That day a Atomic bomb was dropped in South Carolina.

Yep, that post title will reach out and get you.

It is true though, one day in 1958, a Air Force jet on a training mission bound for England, accidentally dropped a atomic bomb here is South Carolina.  Mars Bluff is the exact location. The bomb was not armed, but the blast created a huge crater.

On March 11, 1958, a B-47e bomber released their nuclear bomb accidentally.  This type of event is referred too as a Broken Arrow, it is the only time a nuclear bomb has ever been dropped on America.

Historical marker about .40 mile away from site.

We had read about this site years ago, and have always wanted to view it.  We were in the area this weekend and decided to make a short side trip to the location.  Once we found the historical marker, the next problem was to figure out how to access the area.  After settling on a parking area at a nearby abandoned gas station, we walked onto property that many years ago was a RV park.

Old RV park, now overgrown

It was about a half mile trek through the park to where  we would enter the woods to find the crater site.  Apparently, there used to be a trail, and some type of metal signage in the area explaining about the bomb and damage it done to the nearby home and properties, however through neglect or vandalism, they are no longer there.

We had to bushwhack about halfway through the patch of woods until we entered a more open pine forest.   It was then a short trek to the crater site..

 Information board at GZ

A plywood sign indicating the size of the bomb

Large crater from impact

This area is very historic and we very much enjoyed exploring here.  I am however, sadden that area is so overgrown and in such  

need of up keep.  One would think the County

or the State would maintain this site.

I have included a link from Roadside America that has a more detailed story of the events.

Read more here.