One of South Carolina’s newest state parks calls Lexington County home. Lake Murray’s Pine Island State Park is welcoming visitors while undergoing extensive renovations.

Once a private park owned by Dominion Energy, Pine Island opened to the public as a state park with a soft opening in October 2025. According to the park’s website, the 27-acre island includes 4,046 feet of shoreline along Lake Murray.

While park officials aim to protect and preserve Pine Island’s natural beauty, the property required significant restoration after sitting vacant since its closure in 2020. Dominion Energy transferred the land to the state in 2023 as part of efforts to resolve tax issues related to a failed nuclear project. The island remained largely unattended, and it sustained damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Since the state acquired the property, renovations have begun to transform the formerly private area into a public state park. Tim Ritter was hired as the Pine Island State Park manager to oversee the work.

“Pine Island is beautiful,” he told the Chronicle. “We are doing nothing to change the beauty the island already has. We’re restoring it after years of sitting vacant.”

Renovations include repairs to the island’s 16 picnic shelters, the removal of approximately 30 damaged or hazardous trees and the renovation of guest restrooms near the beach area, Ritter said.

Additional improvements are planned for the former clubhouse, now called Sunset Hall. The swimming pool that once overlooked Lake Murray has been removed and will be converted into an outdoor patio intended to enjoy the sunsets from that inspired the building’s name. Cosmetic updates to the event space aim to reflect the natural, earthy aesthetic of a state park.

“Renovations to Sunset Hall will take some time,” Ritter said. “We’re projecting about two years for completion and are hoping to open the space in early 2028.”

Once renovations are complete, Sunset Hall will be available to rent for meetings and events, according to Ritter.

The park is also making upgrades to its 38-slip marina, which will eventually be available for long-term leases.

Pine Island’s sandy beach area is expected to open in spring 2026, pending required water testing and permits from the Department of Environmental Services.

Parking remains one of the park’s biggest challenges during the soft-opening phase. As one of South Carolina’s smallest state parks, Pine Island can accommodate only 55 vehicles at a time.

“We’re learning what visitation looks like with traffic,” Ritter said. “Right now, the Sunset Hall parking lot serves as our primary lot, and we run the risk of reaching capacity quickly and having to turn cars away.”

The island’s former tennis courts will be renovated into an additional parking lot to accommodate more guests.

Park officials are working with the South Carolina Department of Transportation to manage traffic. A sign placed about a mile from the park entrance alerts visitors when the park has reached capacity.

“So far, we’ve only had to turn cars away once, during our First Day Hike on Jan. 1,” Ritter said. “Most visitors are staying for shorter visits—long enough to picnic or walk their dog—and we’re continuing to work with SCDOT to safely accommodate visitors.”

While renovations continue, Ritter encourages the public to visit Pine Island and enjoy its natural features, including sunsets, wildlife and bird species, such as great blue herons and bald eagles that call the island home.

More information and photos are available at southcarolinaparks.com/pine-island.