{"id":2998,"date":"2026-07-10T17:37:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T17:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2998"},"modified":"2026-07-10T17:37:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T17:37:52","slug":"how-lake-murrays-newest-state-park-handles-traffic-concerns-in-first-summer-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2998","title":{"rendered":"How Lake Murray\u2019s newest state park handles traffic concerns in first summer open"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>When South Carolina\u2019s newest state park was announced on Lake Murray\u2019s Pine Island, neighbors were worried. With only a two-lane River Road running between Interstate 26 and the narrow causeway onto the island, residents worried that traffic during peak summer visiting times would trap them in their homes.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2996\">SC budgets over $150M a year to pay back debt. Most is spent elsewhere, later<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>But with the first Fourth of July of the park\u2019s first year now in the past, both state park officials and nearby homeowners say the area has avoided too much disruption so far.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Since Pine Island opened its summer hours in April, the island has seen 3,711 vehicles cross over the causeway, an increase of more than a third of what the park had seen since its soft opening last October.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese numbers reflect growing public interest in Pine Island State Park and underscore the value visitors place on experiencing South Carolina\u2019s natural resources and outdoor recreation opportunities,\u201d Duane Parrish, director of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>But so far, operations at the park have been smooth. Park Manager Tim Ritter said parking on the island has reached capacity only once so far this summer, and even then Pine Island was able to admit more visitors within less than an hour.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s definitely come close to filling up on a lot of Saturdays,\u201d Ritter said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Pine Island was once maintained as a getaway spot for employees of South Carolina Electric &amp; Gas, which owned the lake and its hydropower dam. It was closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the struggling utility \u2014 which was absorbed by Dominion Energy in 2019 \u2014 offered the island to the state as a potential future park to meet its tax liabilities after the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The possibility of the 27-acre island being open to the public sparked traffic fears in the island\u2019s neighbors. Before the park opened, the S.C. Legislature included a proviso in the 2025-26 budget that would have required park visitors reserve a parking spot in advance before arriving at the park, similar to the rules adopted last year for Dominion\u2019s Lake Murray Park. But Gov. Henry McMaster vetoed the parking requirement, saying it was premature before the park had even opened.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Rick Levitan, who lives on the last cul-de-sac before the turn onto Pine Island, thinks the park\u2019s limited hours and its relatively recent opening mean many visitors still haven\u2019t made their way out to the island. That could change as the state park becomes better known.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2995\">Power vs. property: SC landowners fight back against energy company over pipeline<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI drove by the [Dominion] park on the Lexington side of the dam over the Fourth of July, and even with a reservation system, it still had cars lined up on Lake Murray Boulevard,\u201d Levitan said. \u201cSo there\u2019s still time. You have to remember Pine Island was closed for four years, so it\u2019s only a matter of time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>If the park does fill up, officials have an electronic sign board on River Road warning drivers to turn around before they reach the island, Ritter said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>People have come to the park to enjoy a summer swimming area on the lake, take their kids to the newly installed playground or picnic in one of the old lakeside shelters. The park has also closed a third of a mile of roadway on one side of the island as a walking trail.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve seen quite a few people come and walk their dogs there or use strollers,\u201d Ritter said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had quite a few folks in wheelchairs on there because it\u2019s a closed, level road.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The park can regulate parking for some special events. It recently hosted an after-hours, reservation-only event on the Fourth of July for viewing the fireworks over Lake Murray, Ritter said, calling it the \u201cbiggest test\u201d for the island\u2019s traffic management system so far.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Pine Island has issued 451 \u201cpark passports\u201d to regular visitors, the parks department said, including neighborhood residents who walk or bike over to the park.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Pine Island is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Admission is $6 for adults, $3.75 for seniors, $3.50 for children aged 6 to 15, and free for children 5 and under.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2994\">Power vs. property: SC landowners fight back against energy company over pipeline<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pine Island State Park on Lake Murray opened this spring. Early summer data shows managed vehicle flow, limited parking issues, smooth Fourth of July operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Lake Murray\u2019s newest state park handles traffic concerns in first summer open - US Moving Experts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2998\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Lake Murray\u2019s newest state park handles traffic concerns in first summer open - US Moving Experts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pine Island State Park on Lake Murray opened this spring. 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