Located in Columbus County 40 miles west of Wilmington, Lake Waccamaw State Park sits on the shores of the largest Carolina bay. There are 500,000 of these mysterious craters, and the lake is one of the few that contains open water instead of vegetation. A limestone bluff reduces the lake's acidity, making it an ideal home for several aquatic species that are found nowhere else in the world. A pedestrian bridge over Waccamaw Dam allows visitors to travel the lake's entire 14-mile shoreline. The park has over 10 miles of hiking trails, opportunities for boating/canoeing/fishing, a general picnic area, and primitive camping.