The Little-Known Natural Wonder In South Carolina That Becomes Even More Enchanting In The Wintertime
By AnneMarie|Published January 23, 2024
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AnneMarie
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South Carolina has been home for AnneMarie since 2001. Her favorite part of the state is Lake Jocassee. An App State alumna, it's always the mountains; the lake bonus makes it heavenly. When not writing about the state, she may be spending time with family, relaxing by the pool, or out somewhere enjoying nature.
The Avenue of the Oaks in Aiken, S.C. is a breathtaking, majestic natural wonder that will leave you in awe, having captivated both residents and visitors to this city for over a century. Photos of a landscape like this can only go so far. As beautiful as this iconic scene appears when captured on camera, you absolutely must visit in person for the full effect. And it’s even more incredible if you’re lucky enough to visit during or just after a snowfall in the winter. It’s so magical, it could leave you speechless.
This majestic tunnel of trees is the only one of nine in South Carolina that is located outside of the Lowcountry and coastal regions of the state. The striking canopy of oak trees was created out of an effort by an Aiken resident who had moved there in the early 1800s from Michigan and wanted to beautify his daily commute to and from his dairy farm in Montmorenci.
This scene of the Avenue of the Oaks was captured in 2010, when a blizzard transformed downtown Aiken, S.C. into a winter wonderland with an unusual four inches of snow.
When it snows in South Carolina, you have to get any photos you want of the scenery immediately, because the snow is usually gone quickly. With the 2010 snow in Aiken, for example, the snow was gone by the next afternoon!
But for that brief period, this stretch in the little city of Aiken known nationally as one of the South's most beautiful streets became an incredible winter landscape.