstration and learned about the life of the former president.
And the adventures just took off from there.
Their strategy: Make ‘fun experiences’
While some Outdoor Adventurers have rushed through the parks, collecting all stamps in as little as a week, the O’Daniels wanted to make the most of each visit.
“We based our whole strategy around what would be fun experiences for our family to explore together,” O’Daniel said. “It took us four and a half years, but it never felt like a burden or deadline.”
Some of the A-Team’s most memorable experiences included Table Rock State Park in the northwest corner of Pickens County, where they camped, swam in a lake, hiked miles of mountain trails and took in some of the best views in the state.
They also loved Hunting Island State Park — a coastal barrier island near Beaufort with a lighthouse and an undisturbed natural beach accessible by a half mile walk. That beach, with all of its driftwood and shells, was something like a movie scene, O’Daniel said.
“One of the great things about South Carolina is just how diverse the state is,” O’Daniel said. “On one hand, you have beachfront state parks and the other side of the state has mountains.”
The O’Daniel family also loved all of the animal encounters along their journey. They witnessed a sea turtle nest inventory at Edisto Beach when a park ranger took them to look for stragglers. They helped three or four little hatchlings find the ocean that day, O’Daniel said.
The A-Team also saw plenty of birds, alligators, deer, fox squirrel and other critters – including one snake encounter that was “too close to call.”
“We were in the middle of nowhere at a state park on the way to Myrtle Beach, and we saw this gigantic water moccasin on the boardwalk. It was a little scary, but also memorable. The kids didn’t understand how dangerous it could have been to have such an encounter with a venomous snake,” O’Daniel said.
But what about parks that aren’t ‘that remarkable’?
While South Carolina has many standout parks, some are more functional than a full experience. O’Daniel believes those sites are just as important.
“There are several state parks where it’s clear that their only purpose is to give folks in those local communities a place where they can all enjoy the great outdoors,” O’Daniel said. “There’s nothing really that remarkable about them, so if you’re not from the area you’re likely not going to go back.”
But O’Daniel believes the importance of setting aside public land to preserve nature and history is critical.
“A little roadside state park that just has a playground, nature trail and fishing pond is still a meaningful space to the people who live in that county,” O’Daniel said. “As a resident of S.C., I already own 90,000 acres of land through the park system. I can appreciate the mountaintop parks as well as the little pocket parks.”
Recommendations for others
“I would 10 out of 10 recommend the Ultimate Outsider challenge,” O’Daniel said. “But make sure you don’t rush. Enjoy the journey. Take time to hike the trails. Enjoy the beach. Do the campground. The point is to go see the state and be outdoors, not just get the stamps.”
For CharlotteFive readers, O’Daniel recommends starting with the parks near Charlotte. He said Kings Mountain State Park has everything – trails, lakes, camping and even a staircase waterfall. Landsford Canal is a great place to go kayaking.
“Chester State Park is on my list of sleepers,” O’Daniel said. “People look over it, but it’s very peaceful and very well-maintained. We’ve been back two or three times. It’s just a great place to get outside, play and have a good time.”
What’s next for the A-Team?
The O’Daniels look forward to returning to several of the state parks, especially along the Savannah River chain of lakes. But they also have their sights set on a bigger stage.
“We’d love to explore more of the national parks as a family, especially as the boys get older,” O’Daniel said, noting they visited several parks in Utah this summer. “Sure, we’d love to see them all, but the time and budget involved is on a whole other level. It’s all about the journey, though. Who knows – maybe one day we’ll get there.”
In the meantime, the O’Daniels will enjoy being an Ultimate Outsider and participating in some of the special events and experiences exclusive to Outsiders.
“We’ve unlocked this special community and look forward to more adventures and meet-ups with other Ultimate Outsiders,” O’Daniel said. “It really is a great way to have a quest around doing things outdoors.”
This story was originally published August 29, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
