About: The Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge is a 11,815-acre portion of the larger ACE Basin area, and the only portions that are federally protected. ACE Basin NWR is drained by two significant river systems: the Combahee-Salkahatchie and the South Edisto. The wildlife refuge is divided into two units: the Edisto River and the Combahee River. A mosaic of lands and waters, the refuge harbors an abundance of migratory and resident birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish and other wildlife. These diverse habitats and wildlife offer a variety of outdoor recreation, including hiking, biking, photography, birding, observing other wildlife, hunting, and fishing.
About: Formal protection of the ACE Basin was initiated in 1988 with the development of the ACE Basin Task Force, a unique partnership of state and federal governmental representatives, nonprofit conservation organizations, and private landowners. This group shared a vision of maintaining the natural character of the Basin by promoting wise resource management and continuing traditional uses with improved public access. The ACE Basin is one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast. It is named for the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers. These rivers drain primarily into the St. Helena Sound, which drains into the Atlantic Ocean between Hunting Island and Edisto Island.
About: Bear Island Wildlife along with Donnelley WMA, is part of the ACE Basin – Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto – three rivers which form the basin in St. Helena Sound. Birding is excellent in this area all year long. Bear Island is one of the best birding areas in the state. In addition to common birds of the Coastal Plain and the specialties listed above there is a long of rarities seen here, including Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, Common Goldeneye, Eared Grebe, Roseate Spoonbill, Black Rail, American Avocet, Hudsonian Godwit, White-winged Dove, Barn Owl, Short-eared Owl, Western Tanager, and LeConte's Sparrow.
About: Bonneau Ferry Wildlife Management Area encompasses 10,700 acres along the banks of the Cooper River and East Branch of the Cooper of pine savannahs, bottomland hardwoods, wildlife openings, wetlands and reservoirs. Bonneau Ferry has four lakes, totaling 100 acres, open to adult/youth fishing, which means no adults may fish unless they bring a youth angler who actively participates in the fishing. Each youth (17 years and younger) must be accompanied by no more than two adults 18 years of age or older and must be actively fishing.
About: Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, extending 22 miles along the South Carolina Coast, is a rich mosaic of barrier islands with forest and ponds, vast salt marshes and intricate waterways. This is the state's most pristine wilderness, 62,000 acre Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge, the longest stretch of protected coastline on the East Coast. This diverse and dynamic system supports over 293 bird species and a myriad of other wildlife. Over fifty percent of refuge lands are designated a Class I National Wilderness Area. Cape Island to the north, is located offshore from the town of McClellanville and Bulls Island, the southernmost island, is off the mainland from the town of Awendaw. Established in 1932 to conserve habitat for migratory waterfowl and other bird species, its lands and waters include barrier islands with maritime forest and brackish ponds, emergent salt marshes and vast estuaries.
About: Donnelley WMA is managed to provide optimum habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and to provide public recreation and education. The area has two designated nature trails and miles of dirt roads for hikers and bicyclists. Late winter through early spring provides bird-watching opportunities to observe a variety of species including waterfowl and migratory songbirds. Alligators are abundant in the managed wetlands and are most often seen from late February through mid-November. Hunting opportunities are available to the public for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, dove, small game and furbearers. A Driving Tour of the area provides excellent wildlife viewing opportunities for those who are mobility impaired. 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.
About: Edisto Beach on Edisto Island is an oceanfront state park. The 1,255 acres of the park feature over four miles of trails for hiking and biking that provide a wonderful tour of the park. There are 1.5 miles of beach and two oceanfront picnic shelters. For overnight accommodations, furnished cabins are in woods, and campsites can be found along the Edisto Island oceanfront or in the shaded maritime forest. The Edisto Interpretive Center (Environmental Learning Center) is located at the park.
About: The Great Swamp Sanctuary is also known as the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary. Just three minutes from I-95, it offers visitors the ultimate lowcountry experience, combining history, culture, recreation and education in a singularly southern lowlands setting.
About: Rich in natural, cultural and historical resources, Caw Caw was once part of several rice plantations and home to enslaved Africans who applied their technology and skills in agriculture to carve the series of rice fields out of cypress swamps. Caw Caw Interpretive Center is managed as a low-impact wildlife preserve. Pets and bicycles are not permitted.
About: Santee Coastal Reserve (SCR) Wildlife Management Area represents a variety of habitats found in South Carolina including diverse uplands, freshwater, brackish and tidal wetlands, and agricultural fields. The SCR property is composed of Murphy Island, Cedar Island, The Cape, Washo Reserve, and adjacent upland habitats. Murphy Island, Cedar Island and The Cape are former rice fields managed for the benefit of breeding, migratory and wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on Murphy and Cedar Islands. Washo Reserve, owned and co-managed by The Nature Conservancy, is a 1,040-acre sanctuary within Santee Coastal Reserve consisting of a cypress lake and surrounding upland longleaf pine buffer. The impounded cypress lake harbors the oldest wading bird rookery in continuous use in North America.
About: The St. Helena Sound Heritage Preserve is a collection of sea islands totaling 10,301 acres of upland and wetland property located along the St. Helena Sound. It is isolated, undeveloped, and protected by open water boundaries. Owned and managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), the preserve is also considered to be a designated Wildlife Management Area and a portion of the ACE Basin area.