Pinckney Island, SC

Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, located across the waterway on the north side of Hilton Head Island, is one of the largest wildlife refuges in coastal South Carolina. The entire wildlife refuge encompasses 4,000 acres across four islands. Pinckney Island is the largest, at 1,200 acres, and the only one of the islands that is open to the public.

The other islands include Corn Island, Big Harry and Little Harry Islands, and Buzzard Island. The aim of the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is to protect and preserve endangered species and their natural habitats. The property that is now Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge was once a part of a plantation belonging to Major General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a man notable in South Carolina politics in the early 1800s. The land was established as a refuge in 1975 and includes such physical features as tidal creeks, salt marsh, forestland, brushland, and freshwater ponds. This combination of land and water results in a diverse population of plant and bird life.

Fourteen miles of trails on Pinckney Island are open to bicycling and hiking, and no cars are permitted to travel beyond the parking lot. Pinckney Island is a birdwatcher's paradise with large concentrations of herons, egrets, and white ibis as well as osprey nests and other species of wading birds. Other waterfowl, shorebirds, neo-tropical migrants, and raptors are also frequently seen on the island. There is also at least one known active bald eagle nest within the confines of the refuge and the luckiest of visitors will have the privilege of spotting the rare national bird.