Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
Contact Information
SC Department of Natural Resources585 Donnelley Drive
Green Pond, SC 29446
Phone: 843-844-8957
Hours of Operation
- Monday - Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed Sunday and for special hunts.
Description
Donnelley WMA is named in honor of the late Gaylord Donnelley and his wife Dorothy for the contributions they made to the ACE Basin Project and conservation across the continent. Donnelley WMA is managed by the SCDNR through agreements with Ducks Unlimited, and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, the principal landowners of the management area.
The National Wild Turkey Federation purchased and donated additional land to the Donnelley WMA. Other groups cooperating in the establishment of this WMA include The Nature Conservancy, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Dow Elanco and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
This unique property is a cross section of the lowcountry, encompassing a diversity of wetland and upland habitats: managed ricefields, forested wetlands, tidal marsh, agricultural lands, and a variety of upland forest types, including a natural stand of longleaf pine.
The area is intensively managed by the DNR to provide optimum habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and to provide public recreation and education. The area has two designated nature trails and miles of dirt roads for hikers and bicyclists. Late winter through early spring provides bird watching opportunities to observe a variety of species including waterfowl and migratory songbirds. Alligators are abundant in the managed wetlands and are most often seen from late February through mid-November. Hunting opportunities are available to the public for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, dove, small game and furbearers.