A trail on St. Phillips Island. (Provided/SC State Parks)
COLUMBIA — Anyone who needs a break from Black Friday shopping can visit South Carolina’s 47 state parks for free Friday, the state’s parks department announced.
This is the fourth year the agency has offered the deal.
The idea for a free post-Thanksgiving hike was inspired by outdoor retailer REI, which in 2015 began closing its doors on Black Friday in order to give employees more time to spend outside instead of dealing with massive crowds. The retailer used the slogan #OptOutside, which South Carolina’s parks department altered to #OptOutsideSC.
“The promotion encourages people to spend some time in the great outdoors the day after Thanksgiving,” reads a post on the parks department’s website.
The most expensive admission is at Charles Towne Landing, which is $12.50 for an adult ticket. Entry to other parks typically ranges from $3 to $8.
Three historic homes will also have free tours, though nearly all slots at the Rose Hill, Redcliffe and Hampton plantations had been booked as of Tuesday.
The department’s annual Dashing Through the Parks scavenger hunt will begin Thursday, meaning visitors can use their free day of park access to complete missions through the Goosechase Interactive Experiences app. Anyone who earns at least 50 points by completing tasks will win a “prize pack,” including a blanket, gloves and sunglasses. Earning 80 points puts players in a drawing for state park gift cards, according to the agency.
The scavenger hunt runs until New Year’s Day.