General Overview of Camden and Kershaw County

Camden and Kershaw County: where the exciting world of steeplechase horse racing is available for enjoyment at the famous Carolina Cup event held in the spring and the Colonial Cup races held in the fall. Other equine activities such as horse shows and polo games attract the public year-round. Or you can take an early morning drive past local horse farms and watch championship race horses train in the early morning light.

Kershaw County is an outdoorsman's paradise. Enjoy beautiful, unspoiled, Lake Wateree, a 13,000-acre water playground known for boating and sailing as well as superior crappie and bass fishing.

With an abundance of woodlands, local preserves provide hunters with a variety of game or even sports shooting at sporting clays. Golfers will find heaven with 19 outstanding golf courses, all conveniently located within an hour's drive. Whether it's swimming, boat rentals, tennis, softball, volleyball or exercising on a local walking trail, the Camden-Kershaw County Recreation Department and N.R. Goodale State Park have the offerings to make leisure time enjoyable.

The fond recollection of days gone by is evident in Camden, South Carolina's oldest inland city. Tour the reconstructed mansion where British Lord Cornwallis schemed to defeat Americans during the Revolutionary War. Located at Historic Camden RevolutionaryWar Site, the mansion, period buildings and reconstructed stockades tell the story of the hard-fought efforts of both Americans and British. Dotting the surrounding area are additional battle sites and monuments marking both victory and defeat.

The turmoil of the American Civil War touched Camden and Kershaw County in many ways. Visit the site where the last Civil War-era conflict in South Carolina was fought or see the home where Mary Boykin Chesnut put her famous recollections on the southern way of life into words. Experience historic Boykin where a hand-made broom factory, an old fashioned general store, a grain mill and other attractions take you back to a simpler age.

A leisurely stroll or horsedrawn carriage ride through the scenic Camden Historic District offers a view of well-preserved cottages and spacious mansions which stand witness to the ingenuity of generations past. Private tour guides can offer a peek inside the homes where Camden residents have lived for more than 250 years.

An extension of these welcoming homes are the comfortable accommodations which attract visitors to Camden and Kershaw County by way of several exceptional bed and breakfast sites, a historic inn, many modern hotels and several RV parks. While staying here, visitors will enjoy local delicacies and fine dining in our excellent restaurants. In addition, the outstanding shopping to be found in the historic commercial district and elsewhere is highlighted by numerous antique shops and specialty gift and art stores.

Arts, culture and crafts abound in Camden and Kershaw County under the auspices of the Fine Arts Center, where regularly scheduled events include live theatre, concerts or art exhibits provided by nationally-known performers and artists. Other local events such as the Chicken Strut Festival in Bethune, the Elgin Catfish Stomp and the River Rat Regatta tube race down the Wateree River offer excitement you can't enjoy anywhere else!

The hospitality of gracious people anxious to share the treasures of their community will entice you to enjoy this place of history, horses, recreation, festivals, shopping and dining.

In fact, you'll see why we offer you the best vacation by a length!