Givhans Ferry cabins offer Edisto River respite

Late August is a great time to hang out on Lowcountry waterways, whether paddling downstream in a canoe or kayak, heading upstream on a motorized boat or just whiling away time watching the water flow past.

One of the best places to do any of those is Givhans Ferry State Park, one of the classic parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and 1940s. The cabins built by those crews are still around, though updated with a few modern touches such as air conditioning, microwaves and televisions.

The Givhans Ferry cabins overlook one of many bends in the Edisto River. The State Park Service recently has restored the waterfront area, complete with a new canoe/kayak access ramp.

“Over the last decade we have seen this once sleepy park grow into a very busy place,” said Phil Gaines, director of state parks. “Now it has a riverfront area that helps match the demand and accents the beauty of both the river and the historic CCC community building, which we now call Riverfront Hall.”

Want to explore the park and river? You might be in luck. On Monday, three of the four cabins were available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They sleep six and go for $76 a night. Go to www.reserveamerica.com to book a cabin.

If the cabins are all booked by the time you call, it looks like there’s another lull in reservations in late September. The water will still be chugging around the bend.

Joey Holleman

This story was originally published August 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Givhans Ferry cabins offer Edisto River respite."