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Pickens, S.C. – During an Earth Day celebration at Table Rock State Park, leaders from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT) and Duke Energy announced details of grants supporting recovery efforts and improving accessibility at some of South Carolina’s most popular State Parks.

• Trail recovery: Hurricane Helene brought damaging winds and rains that uprooted trees, triggered mudslides, and littered mountain trails with limbs, logs, and boulders. The Duke Energy Foundation donated $75,000 to support trail cleanup, which helped fuel the extensive work required to reopen Jones Gap State Park on March 1, 2025.
• Increasing access: The Duke Energy Foundation is also supporting efforts to increase access at Table Rock State Park by donating a Waymaker Offroad Wheelchair. Over the next year, park staff will update the trail and observation deck at Carrick Creek Falls to make it easier for visitors in wheelchairs, families with strollers, and more to access and enjoy this special place. The Waymaker will be an additional asset to increase access for more users to this popular and picturesque location. The park will provide details on how to reserve the Waymaker in the future.

“The Upstate has been through a lot since last fall,” said SCPRT director, Duane Parrish. “From the first responders who secured our safety after Helene and in the recent wildfires, to the partners who have stepped up afterwards to help make us whole again, we have not had to face those dark days and difficult challenges alone. We are incredibly grateful to Duke Energy, who has been an amazing partner to South Carolina State Parks for many years. They have a heart for what we do in State Parks, and their generous support is pivotal in helping us protect, advance, and share our treasured places with visitors.”

“Our connection to the state parks and regional trails is important to us, as is promoting a shared access to the natural beauty offered by green spaces and trails in communities large and small across the state,” said Trent Acker, government and community relations manager for Duke Energy. “We feel it’s important for companies like ours to work alongside our communities to protect, enhance, and promote these tremendous assets of the Palmetto State.”

This is the fourth year in a row that the Duke Energy Foundation has announced a donation to South Carolina State Parks in conjunction with Earth Day:

• 2025: In addition to the grants announced at Table Rock, the Duke Energy Foundation also announced a $45,000 grant to install water bottle refilling stations at 10 South Carolina State Parks in the Pee Dee and Midlands regions in the coming months.
• 2024: The Duke Energy Foundation donated $150,000 to install water bottle refilling stations at 25 South Carolina State Parks.
• 2023: South Carolina State Parks and Duke Energy cut the ribbon on a new paved trail to Lake Placid at Paris Mountain State Park for visitors with mobility impairments.
• 2022: The Duke Energy Foundation awarded $400,000 to various organizations supporting sustainability and environmental efforts across Palmetto State, including the Lake Placid trail project at Paris Mountain State Park.

Plan your next adventure in a South Carolina State Park at southcarolinaparks.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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