Little Pee Dee Heritage Preserve
Contact Information
SC Department of Natural Resources
Heritage Trust Program
(803) 734-3886 (Columbia)
Hours of Operation
The area is open during daylight hours year-round.
Contributions to the Endangered Wildlife Fund on the South Carolina Income Tax Form help to make the identification and management of these preserves possible.
Photographs
Description
When to go:
The preserve is open from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. Spring and fall are the best times to see birds.
Floodplain forests and oxbow lakes characterize the four tracts of this state preserve, which protects about 9,000 acres of forestland and beautiful blackwater river scenery.
What to look-for:
Otter families play along the river and in the oxbow lakes. Other aquatic creatures to watch for include yellow rat snakes and banded, brown and red-bellied water snakes, all of which are nonpoisonous. Florida and river cooters sun themselves along the banks, as do American alligators. You may also see mink, bobcats, gray foxes and raccoons.
Many trees here are 80 to 100 years old and provide excellent nesting sites for songbirds. Look for yellow-billed cuckoos, prothonotary warblers, Acadian flycatchers, northern parula warblers, and red and white-eyed vireos, among others. Upland species such as white-tailed deer, wild turkey and bobwhite quail are common. Several of the preserve's tracts protect the rare sarvis holly, Other rare plants found here include Well's pyxie-moss and Pickering's morning glory. The Ervin Dargan tract provides the best hiking opportunities, and fishing is especially good in the Ervin Dargan and Little Pee Dee tracts.
Extras
Canoeing is a popular activity on the Little Pee Dee River. The Paddle Guide to the Little Pee Dee River Heritage Preserve (Adobe PDF 3.7 MB) will show canoe trails and access points.