Enjoy September, get outside and take a walk on one (or all!) of these trails.
VICTORIA BLUFF HERITAGE PRESERVE
- 4.0 miles
- Located only minutes from Hilton Head Island, the 977 acre Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve provides an escape from the crowds.
- In the 1970s, the Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve was center stage in a battle between environmentalists and developers that eventually ended in a compromise. Today, you can explore 4 miles of easy walking, crisscrossing trails and firebreaks as you discover the botanical wonders of this preserve, which includes pondspice, a rare plant established here. You should plan to wear protective clothing and insect repellant to discourage the large number of ticks that also flourish in this lush forest. Since the preserve is primarily managed for hunting, the preserve is closed to hikers from October to December.
- Hours: Dawn to dusk
- Directions: From Exit 8 on Interstate 95 (near Hardeeville): Drive east on US 278 toward Hilton Head Island. Drive 1.7 miles past the junction of SC 46 (to Bluffton) and turn left (north) onto Beaufort County S-7-744 at the sign for Waddell Mariculture Center. Drive 1.3 miles and turn right onto a gravel road at the camping sign. The main trailhead is at the camping area and check station.
BUCKWALTER PLACE GREENWAY
- 1.4 miles
- The 1.35-mile long Buckwalter Place Greenway Trail provides residents and visitors with a place to get in touch with nature while exercising.
- The Buckwalter Place Greenway Trail is a pedestrian nature trail which is approximately 1.35 miles long and surrounds the Buckwalter Place mixed-use development. The first two sections of the trail are designed to be ADA accessible.
- The trail is located in a wetlands buffer and some of the features that can be seen along the trail include:
- – Mesic and bottomland hardwood forests
- – Wetland streams
- – Man-made lagoons
- – A planted pine forest that was formerly part of a paper company plantation
- The Town of Bluffton and the developers of Buckwalter Place received funding assistance towards construction of this trail from the Recreational Trails Program in cooperation with the South Carolina State Trails Program and the Federal Highway Administration.
- Directions: Located in Bluffton, SC at Buckwalter Place behind the Publix grocery store.
NEW RIVER
- 3.2 miles
- The trail starts out through a hardwood forest and then opens onto a grassy path, crossing the remains of long-abandoned rice fields. After about 2.5 miles you arrive at the New River, Beaufort County’s only freshwater river, then the route takes you through the Great Swamp and an area once harvested for timber.
- This little-known section of the East Coast Greenway traverses 5.2-miles of scenic and historic terrain. Paleo Indians dating back to 2000 B.C. hunted in the area and traveled along the New River. Several thousand years later, the land was used for the cultivation of rice and timber.
Located off May River Road (S.C. 46/170), the trail runs on both sides of the highway along an old railroad bed that was once part of the Seaboard Air Line Railway. The fairly flat terrain makes it easy to ride, but you’ll still need a bike with fat tires. The trail also is popular with walkers and joggers. - Directions: The main parking area for this trail is located on May River Road. You can also get to the trail from the Heritage Parkway. To get across the highway, use the underpass that was part of the old railway line. It’s below the bridge.
Courtesy of South Carolina Trails, https://www.sctrails.net/trails
