Landsford Canal State Park - South Carolina
Summer Tanager, Landsford Canal
- Joe Kegley
Joe Kegley | E-Mail | Updated 06-14-08
Introduction:
Landsford Canal State Park is best know for it's historic canal that was used to bypass the shoals of the Catawba River in the early 1800's and for the spectacular annual blooming of the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies in late May.
Numerous stonework structures can be found along the canal trail. Some of the best examples of stonework is the lock and stone bridge at the end of the trail. The Lockkeeper's home is located at the main entrance to the park.
Fishing, picnicking, kayaking, and walking the canal trail, are popular activities within the park. The park is very scenic and parallels the Catawba River for a good distance.
The spider lilies bloom between mid-May and mid-June, with late May probably being the peak.
Naturalist Perspective:
Prairie Warbler, Landsford Canal
- Joe Kegley
Birds.
Landsford Canal State Park and the surrounding area is a good place for enjoying songbirds, along with the occasional long legged waders or possibly an Eagle sighting.
I suggest going with a seasoned birder who can identify birds by their song. That is what I did on my recent trip to Landsford and I was amazed at what I had been missing.
Common Yellowthroats and Prairie Warblers could be heard and observed from across the road from the main entrance. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were also prevalent in this same area.
Walking the canal trail proved fruitful for locating Wood Thrushes, Red-eyed Vireo's, and Prothonotary Warblers. In addition a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was also heard and observed.
A pair of Summer Tanagers were active around the lawn area near the Lockkeeper's cabin. The male was easier observed than the female.
Here's a listing of bird species that were heard or seen on my recent excursion that day with birder 'Brooksie'. Brooksie's Landsford Canal Birding List.
Wilderness Experience Perspective:
Wood Thrush, Landsford Canal
- Joe Kegley
None to speak of at Landsford Canal State Park. The park is very popular and you will end up sharing it with others. This particular outing visitors were at the gate waiting for it to be opened.
Wildlife Photography Perspective:
Many species of birds inhabit the Landsford Canal State Park area, though most are extremely hard to photograph. Most keep their distance and rarely perch for a long enough period to position a tripod for a shot. I spent 9 hours in the field with my expert birding friend and probably got less than 10 useable photographs.
The photographs on this page are heavily cropped and heavily manipulated with photoshop to extract as much detail from the crop as possible.
If you are not familiar with the bird species in the area, specifically knowing their individual calls and songs, then I strongly suggest going with a person who is. I dare say I would not have gotten any photographs without my birding friend's knowledge.
Gear/equipment Suggestions:
- Long Telephoto Lens - You can not have enough reach when trying to photograph songs birds
- Canoe/Kayak - Should you decide to explore the rock shoals of the Catawba River. Also a canoe/kayak would probably be your best means of positioning yourself for photographing the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies during late May.
Location and Points of Interest:
Landsford Canal State Park is located appoximately 13 miles southeast of Rock Hill SC off of US 21.
Landsford Canal State Park Map (Google interactive map)
left double click to zoom in
right double click to zoom out
click and drag to move
hover over markers to see descriptions
I suggest you 'left double click' to zoom in for more a more detailed view. Note, clicking on the balloon markers does nothing.
Additional Information:
- Landsford Canal State Park - From SouthCarolinaParks.com