West Ashley Park facts for kids

West Ashley Park is the biggest park managed by the city of Charleston, South Carolina. It's located in the West Ashley part of the city. This large park offers many fun activities for people of all ages.

How West Ashley Park Started

The city of Charleston first bought land for the park in 1985. This first piece of land was about 100 acres. It even included a lake that was once a phosphate mine. A phosphate mine is a place where a mineral called phosphate was dug out of the ground.

Growing the Park

In 1997, a company that owned land next to the park offered more land to the city. They offered about 161 more acres. In return, the city agreed to build a road to the park. This deal helped the park become much larger.

Building the Park's Features

Work on building the park began in 1998. The city started by preparing the land. A construction company was hired to develop the park. They worked on adding all the cool things you see there today.

What Can You Do at West Ashley Park?

West Ashley Park officially opened its gates to the public on April 8, 2000. However, new features kept being added even after that. By 2001, the park had many sports fields and trails.

Sports Fields and Trails

The park is a great place for sports! It has four baseball fields and four soccer fields. These fields are used for many games and practices. You can also find bicycle and walking trails. These trails wind through the park and go all the way down to Church Creek.

Disc Golf Fun

In 2007, a disc golf course was planned for the park. Disc golf is like regular golf, but you throw a disc (like a frisbee) instead of hitting a ball. The goal is to get your disc into special baskets. This course is special because it's the only free disc golf course within an hour of Charleston.

Weekend Soccer Games

If you visit on a Sunday during spring or fall, you might see adult soccer games. The Charleston Soccer League (CSL) holds their games at West Ashley Park. It's a fun place to watch or play soccer.