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Forty Acre Rock
April 27, 2019 @ 10:30 am - 6:30 pm
Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve
Lancaster County, SC
Regional Director: Rita Zollinger
Forty Acre Rock is located in the Flat Creek preserve near Kershaw, SC in Lancaster County. Nestled in the 2,267 acres we will explore this delicate ecosystem. This is home to some rare plants Puck’s orpine Sedum pusillum, diminutive amphianthus and Witlow grass.
South Carolina’s official state rock is granite. We will explore the massive 14-acre granite outcropping for the annual aquatic plant Amphianthus pusillus. Its habitat is granite outcrops, sandy-silty soils in rock-rimmed vernal pools. The diminutive amphianthus blooms in March to April. Mosses, lichens and pool sprites give color to the granite. A combination of moist and dry woods, mature hardwood forest, hillside to river bottoms there are diverse habitats to SCAN. Did I mention the spectacular views where the Sandhills and Piedmont meet?
Sedum pusillum
It is easy walking through the pine forest to the granite outcroppings. Trails descend down to a waterfall, cave, creeks and beaver pond. April is a good time to see wildflowers and birds of the piedmont. Join us to explore this unique and beautiful place.
Directions:
34.674896, -80.523784 Upper parking lot
Take I-77 to Exit 65 and go east towards Lancaster on SC #9 for 17 miles. Continue straight on the US #521 bypass for 2.5 miles, then turn left onto SC #903. Continue, east on SC #903 for 4.2 miles, Citgo on right corner, turn left. Take first right, 400’ east on secondary road #123 to Taxahaw for 10.4 miles. Pass Taxahaw Baptist Church on left at Overland Rd. Take next right (brown 40 acre rock sign) south on road #27 for 0.4 miles. There is a brown sign with binoculars and before Elliott’s Nursery, turn right onto Forty Acre Rock Road (not labeled). Parking is at end of road.
From Kershaw, South Carolina, take US #601 north past SC #903. Pass Flat Creek. Take next left onto road #27. Go north 2.0 miles then turn left onto Forty Acre Rock Road. There is a brown sign with binoculars and just after Elliott’s Nursery, Forty Acre Rock Road (not labeled). Parking is at end of road.
There are no restrooms, so plan accordingly.
Dinner:
Gus’ House of Pizza
605 S. Main St
Lancaster, SC
(803) 285-1552