Please check the individual websites for up-to-date information as to closures and visiting information before you travel.
Ace Basin Wildlife Management Area
From the early 1700s to mid 1800s, much of the ACE Basin was home to large plantations owned by a small number of individuals who managed their wetlands primarily to grow rice. After the rice culture declined in the late 1800s, wealthy sportsmen purchased many of these plantations as hunting retreats. The new owners successfully managed the former rice fields and adjacent upland estates for a wide range of wildlife.
The Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge helps protect the largest undeveloped estuary along the Atlantic Coast, with rich bottomland hardwoods and fresh and salt water marsh offering food and cover to a variety of wildlife. ACE Basin stands for the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers, which form the estuary and parts of the Refuge boundary. The entire basin encompasses more than 350,000 acres, of which the Refuge comprises just less than 12,000 acres.
Directions:
From Hwy. 17, take SC 174 (Signs will read “Edisto Beach” and “Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge”). Stay on SC 174 through Adams Run (174 will make a right turn in Adams Run). At the intersection with the flashing light (Signs will read “Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge”), turn right on to Willtown Road. Go approximately 2 miles, entrance road will be on the left (signs will read “Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge”). Office is located in the Plantation House approximately 2 miles down gravel road.
Bear Island
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, owned by the SC Department of Natural Resources, is managed to provide quality habitat for wintering waterfowl and other wetland wildlife including threatened and endangered species such as woodstorks and bald eagles; to provide habitat for upland game and nongame species; and to provide recreational opportunities for the hunting and nonhunting public.
Public hunting on the WMA includes waterfowl (by special drawing only), white-tailed deer, mourning dove and small game. The diverse area provides excellent bird watching, attracting waterfowl, bald eagles, wading birds, shorebirds and song birds. Two observation platforms and miles of dikes provide numerous wildlife viewing opportunities.
Address/Directions:
TiTi Road
Green Pond, SC 29446
Bear Island is located in eastern Colleton County near Green Pond, SC. The area is located off of US Highway 17, and is accessed by traveling approximately 13 miles down SC 26 ( Bennett’s Point Rd.). The main entrance to the area is located on the left approximately 1 mile after crossing the Ashepoo River. A green highway sign marks the turn from US 17 onto Bennett’s Point Road.
Donnelly National Wildlife Refuge
https://www.audubon.org/important-bird-areas/donnelly-wildlife-management-area
Donnelley WMA is named in honor of the late Gaylord Donnelley and his wife Dorothy for the contributions they made to the ACE Basin Project and conservation across the continent. Donnelley WMA is owned and managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Ducks Unlimited, The National Wild Turkey Federation, US Army Corps of Engineers, The Nature Conservancy and other conservation interests participated in establishing the property.
The unique property is a cross section of the Lowcountry and encompasses a diversity of wetland and upland habitats including: managed rice fields, forested wetland, tidal marsh, agricultural lands and a variety of upland types, including a natural stand of longleaf pine.
Directions: The main entrance (Donnelley Drive) is located on US Hwy 17 , immediately across from the junction with SC 303 approximately 2 miles E of Green Pond, SC. The office and kiosk are located approximately 1/2 mile down the gravel road.A Driving Tour of the area provides excellent wildlife viewing opportunities for those who are mobility impaired.
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge is one of the seven refuges administered as part of the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex. The refuge is located in McIntosh County, Georgia, 45 miles south of the port city of Savannah.Archaeological and historical records show that many different populations have benefited from Harris Neck’s resources over the centuries: Guale Indians inhabited these areas, collecting fish, shellfish, and game, from 1500 – 1715 AD. Beginning in 1750, English and Scottish settlers farmed the land intensively, producing many crops including renowned, high-quality Sea Island cotton.
African-American families established a farming and shell-fishing community following the Civil War. Their historic cemetery is still in use and can be visited from Barbour River Landing.
In the early 20th century, tobacco magnate Pierre Lorillard founded an estate that had a large mansion, formal gardens, and a dock for yachts. During World War II, the U.S. military purchased the land for an airfield and pilot training facility. Remnants of the runways can still be seen today.
Since its designation as a wildlife refuge in 1962, Harris Neck has served as a premier nesting, foraging, and wintering habitat for many species of wildlife. Signature species include wood storks, which nest in a large colony on Woody Pond, and the colorful and uncommon painted bunting, which favors nesting habitat in the refuge’s maritime scrub areas.
The refuge encompasses six man-made freshwater ponds, as well as extensive salt marsh, open fields, forested wetlands, and mixed hardwood/pine forest. This diversity of habitat makes the refuge an important resource for migratory birds (342 species of birds have been seen on the refuge and 83 species breed here).
- Experience the interactive exhibits located inside the Visitor Contact Station
- View wildlife and habitat from the comfort of your vehicle by touring the 4-mile, paved wildlife drive.
- Explore over 15 miles of hiking and bicycling trails.
- During the summer months, check out the wading bird rookery at Woody Pond.
- Look for remnants of Harris Neck’s rich history, including structures from the World War II Army Airfield and a fountain and reflecting pool that were part of the Lorillard Estate.
- FREE Junior Refuge Manager program for children ages 5 – 12.
Address/Directions:
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Kimberly Hayes, Refuge Manager
5000 Wildlife Drive NE
Townsend, Georgia 31331
(912) 832-4608
From I-95, take Exit 67 (South Newport) and turn south onto U.S. Highway 17, towards Darien/Brunswick. In less than a mile, turn left onto Harris Neck Road (just past the Smallest Church in America). Continue on Harris Neck Road for approximately 7 miles to the refuge entrance on your left.
Magnolia Plantation and Audubon Swamp Gardens
Admission to enter. The Audubon Swamp Garden is a unique world where trees grow from the water, islands float, and everywhere wild creatures go about their secret lives. It boasts a diversity of living things almost unequaled anywhere else in America. Thousands of plant and animal species coexist amongst the cypress and tupelo gum trees, surrounded by blackwater. Each year, hundreds of egrets, herons, and other waterfowl nest within feet of the walking path. You can explore this wild and otherwise inaccessible landscape on boardwalks, bridges, and dikes.
Address: 3550 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414
Santee National Wildlife Refuge
Santee National Wildlife Refuge is a 15,000-acre refuge alongside Lake Marion, an impoundment of the Santee River of Clarendon County, South Carolina. The refuge is especially important because its many wetlands support migratory birds.