OCONEE, SC - Long before “staycations” entered the vocabulary, South Carolina’s state parks have been family favorites for folks looking to stay close to home while getting away from it all. And the early fall months of September and October are a great time for living large under the trees and on the beach, with great deals and family fun activities just a short drive from high gas prices across the Palmetto State as the South Carolina State Park Service celebrates its 75th anniversary.

Special activities include the 33rd annual Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival set for Sept. 26-28 in the unique “castle” by that name at Huntington Beach State Park. Or kick off the fall season by kicking back with an old-timey square dance on Sept. 5 at Oconee State Park with performances by cloggers and live music from the Dixie Bluegrass Boys.

The state’s special place in our nation’s history also can be appreciated with a ranger-guided tour of the remarkably intact fortifications and battlefield site in the deep Southern swamps and woods of Rivers Bridge State Historic Site on Sept. 6.

On Sept. 13, costumed interpreters will present a look at how crop gardens provided a wide range of daily necessities at the original state settlement site at Charles Towne Landing.

And on Sept. 19-21, three nationally known celebrity judges will preside at the Campground Cookoff at Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area on the wooded shores of Lake Russell.

Other highlights include the annual Hawk Watch atop Caesars Head on Sept. 20 and 27, a Living History Weekend at the farm at Kings Mountain State Park on Sept. 20 and a backcountry militia re-enactment camp at Musgrove Mill State Historic Site, also on Sept. 20.

Plus, there’s the annual Carolina Legends bluegrass festival on Sept. 26 and 27 at Andrew Jackson State Park and a frontier encampment at Oconee Station State Historic Site on Oct. 18 Check the calendar at www.SouthCarolinaParks.com for more information on these and other events. Cabin and camping deals also are updated regularly on the site; for example 35 percent off through Oct. 31 for campsites at Devils Fork State Park on Lake Jocassee in the Blue Ridge.

The parks’ year-long 75th anniversary celebration carries the theme “Come Out and Play,” in recognition of their vital role in adding to quality of life in South Carolina. Other activities include a statewide photo contest and an e-newsletter. Go to www.SouthCarolinaParks.com and click on the “Come out and Play” icon for more information.