West Ashley's newest public space has one program on its official calendar between now and the end of the year. Old Towne Creek County Park opened on June 30 at 1400 Old Towne Road. Its summer series, Wine Down Wednesday, ended after the September 23 evening. When we checked Charleston County Parks' activity search, the only future event listed for the park was an Early Birding walk on December 5.
Right next door, at 1500 Old Towne Road, Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site has programs listed almost every week from October through early December. This split matters for anyone who lives in West Ashley. Old Towne Road now has one park that works as a regular part of the week and one that works best as a planned outing, and the quieter one was legally set up to stay that way.
A quiet park by legal design
The 67 acres were once Ashem Farm, home to Emily Simmons Ravenel and her daughter, Emily Ravenel Farrow. Both were serious gardeners, and they planted many of the flowering ornamentals that still bloom on the grounds. In her estate plans, Mrs. Farrow placed a conservation easement on the property with strict limits on development, so the land would stay a quiet place for learning and reflection. After she died in 2011, the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission bought the land from the Lowcountry Land Trust. The commission gathered public input on the master plan in 2017 and broke ground in 2023. This year the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its landscape setting and for the architecture of the Main House and the Caretaker's House.
The history goes back much further than the farm. In 1670, the creek formed part of the western boundary and natural defenses of the original Charles Towne settlement. Archaeologists still study the area.
That background explains the park's rules. The dock looks out over the water, but the park has no water access. Fishing, crabbing, swimming, wading, and personal canoes and kayaks are all prohibited. Amplified music has to stay at low volume, and drones are not allowed. A creekside park in the Lowcountry with no kayak launch can look like a missing feature. Here it follows directly from what the property was set aside to do.
What two dollars covers on an ordinary weekday
The everyday terms are what make this park easy to fit into a normal week. Admission is $2 per person. Gold Pass members and children 2 and under get in free. From October through December, the park is open from 8 a.m. until sunset, and the gate stops letting cars in 30 minutes before closing. No reservation is needed for a regular visit.
Inside, you'll find:
- A one-mile loop trail with a packed-stone surface and views of Old Towne Creek
- Boardwalk trails and a dock overlook
- A nature-inspired playground with rubberized surfacing and accessible play elements
- The Paddock Pavilion near the playground, with restrooms and outdoor seating
- The Fox Field Shelter, built by Clemson School of Architecture's CommunityBUILD program
- The Rain Hut, an original building that once sheltered students of the Saint Andrews Riding Academy and now serves as the Welcome Center
- An arboretum with a live oak allée, plus a community live oak planted on opening day
- The Giving Tree, an outdoor art installation that raises money for the Charleston County Parks Foundation
Dogs are welcome on a leash, as long as they stay under control and owners clean up after them. Pets may not be left in parked cars. Bicycles and e-bikes are allowed on the trails when ridden safely. Riders need to walk them on boardwalks and ramps and keep them off the docks entirely. With those rules, a one-mile dog walk, a short playground stop, and a bike ride along the creek all work. Fall is usually when those outings become comfortable again. ABC News 4 featured the park as West Ashley's newest on September 29, right at the start of the season.
Where the fall programs are
Charles Towne Landing, at 1500 Old Towne Road, is the busier neighbor. Charleston City Paper noted the two parks share a border when it announced the June opening. The state site has a Visitor Center with hands-on exhibits, a self-guided history trail, a replica 17th-century ship you can tour, the Animal Forest, gardens, and walking and biking trails. In May, Charleston was named one of five "Signature Cities" for America's 250th anniversary, and Charles Towne Landing was among the local sites highlighted.
Side by side, the two parks work differently:
| Old Towne Creek County Park | Charles Towne Landing | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 1400 Old Towne Road | 1500 Old Towne Road |
| Adult admission | $2 | $12 |
| Youth admission | $2; free for ages 2 and under | $7 for ages 6–15; free for ages 5 and under |
| Fall grounds hours | 8 a.m. to sunset | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Dogs | Leashed, throughout | Leashed, six-foot max; not allowed in the Animal Forest |
| Bikes | Allowed on trails; walk on boardwalks, keep off docks | Allowed on paths except the Animal Forest trail |
| Pass that covers entry | CCPRC Gold Pass | $99 All Park Passport |
| Listed programs, Oct.–Dec. | One | Dozens |
For a household with two adults and two children between 6 and 15, one visit costs $8 at Old Towne Creek and $38 at Charles Towne Landing. South Carolina seniors pay $7.50 at the state site. The All Park Passport costs $99, covers everyone in the pass-holder's vehicle at every state park for a year, and is half price for eligible South Carolina residents 65 and older. The two prices fit the two parks. One is easy to visit often. The other costs more because a visit there comes with scheduled programs.
The state site's fall calendar includes these programs:
- October 10: Shorebird Snacks at 10:30 a.m., Close Encounters of the Bird Kind at 2 p.m., The Two Charles Townes: Why the Capital Moved at 2:30 p.m., and the Feathered Trails evening hike from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
- October 16 and 17: Archaeology Movie Night from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on the 16th, then Piecing Together the Past with Archaeology from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 17th.
- October 24: From Fat to Foam at 11 a.m., From the Collections: Special Artifact Highlight at 1 p.m., and There's Always a Ketch at 2 p.m.
- October 31: Creature Feature at 11 a.m., The Archaeology of Yuck: Exploring the Gross, the Grimy, and the Garbage of the Past at 11:30 a.m., and Engage with Enrichment at 1:30 p.m.
- November 14: Colonial Trades and Harvest Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- December 5: Great Guns on the Ashley, an artillery demonstration from 1 to 3:20 p.m.
Shorter weekday programs fill in between those dates. Eco-Explorers runs on October 6 and 20 and November 3 and 17. There's Still a "Lot" to Learn runs on several dates from October 23 through November 28.
December 5, when both parks have something scheduled
The two calendars overlap on only one day this fall, and the times line up well. Early Birding at Old Towne Creek runs from 7 to 9 a.m. on Saturday, December 5. It costs $12, needs advance registration, and is led by a birding professional. Beginners are welcome. Great Guns on the Ashley starts next door at 1 p.m. That leaves time for the loop trail and the arboretum after the birding walk ends, a lunch break, and then the artillery demonstration in the afternoon.
For October, the same idea works without any program at the county park. On October 10, a morning dog walk at Old Towne Creek fits easily before the 2:30 p.m. talk on why the capital moved and the evening Feathered Trails hike at Charles Towne Landing. A dog can come along at the state site too, as long as it stays out of the Animal Forest.
A few practical notes before you go:
- Puma habitat: The puma habitat at Charles Towne Landing has been closed for improvements. The state park's notice said it would reopen in "early fall," so check its status before promising anyone a puma.
- The third address on the road: The Lowcountry Land Trust's Center for Conservation at 1362 Old Towne Road is the Land Trust's office and a bookable event venue. It does not publish public visitor hours, and it is not part of either park.
- Changes: Charleston County Parks says its fees, schedules and hours can change without notice. Check both official pages before you drive over.
The Farrow easement means the county park's grounds will stay much as they are now. The opening announcement said events and educational programs would be offered year-round, so the county park's calendar may fill in over time. For now, the scheduled events this fall are mostly at Charles Towne Landing, and Old Towne Creek is the place for a regular walk or playground stop.
If you've found yourself on Old Towne Road more often since June and are wondering how other parts of West Ashley compare for everyday outdoor time, Kim Meyer is glad to talk it through. She can help with nearby streets or with getting a home ready for a spring listing. Let's Connect.
