Area #3

The Audubon Newhall Nature Preserve is a nature conservation area located at the end of the toll road in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  The Preserve was established in 1965 as the Island Wildlife Preserve when Caroline “Beany” Newhall recognized the need to conserve woodlands on this rapidly developing island. She persuaded Charles Fraser of the Sea Pines Company to deed 50 acres of land for a nature preserve, and devoted many hours to saving plants from the developers and transplanting them into this protected environment. In 1976, she deeded the Preserve to Hilton Head Audubon and with an endowment fund ensured its ongoing maintenance. In 1993, the pond was restored which is a focal point of the Preserve. 

On this hike, I used a combination of trails to explore the pond (aka Area #3) and the pine forests around it. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew severely damaged these tall pines and it took an army of volunteers including both State and local resources to clear over 300 downed trees and plant nearly 400 new trees to restore the forest. So think of that as you walk through these forests, and enjoy the pine and saw palmetto flatwoods which were once characteristic of the island prior to development.