Sailing in South Carolina

South Carolina runs downhill from the Blue Ridge to the Atlantic, and the adventures change with the elevation. In the northwestern corner around Oconee County, the mountains deliver guided hiking, rock climbing, and the state's headline act: whitewater on the Chattooga, a designated Wild and Scenic River and some of the best paddling on the East Coast. Below the mountains, the Piedmont's rolling hills and river systems carry guided horseback rides and zipline runs through the forest canopy, a gentler read on the state's interior.

The Midlands hold something rarer. Congaree National Park protects the largest intact old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the southeastern United States, and the way in is by boat, guided canoe and kayak trips move down the slow water of Cedar Creek under trees that have stood for centuries. Local operators lead the trips and carry the natural history with them. After the mountains, the stillness is its own kind of dramatic.

Then the Lowcountry: marsh, barrier islands, and tidal water braided with history. Guided kayak and paddleboard trips thread the creeks of places like the ACE Basin and Hilton Head Island, fishing guides work the coastal waters, and wildlife tours go looking for dolphins and seabirds. Some historic plantation tours even fold in horseback riding. The water stays gentle and the wildlife stays busy, which keeps guides working this coast in every month of the year.