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Vereen Memorial Gardens
June 22 @ 10:30 am - 4:00 pm
Vereen Memorial Gardens
Horry County, SC
2250 Highway 179, Little River, SC 29566
[ 33.8844, -78.5980 ]
June 22, 2024 – 10:30am to 4:00pm
Originally a 400-acre plantation started by descendants of French Huguenots, 114 acres were donated to the Horry County Historical Commission by Jack Vereen in 1972, which became Vereen Memorial Gardens. The historical significance of the property starts with its cemetery where several Revolutionary War soldiers were buried. Further, the original post road between Boston and Charleston, The King’s Highway, passed through the preserved acreage. Read more about The King’s Highway HERE .
The gardens start on a slightly elevated mixed forest on sandy soil. It slopes down towards the Intracoastal Waterway and the salt marsh. On one side of the property is a pond that adds some variety to the hike back up to the parking lot.
There is a trail that loops around the property which is under 3 miles. The trail surface is made up of packed sand, pine straw, or boardwalks. There are many spurs that break off and return to the trail at various points. It’s pretty shady along most of the trail until you traverse the boardwalks, so be sure to bring along sunscreen for protection. There are benches at several places along the trail. Portable toilets are in the lower parking lot close to the boardwalks. There are also porch swings, a gazebo and several pavilions. They allow dogs and you can also ride bicycles everywhere but the boardwalks.
Unless you live in North Carolina, most everyone will be traveling north on Highway 17 from the greater Myrtle Beach area. You will see signs for a very nice SC Welcome Center that will be on the opposite side of HWY-17 (I highly recommend stopping at the visitor center instead of the rustic facilities at the gardens for a restroom break). After the sign for the visitor center, veer right onto SC-179. There will also be a sign that says “Calabash” which is also the direction you want to go for SC-179 and the gardens. Immediately on the right will be a turning lane once you turn off of HWY-17. Use that lane to enter the gardens and turn right again into the parking lot. The entry road is paved but the parking lot is unpaved. We will meet near the kiosk or nearest shady spot adjacent to the parking area. The GPS location of the garden is 33.8844, -78.5980.
Since this is the coast and its summer, I would recommend bringing bug spray and wearing long loose-fitting clothing. Although I didn’t encounter any insect issues, it pays to be prepared. There are also a lot of shells along the edge of the waterway, so please be aware if you plan to wear sandals.
Despite the encroaching developments that can be seen on all sides of the garden, there is a variety of species that can be found over the varied habitats, as shown in iNaturalist. (Check out those observations here: INAT.) Hopefully we can contribute something new to the biodiversity total during our outing!
https://www.sctrails.net/trails/trail/vereen-memorial-gardens