(Keywords: Paddling, Birding, Hiking - South Carolina)
Featuring:
Dirt Roads, Big Trees, Spanish Moss and Plantations
You'll
feel as though you've traveled back in time to a place where rice was king,
and life was less complicated.
One of the Last Great Places on earth, the Ashepoo, Combahee and South Edisto (ACE) River Basins are a world class ecosystem[1] that is protected and accessible.
Opportunities abound for Paddling, Hiking, Boating, and Sightseeing. Download this GPS Map to help you stay oriented throughout your adventures.
Click
on the binoculars to see a screen shot of ExpertGPS
showing an aerial photo of the area around Joe's Fish Camp, take-out point
for the Ashepoo River and Horseshoe Creek river trails. ACE_Expert.JPG
(Approx. 145 KB) opens in a new window.
GPS Map
- Download the free GPS Map in GPS eXchange (.gpx) file format, which can be read and transferred to your GPS using free GPS software. (The .gpx file will appear in a new window where you can File > Save as... on your computer).
GPS Map Details
File Name: basin.gpx (86KB)
Revised: 17 September 2005
Class A Data
Track of the Edisto National Recreation Trail, points of interest and track data surrounding Grove Plantation and ACE Basin Headquarters. Also several waypoint coordinates for boat ramps on the eastern side of the project.
Water trail routes and plantation locations (other than Grove Plantation) and several points of interest obtained from the Topographix waypoint database.
Tracks
- Horseshoe Creek - Water trail from Hwy. 64 to U.S. 17
- Ashepoo River - Hwy. 303 to U.S. 17
- Edisto Nature Trail
- Grove Plantation Goose Pond Trail
- Grove Plantation Walking Trail
Canoeing and Kayaking is best north of highway 17, there is more cover and tides are less of a factor. The Ashepoo River (waypoint ACE210) and Horseshoe Creek (waypoint ACE313) offer a great experience. You see flooded timber, rice fields, and plantations.
Adventure Travel Tip: Tides are not a problem upstream of highway 17, but it is good planning to reach the take-out at Joe's Fish Camp on the falling tide, which is 4-5 hours behind Charleston Harbor.
Hiking
If you have ever wanted to do a rainforest canopy walk but can't afford to travel to the Amazon, try the Edisto Nature Trail (waypoint ACE022) as an alternative. There must be over a mile of elevated walkways, boardwalks and other trail improvements that enable you to plunge into the wetlands without getting wet.
Adventure Travel Tip - Up in the back water, you will encounter a horde of insects and you will surely go insane without a toxic slathering of DEET insect repellant. Better yet, wear a baja shirt* and use bug netting*.
Boating
In South Carolina most beaches are located on barrier islands, many are inaccessible by land. Beach goers have few options as most islands are privately owned. The state does own several and in the ACE basin, such as Otter Island (waypoint ACE993) which is one of the more popular day trips by boat.
Adventure Travel Tip - Be mindful of the tides and tend to your boat at anchor. You could be left high and dry if you anchor too close to the beach at high tide. Also might also have some swimming to do if you anchor too far at low tide.
Sightseeing
This GPS map includes over 37 plantation locations [2]. Some are bona-fide mansions of a by-gone era like Bonnie Doone Plantation (waypoint ACE111), other locations may be only be historical references. For more detail on specific locations check the database found at South Carolina Plantations
Adventure Travel Tip - Most plantations in the basin are privately owned are not accessible to the public. Trespassing is a serious offence. If you are seeking a taste of the old plantation culture, visit Caw Caw Center or the Edisto Interpretive Center, both of which provide substantial information on activities and the Basin in general - a helpful start to any trip into the Basin.
More Info
More details at SCtrails.com
References:
[1] According to The ACE Basin Project, a map and descriptive text published by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the ACE Basin has been designated as a world class ecosystem under The Nature Conservancy's Last Great Places program.
Nature conservancy ACE Basin Project Profile
Last Great Places web site.
[2] Plantation locations are those found in the Topografix Waypoint Database for South Carolina with "Plantation" in the waypoint description and located within the ACE Basin Project boundary.
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