Coosawhatchie HP/WMA

Coosawhatchie HP/WMA

Hampton County, SC

25025 Pocotaligo Rd, Yemassee, SC 29945

32.69400, -80.92225

Saturday July 27^th, 2024 – 10:30 to 4:00pm

CLICK HERE FOR THE PROPERTY MAP

Coosawhatchie is our state’s newest Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area. In fact, it’s so new that it’s not even open to the public yet! The grand opening is 8/1/2024. Meaning SCAN has special permission from SCDNR to access the property a week early before the masses. As both a Heritage Preserve and a WMA, Coosawhatchie is owned and will be managed by SCDNR as public land for the citizens of South Carolina. The portion of the property SCAN will be soodling through is known locally as “Buckfield”, located in Hampton County.

Buckfield was combined with the adjacent “Slater” property, just over the county line in Jasper, into a massive, contiguous 12,000-acre expanse of freshly minted public lands. This landmark conservation deal was made possible by the ACE Basin Task Force with the principal work being done by its members: the Open Space Institute, The Nature Conservancy, and SCDNR. If you want to learn more about this huge conservation win for the Lowcountry, check out this article from The Nature Conservancy.

Coosawhatchie WMA is an exquisite example of a Lowcountry Longleaf Pine Sandhill ecosystem, complete with Wiregrass, Running Oak, Lupine, and even a whole mess of Gopher Tortoises! Much of the Buckfield tract is this high, dry Longleaf Pine savanna, interspersed with flatwoods and pocosins. However, towards the back of the property is the floodplain of the Coosawhatchie River. Where river meets sandhill emerge freshwater seeps merging together into freshwater streams rarely seen this deep into the Lowcountry. These seeps host a bounty of herps and birds. There are also several Native American earthworks still prominently visible round the property. Coosawhatchie truly is a spectacular site ecologically, especially for how close it is to the coast.

The roads are in pretty good shape with it being brand new and all and, being comprised mostly of coarse sand under this dry summer sun, there shouldn’t be any risk of mud on the uplands, but more ground clearance in your vehicle is always advisable. Access to the property will be mostly by car. There is plenty of room in most places to pull over or diverge from the pack and lots of ground to cover if we want to split into multiple groups.

Since this is a new heritage preserve, please be mindful of SCDNR’s standard ground rules and please keep the snake hooks in the car. This is a trip to the heart of the Lowcountry at the end of July, it’s going to be HOT. Please bring plenty of water or Gatorade for the whole day. The drought we’ve all been struggling with across the state should at least hold the humidity at bay and keep the bugs down. There are no restrooms on site. However, there is a Love’s rest stop on I-95 about 5 miles away in Yemassee.

DIRECTIONS FROM INTERSTATE 95 – Use the GPS Coordinates: 32.69400, -80.92225

1. Take Exit 38 on I-95 at Yemassee, SC onto SC Route 68 West (Towards Hampton)
2. Drive 2.1 miles, then turn left onto Davidson Tower Road
3. Drive 2.5 miles, then turn left onto Pocotaligo Road
4. In 1.2 miles, the dirt road entrance will be on your right. (Look for Tom!)

Since we’re getting special early access to the site, we have to lock ourselves in once we begin our soodle. Tom Austin, the trip leader, will be at the front gate to usher us in. Additionally, please RSVP with Tom by email at SCnaturalists76@gmail.com and provide your cell phone number, so we know you’re coming and can get in touch with you the day of if needed. On that note, since we have to lock the gate behind us, we all need to be back up by the main gate by quitting time around 4:00pm, so Tom can close the place up.

After our walk, those of us interested in dinner will head to Harold’s Country Club in Yemassee. Pickings are slim in Yemassee for good eats and Harold’s is a hot spot locally. So hopefully it won’t be too full up!