ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge

The ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge offers wildlife watching, birding, hunting (by permit in season), fishing in the refuge’s rivers, freshwater and tidal habitats, hiking the limited trail system, paddling by kayak or canoe through the marshes and rivers, and photography of the extraordinary lowcountry wildlife. The refuge’s historic Edisto Unit (with the antebellum Grove Plantation house) provides a visitor focus. Birding for wintering waterfowl, wading birds, bald eagles and painted buntings is the primary draw. Hunting access requires a separate permit and follows a seasonal schedule. Paddling the tidal rivers is a superlative lowcountry experience.

Fall and winter (October through March) are peak times for waterfowl — tens of thousands of ducks and geese winter in the refuge’s tidal marshes and managed impoundments, and wintering bald eagles are conspicuous. Fall migration also brings diverse shorebirds and songbirds. Spring brings nesting activity, painted buntings, wood storks and wading birds at their most active. Summer is hot and humid with mosquitoes intense but painted buntings nesting and alligators active. The refuge is rewarding year-round; the fall/winter waterfowl peak and the spring nesting season are the highlights for most visitors.

The ACE Basin — named for the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers — is one of the Southeast’s most celebrated conservation success stories. By the late 1980s, facing development pressure, a coalition of state and federal agencies, conservation organizations and private landowners forged a landmark voluntary conservation partnership that protected an extraordinary expanse of the lowcountry. The National Wildlife Refuge was established as the federal component. The antebellum Grove Plantation house within the refuge’s Edisto Unit reflects the region’s deep plantation history. The ACE Basin partnership has become a model for landscape-scale conservation across the United States.

The ACE Basin occupies the flat, low-lying coastal plain of South Carolina, where the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers wind through a landscape shaped by millennia of sea-level change, river deposition and tidal action. The broad tidal marshes, river swamps, oxbow lakes and wetlands of the ACE Basin reflect the geology of the coastal plain: flat, poorly drained, and subject to tidal influence far inland. The transition from upland pine and hardwood forest to freshwater wetland to tidal marsh to estuarine water mirrors the gradients of the coastal-plain landscape. Sea-level rise is an ongoing force reshaping the lowcountry’s tidal marshes and barrier islands.

The ACE Basin NWR is one of the premier wildlife destinations in the eastern United States — tens of thousands of wintering waterfowl (ducks and geese) on the Atlantic Flyway; nesting bald eagles and osprey; wood storks (a federally listed species); painted buntings; extraordinary concentrations of wading birds (great blue heron, great and snowy egrets, tricolored heron, roseate spoonbill); shorebirds and terns on the coastal and tidal habitats; alligators in the freshwater impoundments and rivers; loggerhead sea turtles in the estuarine waters; and bottlenose dolphins in the tidal rivers. The ACE Basin’s wildlife diversity and abundance rank among the highest of any protected area in the South Carolina lowcountry.

The ACE Basin NWR is part of one of the largest and most ecologically intact estuarine landscapes on the Atlantic Coast — a globally significant wetland complex encompassing tidal marsh, freshwater marsh, river swamp, bottomland hardwood forest, managed impoundments and upland habitats. The ACE Basin is a critical link in the Atlantic Flyway for migratory waterfowl, a vital nursery habitat for commercially important fish and shellfish species, and a stronghold for species of concern including the wood stork, loggerhead sea turtle and bald eagle. The voluntary conservation partnership protecting the greater ACE Basin landscape at landscape scale is itself an ecological achievement.

The ACE Basin is one of the most celebrated conservation success stories in the American Southeast — a vast, largely wild lowcountry landscape saved from development through a pioneering voluntary partnership of public agencies, land trusts and private landowners. The antebellum plantation landscape, the Gullah Geechee cultural heritage of the rivers and sea islands, and the traditions of hunting and fishing in the lowcountry rivers and marshes layer deep human history into the natural richness of the ACE Basin. As a model for landscape-scale voluntary conservation, the ACE Basin’s story has influenced conservation strategy across the United States and beyond.

The ACE Basin NWR has two main units: the Edisto Unit (off SC-174 near Jacksonboro, with the Grove Plantation house and some trails) and the Combahee Unit (off US-17 near Yemassee). Both are in Colleton and Beaufort counties, about an hour from Charleston or Beaufort. The refuge is open to the public for wildlife watching, fishing and (with permits) hunting; a fee is not generally charged for day use. Roads in the refuge may be unpaved. Hunting requires a separate refuge hunting permit. Check the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for hours, access, hunting schedules and current conditions before visiting.

The ACE Basin NWR is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, and the broader wildlife and ecological values of the estuarine landscape. The greater ACE Basin conservation partnership — encompassing public and private lands — is maintained through voluntary easements and cooperation. Visitors help by staying on designated roads and trails, respecting wildlife (no disturbance of nesting bald eagles, wood storks or other sensitive species), following hunting and fishing regulations, packing out all trash, and supporting the partner organizations that protect the private lands of the ACE Basin. Protecting the watershed, the tidal marshes and the water quality sustains the refuge’s extraordinary wildlife.

The ACE Basin NWR is a wild lowcountry wilderness — roads can be unpaved and subject to flooding, and cell service is limited. Plan your visit with a map, tell someone your plans, and carry water and supplies. Alligators are present in all freshwater areas; maintain a safe distance and never approach or feed them. Mosquitoes and biting insects are intense in warm months; use repellent and protective clothing. Tidal waters can be hazardous for paddlers — check tides and weather, wear a PFD, and be experienced with tidal river paddling before venturing far into the marsh. Hunting seasons mean orange is advisable during fall and winter months.

The refuge is open for day use; hours and access may vary by unit and season. Hunting requires a separate federal refuge hunting permit and follows a seasonal schedule; check FWS for details. Fishing is open per SC DNR regulations. Do not disturb nesting or sensitive wildlife; disturbance of bald eagle nests is a federal violation. Pets must be leashed. No collecting or removal of natural materials. Off-road vehicle use is prohibited except on designated roads. Pack out all trash; no littering. Drones require authorization. Check the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for current access, hunting and fishing schedules and all regulations before visiting.

The historic city of Beaufort, Hunting Island State Park, the Edisto Island and Edisto Beach State Park, the Colleton State Park on the Edisto River, the Ashepoo and Combahee rivers, and the wider Sea Islands and lowcountry landscape lie near the refuge. Charleston is about an hour to the north. The ACE Basin NWR anchors the federal component of one of the largest and most biologically rich estuarine conservation areas on the Atlantic Coast, a centerpiece of any South Carolina lowcountry wildlife and nature itinerary.

Come in fall or winter for the spectacular waterfowl concentration and wintering bald eagles — the managed impoundments can hold tens of thousands of ducks on good days. Bring a spotting scope or binoculars; distances in the flat marsh are great. Paddle a kayak on the tidal Edisto or Combahee for an immersive lowcountry marsh experience, but check tides and bring a GPS. Visit the Edisto Unit to see the historic Grove Plantation house as well as the wildlife. Wear insect repellent from spring through fall, check road conditions before visiting unpaved units, and pick up a refuge map from the FWS website before you go.