Summer is officially here and if you’re looking for a great way to spend a day outdoors then look no further than the sprawling and absolutely stunning sunflower fields of the Draper Wildlife Management Area.
Each year York County, South Carolina’s 806-acre Draper Wildlife Management Area plants thousands of sunflowers across several different fields in anticipation of the fall dove hunting season. These sunflowers typically bloom around the first week of July and peak season lasts about 10 days. During the peak
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The fields are open to the public seven days a week from dawn until dusk and are located at 1080 Brattonsville Rd., McConnells, SC 29726. It’s an easy drive to get there from Charlotte that’s just a straight down I-77 to exit 82 and takes just under an hour. There is no admission to visit the Draper Wildlife Management Area and there is a parking lot where you can safely leave your car while you explore. Once you’ve parked you’ll follow a path through the woods for a few minutes to a clearing where you’ll see the fields to your right.
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The flowers have already started to bloom this year, but should be at their peak the first two weeks of July making it the perfect time to snag a few family portraits — or selfies — with a beautiful background.
The best time to go is early in the morning before the flowers have started to wilt from the heat — or in the evening when it’s started to cool down outside.
Make sure you plan ahead and back plenty of bug spray, sun screen, and water. It gets extremely hot in the fields and you won’t find much shade to cool off in. Also be aware that there are a lot of bees flying around the flowers, so you may want to skip visiting if you are allergic.
If you want to make an entire day of it you can check out Historic Brattonsville, which is just down the road and features two museums, 30 historic structures, and walking trails.
