Lowcountry outdoors: 2021 Coastal Exploration Series

Saturday, November 20, 2021

2021 Coastal Exploration Series - South Fenwick Island

A dense maritime forest blankets South Fenwick Island

Driving to the end of Bennett's Point Road leads to the heart of the ACE Basin and the southernmost part of Colleton County. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources McKenzie Field Station is located next to the public boat ramp on Mosquito Creek. Their Coastal Exploration Series took a crew of 20 members of the public by boat to South Fenwick Island for a very unique tour via open air wagon pulled by a pick-up truck. A tractor, two trucks and the trailer are pre-positioned on South Fenwick Island, and they have built a dock that is accessible to the public. Much of South Fenwick Island is owned by SCDNR, but there are at least three small private property tracts too, and each property line is clearly marked.

Public dock and SCDNR transport skiff

South Fenwick Island is open to the public for hiking and has multiple camp sites, but it is only accessible by boat. The Army Corps of Engineers dug a canal for the IntraCoastal Waterway through Fenwick Island, creating the Southern portion that is now one of the many protected islands in the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve. A bow-hunting season for deer is conducted during the first two weeks in October. A freshwater lake and several ephemeral wetlands and tidal creeks are home to a wide variety of bird life including wading birds, raptors and songbirds. A prescribed fire program is a part of the management scheme on South Fenwick, and a focus on native pollinator plants is a part of their future goals.