An island escape, just 30 minutes from Columbia

When the heat is so thick you feel like you have to push through it to walk down Main Street, when you can actually see it shimmering around the State House and your heels seem to sink into the asphalt in The Vista, maybe it’s time to escape.

You don’t have to go far to get out of all the concrete of downtown Columbia. Dreher Island State Park offers a respite just 34 miles away.

“Dreher Island is wonderful,” said Wendy Ruddy, who camps there often with family and friends. “It is so close, but when you are there, you feel far removed from city life.”

The state park is in Prosperity, on Lake Murray. The 348-acre Dreher Island State Park spans three islands and provides access to 12 miles of Lake Murray shoreline.

“They have great picnic shelters for a day trip with grills and lake access,” Ruddy said. “There are always options for kayaking, boating and bike riding and also just enjoying nature.”

There are stunning sunsets to enjoy and an unofficial spot to swim in Lake Murray.

Want to fish but don’t have equipment or a license? You can get both at the Dreher Island Tackle Shop. They’ll even let you borrow a fishing pole for no charge.

Here are five things you must do at Dreher Island State Park:

1. Stroll onto the footbridge and take in a glorious Lake Murray sunset.

2. Hike to the Gap. Follow Little Gap Trail to this popular Lake Murray landmark and back.

3. Reel in a big one. The Tackle Loaner Program can outfit you for a fun day of fishing.

4. Keep your eyes peeled for a glimpse of piebald calico deer and other native wildlife. The park is home to a variety of animals observable in their natural environments including egrets, osprey, purple martins, Canadian geese and mallard ducks. Aquatic species found in Lake Murray include hardshell and softshell turtles, striped bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass, bream, crappie and catfish. Also, look for wild geraniums growing throughout the park.

5. Rent a canoe and paddle on Lake Murray. There are vendors who will deliver and pick up rentals at Dreher Island. Park rangers will provide that information at the Tackle Shop.

The park has lakeside villas and camp sites for overnight stays, but getting one of those spots for a weekend stay this summer may be tough barring some cancellations.

But even if you can’t get a villa or camp site, there are plenty of things to do on a day trip. And that may be just what the doctor ordered for summer relief.