Charleston County Parks, Recreation, Open Space & Trails Master Plan

The Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) is an award-winning County parks system with unique strengths and challenges. As Charleston County grows and diversifies, CCPRC is re-imagining what it will mean to be a relevant, resilient, accessible, and well-connected organization over the next decade.

Every ten years, CCPRC completes a comprehensive plan for system priorities and investments for the following decade. In late 2021, Agency joined the team to help envision Charleston County Parks from 2023 to 2033 in a planning effort called “Parks and Recreation for All!” (PARFA). In partnership with ALTA Planning + Design, BerryDunn, Community Solutions Consulting, and Rocket Solutions, the PARFA team is crafting an innovative set of recommendations and facilitating robust community engagement to reach every corner of the county.

Five main focus areas guide the plan’s recommendations and engagement: resilience, relevancy, access, connectivity, and organizational health. As a coastal county with over 11,000 acres of park property and natural resources, the plan investigates opportunities for the system to stay resilient in the face of increasing climate pressures. Additionally, with a growing and diversifying population and increased tourism, the plan also addresses how the system offerings are relevant, accessible, and connected to the community that exists today and can be responsive to changes in the community in the coming years. Finally, in tandem with community feedback, PARFA will also gather feedback from all CCPRC employees to assess the state of the internal organization’s health and provide recommendations for building upon staff loyalty, pride of place, and quality of life for park staff and park visitors alike.