One of Spartanburg County’s most prominent natural resources has gone digital.
The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce and Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) on Friday announced the launch of a new mobile site that will enable visitors to better navigate and explore Croft State Park.
Developed in partnership with Spartanburg entrepreneur Joe Mullinax, principal of MoreView Media, the site features color-coded maps, photos and information about the 7,000-acre park.
“How many counties can say they have a state park in their backyard?” said Chris Jennings, executive vice president of the CVB. “Not too many. And if they do, they should cherish it. That’s what we’re going to do.”
Croft State Park, formerly named Camp Croft, served as a training camp for the U.S. Army during World War II. The camp, named after Major General Edward Croft, was established in 1940 and housed about 250,000 soldiers during the war.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger became a citizen at the camp. Richard D. “Dick” Winters, an officer featured on the HBO series “Band of Brothers,” underwent basic training at Croft.
After the war, the property was transferred to the S.C. Commission of Forestry.
The park boasts 50 miles of trails for hiking, cycling and horseback riding. Visitors can access the site via their GPS-enabled mobile device to find more than two-dozen points of interest along the trails, such as remaining military foxholes, a cemetery dating back to the early 19th century and the site of the Battle of Kelsey Creek fought during the American Revolution.
The site features photos and historical notes for each site.
Visitors will also be able to find information about opportunities for camping, fishing, boating, geocaching and picnic shelters, as well as the park’s shooting range and equestrian arena.
“Croft State Park is a great asset for our community,” Mullinax said. “I hope the mobile site will encourage people to have a more enjoyable experience in the park.”
Mullinax recently developed the Historic Downtown Walking Tour of Spartanburg and a map for the Cottonwood Trail. The Spartanburg Chamber named his company Small Business of the Month in May.
While planning for the Croft site, Mullinax said he found out that park rangers had exhausted their supply of trail maps and were handing out photocopies that were difficult to read.
“I asked them if people get lost here, and they said ‘Oh yeah, all of the time,’” he said.
Jennings said the site could have an economic impact as it will attract more visitors to Croft and allow the county to showcase the park when it hosts the state’s annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Travel in February.
“Croft is an awesome place,” said S.C. State Park Director Phil Gaines. “The Spartanburg Chamber, CVB and residents of Spartanburg understand and really appreciate it. South Carolina used to be a very rural place, but things are changing. And green spaces are becoming more important. Croft is an excellent example.”
