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
The 400-acre Old Island Heritage Preserve is located in coastal Beaufort County, near Hunting Island State Park. The property was acquired from The Nature Conservancy's South Carolina Chapter to protect seven coastal habitat types and feeding areas for the federally endangered Wood Stork and federally threatened Bald Eagle. Perhaps the most appealing feature of the property is a relatively undisturbed coastal island. One only has to look across Old House Creek at Fripp Island to see the potential for development on this property.
The preserve consists of one major portion of uplands and several smaller, isolated pieces. The uplands are relict dune ridges surrounded by many acres of salt marsh and tidal creeks. The dune ridges are dominated by live oak, loblolly pine, and cabbage palm. The understory consists of thick stands of yaupon holly and wax myrtle. Several dune ridges have freshwater wetlands between them and some have saltwater wetlands in the middle. This mosaic of habitat types makes the island a very diverse system.